Ukrainians are fleeing Ukraine, but Russians are also fleeing Russia. While flights to Europe are suspended, they still have a fast, safe and inexpensive way to reach it. This is the train that connects Saint Petersburg to Helsinki, Finland.
With our special correspondent in Helsinki, Frederic False
Twice a day, the Allegro fast train arrives from St. Petersburg, after three and a half hours of travel. On the quay, very few families or friends came to pick up the passengers. Because most are in transit.
Helsinki is first and foremost the easiest way, and one of the only ones remaining, to leave Russia and reach Europe. And this 50-year-old dragging two large suitcases behind him does not hide the reasons for his departure: “ Putin is shit he throws. We go to Latvia, we live there. »
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The train is reserved for those who hold a Russian or Finnish passport. You also need a visa, a vaccination passport. Russians who can borrow it are therefore privileged, like Sara, who lives partly in the Netherlands.
For her, the anguish is not over: We are also expecting part of our family who is Ukrainian, they will come to us in the Netherlands. There they fled to Poland. »
Some of these Russians plan to return. Others not, this is the case of Alexei. This computer developer, accompanied by his fiancée, wants to set sail for Spain.
We don’t feel safe in our own country. You can go to jail for nothing in Russia. We don’t plan to come back
The Finnish authorities would like to run more trains, open to all Europeans, but the Russians have still not responded to these requests.
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