Хельсинки

This presentation explores the current state of the LGBTQIA+ community in Russia and highlights the ongoing challenges they face. It also includes statistics from November 2024, offering an overview of the asylum process for Russian LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers in Finland — including general guidelines of the official procedure, the actual situation, and the difficulties encountered by applicants.

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Festival program is published! Program in English. 

We welcome activists, curious minds, and politically engaged people from around the world! 

In January, the Father Frost against Putin-festival was organized in Helsinki for the ninth time. The first festival was organized in 2014, but there were no festivals in 2021 and 2022 due to border closures and Covid.

The 10th anniversary of “Father Frost against Putin” festival is approaching, so it is time for a throwback to what happened last January. Then the festival was held for the first time in three years. Initially the border was closed by Covid, then by the war in Ukraine, but in the end it was decided to continue organizing the festival in Helsinki, just under new conditions.

Where: Lepakkomies, Helsinginkatu 1
Entry €12 (standard) or €20 (support price)

Timetable:
8 PM Doors
8.30 Pavel Semchenko:

"10 reasons to become a dictator", audiovisual performance

8:45 Cave Moss

Laid-back but energetic alternative rock from Helsinki
Aatu Kovanen : guitar & vocals
Iikka Puolakka : bass & vocals
Ahti Kulo : synths, percussions and vocals
Kalle Kauranen : drums

9:30 Asko Keränen

In Father Frost against Putin -festival, Helsinki 13th of January 2023 7:30 at Oranssi (Kaasutehtaankatu 1, building 11). 

We will screen the movie about participants of anti-fascist and anarchist groups during the anti-Putin protests of 2011-2012.

Festival program is now published. 

Father Frost against Putin -festival was organised first time 10 years ago. From 2014 to 2020 festival was organised seven times, and Russian grassroots organisations told about their activities and networked between each other. 

Festival program is now published. 
 

Unfortunately, we must once again delay our festival, this time due to war. Our concept was always to be an open meeting of Russian (and not only Russian) activists in Helsinki. But now borders are closed, and it is unclear if any open social activism in Russia will be possible from now on.

But we plan to organise our festival anyway. We still have spaces and organising group. Our preliminary new dates for the festival are 6th-9th of January 2023.

Father Frost Against is a cultural and political festival, focused on critical thinking, reflection and development of new activism strategies. Held in Helsinki, Finland from the 3rd to the 5th of January and organized by local activists, as well as participants from Russia and the post-Soviet space.

We invite everyone to join us in Helsinki on independence day 6.12.2019 to build a world where there's no room for the far-right.

Millions of people around the world have taken action over the year and joined young activists in the fight for our environment, demanded their civil rights, and risen up against fascism, authoritarian governments, and capitalism. Meanwhile far-right street activity in Finland has withered from the weekly demonstrations of a few years ago to tragicomic blustering by a handful of people.

On 1st of May , 2019, a memorable rally and traditional demonstration of left-wing organizations and parties of the country were held in Helsinki. Anti-fascists, anarchists and left-wing activists organized separated revolutionary anti-fascist anti-capitalist bloc and passed through all the city.  At 9 am a memorial rally was held near the monument to the fallen soldiers of the Finnish Red Guard, workers who died in concentration camps organized by nationalists and white guards in 1918-1919.

Next year, 2019, the Father Frost against Putin-festival will once again take place in Helsinki.  From the 5th to the 6th of January you can join discussions about the state of affairs in Russia and the x-USSR region, and get a chance to meet various social and political activists without the fear of police or special service operations. (fear of infringement from the side of police and special services). 

October 28, 2018 in Helsinki in front of the Russian Embassy. 10 people took part in the action, mostly anti-fascists and anarchists from Russia and some activists from Finland.

On August 25, 2018, in the frame of the 6th international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners, anarchists held several support events in Helsinki.

Come to the Tattoo Circus 13-15.4 to support prisoners and get inked!
Oranssi, Kaasutehtaankatu 1 (building 11), Suvilahti, Helsinki

On March 18, 2018, as part of an international solidarity campaign with Russian antifascists and anarchists, there was a protest in Helsinki near the embassy of the Russian Federation.

During the last months, Russian secret services have arrested several anarchists and antifascists. They were accused of conspiring to organize a “terrorist organization”. The arrested were tortured with electric cables and shockers for many hours, brutally beaten without consideration if serious wounds are caused and whether visible traces of beating are left. The officers humiliated our arrested comrades. They tried to force them to testify against themselves and against each other.

Various initiatives and activists from post-soviet countries and the rest of Europe will be part of this event sharing stories and reports on the situation in their regions. There are plenty of reasons for exchanging perspectives: an increase in repression and a new round of political confrontations are accelerating certain historical processes, not giving us a chance to catch our breath.