recently released a home video About Vladimir Putin from a visit to Finland in the early 1990s. The video, which also attracted international attention, revealed what Putin looked like before he became the leader of Russia, who closely controlled his image.
No one imagined that a man of few words would brutally attack Ukraine and leave a dark mark on world history.
But what did Putin do in Finland in the 1990s and how is he remembered? investigated the matter by interviewing Finns who had met Putin in various contexts at the time. Not all of them wanted to be named.
Putin visited Finland in the 1990s, mostly in the entourage of the city of St. Petersburg. He was the mayor Anatoly Sobchak right-hand man and was responsible for relations abroad.
Especially in Turku, there are people who have personal memories of Putin. He visited the twin city of St. Petersburg several times.
The new president of Russia also wanted to meet his old Finnish acquaintances when he was on his first state visit to Finland in September 2001. Tarja Halonen had been elected president of Finland the previous year.
Putin and the Finnish entourage met at the Finnish president’s summer residence in Naantali’s Kultaranta. Putin had invited mostly people from Turku.
The archbishop was there John Vikstroma consultant Anders BlomCEO Esa Honkathe ambassador Markus Lyraa local politician Aila HarjanneMinister of the Interior Ville ItäläInformation Secretary Matti Romppanen as well as the now deceased, Member of Parliament Jukka Mikkola and the mayor Lovely Lahoniitty.
Archbishop John Vikström: “Putin has boasted that he has been tackled by the archbishop of Finland”
President Putin likes to appear in pictures as a sportsman, both on the judo court and in the hockey rink. He has played ice hockey as well as the president Sauli Niinistön with.
In 1994, Putin played football in St. Petersburg’s team against Archbishop John Vikström’s team in Turku.
At least in the story told by President Putin, the archbishop is the man who broke his collarbone in the match. As you know, Putin has also bragged to President Halonen that he was tackled by the archbishop of Finland.
Vikström tells that he doesn’t know if he is guilty, but has taken the blame on himself.
– I have stated that I think I am the only one who has been able to stop this man by force, John Vikström jokes.
The soon-to-be 92-year-old Vikström served as archbishop of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1982 to 1998.
Those who participated in the match in Turku do not remember Putin’s injury.
– He hid it, acted like an agent in that regard, Juhani Lavén says. At that time, he was the head of ‘s Western Finland office in Turku.
– Putin was not a skilled player, but quick-tempered and quick-tempered, Lavén recalls.
In autumn 2001, John Vikström met Putin in Kultaranta. A football match from years ago was also remembered there.
– That’s when Putin got excited and stood up in the middle of the floor, Vikström says.
Putin asked Vikström to feel his collarbone and said that it is still not well.
Prime Minister Esko Aho: I didn’t know I met Putin
Putin’s low profile in the 90s is indicated by the fact that it dawned on some of the interviewees only later that they had met Putin.
This is what the prime minister who served as prime minister in 1991–1995 also tells Esko Aho. He now recalls that Putin was twice involved in the Prime Minister’s meetings in Helsinki and St. Petersburg.
– I don’t remember him saying anything and I didn’t have any image of him, Aho says.
In 1994, the Prime Minister and a group of St. Petersburg citizens traveled by train from Helsinki to Tampere to the opera.
– As far as I remember, it was Patarauva, Karita Mattila was in the main role, Aho says.
From the picture taken on the train, Aho later confirmed that the future president of Russia was also there. Mayor Sobtšak was the person in the party who was believed to be able to become the leader of Russia.
One can only guess whether Putin was already aiming for the top of Russia at that time. He must have been at least more ambitious than one could have suddenly concluded from his appearance.
In the background discussions, it is described that as a former agent of the Soviet security service KGB, Putin also knew how not to stand out from the crowd.
Another Finnish politician of that time says that Putin also showed the traits of a former agent. He seemed to be observing and registering what was being said.
It seemed that Putin also wanted to keep the situations under his control. When many drank alcohol “through Ostrobothnia”, Putin drank water. He was real and didn’t tell jokes.
According to him, strong patriotism was passed on from Putin already at that time.
However, Putin showed no signs of future aggression. On the contrary, it seemed that he sought contact with Westernity and considered Finland his friend.
– He felt like a completely different person than he is now, the politician says.
Ambassador Markus Lyra: Putin was punctual and efficient
The former mayor of Turku has been described as the Finn who knows Putin best Juhani Leppää. He refused an interview with .
The Finnish ambassador to Moscow in the 1990s also had a lot to do with Putin Markus Lyra.
He got to know Putin while serving as consul general in St. Petersburg in the early 1990s, when Putin became the right-hand man of city mayor Anatoly Sobchak.
– I thought I should get to know the guy, and I invited him to lunch. He spoke openly about his background, for example that he has been a KGB representative in the GDR.
As deputy mayor, Putin managed the city’s foreign relations. Lyra’s tasks, on the other hand, included making sure that Finnish companies are treated fairly. The busy Sobtšak urged Finns in general to turn to Putin.
– Consequently, I met him very often.
Lyra moved to Moscow as ambassador in 1996. She bumped into Putin, who was working in the Russian presidential administration at the time, by chance on the street.
The men decided to meet. Putin came to the embassy for a sauna and dinner. They had a few similar meetings in Moscow.
Lyra also visited the FSB headquarters in Moscow in 1998, when Putin had become head of the Russian security service.
– That was the last longer meeting, Lyra recalls.
From the FSB, Putin became prime minister in 1999. Lyra describes the Putin of the 90s as pleasant, friendly and direct. Putin did not appear to be a person who would later become anti-Western and rule his country with great power.
– I didn’t notice any strange features in him.
Lyra recalls that Putin was the only prominent Russian politician who reciprocated by offering her lunch. Putin could not be called particularly talkative.
– He was a bit like a Finn in that he didn’t say much. Then if asked, he answered.
He describes Putin at that time as punctual, efficient and reliable. Sobtsak was a “skyshore painter and promised closed ponds”, but Putin was different.
– Putin understood how the Western system works. I got the impression that he understood how Russia should work as well.
CEO Esa Honka pampered Putin in the sauna and jacuzzi
Putin interested the Finnish business people because it was known that he opens doors for foreigners in St. Petersburg. Unlike many foreigners, Putin likes to take a sauna.
CEO of Hansaprint Esa Honka took Putin to the company’s sauna in Turku in 1992, when he wanted to promote his business in St. Petersburg.
Hansaprint printed St. Petersburg’s phone books, and now the company wanted St. Petersburg’s maps for the catalogs as well.
The Russian consul general and Turku city administration were also present, but only Honka and Putin went to the sauna.
The men spoke German in the sauna, which Putin knew well after working in East Germany.
– Just the usual small talk. He told something about the time in Germany, but not so much about the KGB side, Honka says.
Then the CEO took Putin to the jacuzzi and gave him a glass of champagne.
– I said that I will increase the temperature of the pool, which is now 37 degrees, by half a degree every five minutes until he gives permission. Then he laughed. When I had raised half a degree, he said yes you can get those maps.
We sat at the dinner table in bathrobes and did our shopping.
– He was real and serious, he didn’t tell jokes. A bit withdrawn, more of a listener than an initiator, Honka describes Putin at the time.
In total, Honka met Putin ten times, usually in St. Petersburg when publishing phone books. The last time Honka met Putin was in 2001 in Kultaranta, where Putin invited his Finnish acquaintances.
Honka recalls that in Kultaranta, Putin said that he had given up his summer residence on the Karelian Isthmus because he could no longer be there in peace. Hundreds of the president’s staff always came to the place.
Another businessman says that with Putin he never knew if the meeting would take place. Putin was also short-spoken and did not cultivate fancy phrases.
In background discussions, Putin is also described as a team player and team leader. It is said that he hates deception the most, when someone acts contrary to what they say. Putin remembers his friends in good times and bad.
Finns surprised by Putin’s change
Former Moscow ambassador Markus Lyra says that in the 1990s and early 2000s it was believed in diplomatic circles that Putin could be a leader who would reform Russia in a Western direction.
At that time, Lyra could not have imagined how Putin would act later.
– This change has completely surprised me. I have thought that maybe he became disillusioned with the West after all and began to think that Russia is being treated unfairly, and that made him bitter.
Archbishop Vikström says that Putin was an open and pleasant conversational partner when they met in Kultaranta in 2001. However, they did not have deeper or spiritual conversations.
– I don’t know what has been under the previous surface.
Vikström doesn’t know what he would say to Putin now if they met again.
– I think it would be difficult to have any reasonable conversation with him in this situation.
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