Хельсинки

The Parents’ Day. Dmitry Petrov talks about his book and about his son

November 3 2025 Dmitry Petrov Senior – writer, journalist, and anarchist activist – presented his book The Parents’ Day in Helsinki.
It tells the story of his son, Dmitry Petrov (Leshy) Junior, a Russian anarchist and volunteer who went to fight for Ukraine and went missing while defending Bakhmut.

Listen in SoundCloud

Russian anti-war / anti-Putin activism in emigration: strategies, integration, obstacles and solutions Lecture by Lölja Nordic in Father Frost against Putin festival in Helsinki

4:25 PM - 6:00 PM
January 10, 2026
Oranssi, Kaasutehtaankatu 1, Helsinki

Who needs Russian grassroots activism abroad? What use is there from it and what is its meaning? “Your actions don’t influence anything” is a common
statement not only from the mouthpieces of Russian propaganda, but also, unfortunately, among Russian civil society.

Festival program is now released! The Father Frost Against Putin 2026 Festival will take place on January 10 in Helsinki

 Festival program is now released!

Father Frost Against Putin 2026 is a festival where Russian speakers living in Finland and beyond, Finns, and people of other nationalities come together to talk about freedom, solidarity, and a future without war.

YouTube as a Tool of Resistance — a lecture by Nika Vodvud at the festival Father Frost against Putin in Helsinki

12 PM - 13:35 PM (Helsinki time)
January 10, Oranssi, Kaasutehtaankatu 1
Free entry

YouTube can still — and should — be used for activism. Nika Vodwood (nixelpixel) will talk about approaches and tools that help you use algorithms to your advantage, find your audience, and create YouTube videos on social and political topics. At the end, she will answer any questions during the Q&A.

ABC Moscow Benefit gig in Helsinki with Unicorn Partisans & Stinkbird

Benefit concert for Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow and letter writing for anarchist political prisoners in Russia at Ulrika, Leppäsuonkatu 11. November 8. Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow is  supporting anarchist and anti-fascist prisoners in Russia since 2003.

Facebook event

Struggles against the right-wing government in Finland

Two years of anti-government protests raise questions about organising around collective struggles

This article, edited and published by Freedom, has been adapted from a lecture given at anarchist days, Dresden, 21st September 2024. It has been updated with recent developments. The lecture is available on YouTube and Spotify.

Colonial System of Russia in the Context of War with Ukraine

The presentation examines Russia's colonial policies and their impact on Indigenous regions, highlighting the strategic neglect, economic exploitation, and disproportionate burden placed on these communities during the war, as well as acts of resistance.

Presentation by Zarema, Feminist Anti-War Resistance Finland and World Congress of Dagestan activist.

Recorded in Father Frost against Putin -festival, 11th of January 2025.

Feminist Solutions to End War: Russian Book Translation Launch and Discussion

Can feminism help stop war? Yes—and it already is. This presentation introduced key ideas from the newly translated book Feminist Solutions for Ending War, focusing on selected chapters that explore the crucial role feminism plays in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Following the presentation, participants engaged in a collaborative discussion and brainstorming session. Together, we explored practical ways to apply feminist strategies in everyday antiwar activism and resistance efforts.

Key Aspects of the Persecution of the Russian LGBTQIA+ Community

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.

Listen in Spotify

Throwback to Father Frost against Putin 2023

Фотоколлаж "Дед Мороз против Путина - 2023"

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.

Welcome to Father Frost against Putin-concert in Helsinki, 12th of January

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

Program of Father Frost against Putin -festival 10 years celebration 12th-14th of January 2024 is now published

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. 

Introduction to the Tyumen case against anti-fascists and anarchists

Presentation in Helsinki

Short presentation of the Tyumen case, from a benefit event in Helsinki 6th of October 2023.

In Spotify

Support the fundraising drive of Firefund for the for the lawyers of the defendants in the "Tyumen case". Families and relatives will have to pay for the participation of lawyers in these sessions and they will not be able to cope without you! Less that two weeks are left to reach the fundraising goal, which is still very far.

Festival Feast After Plague (formerly Father Frost against Putin) is postponed to the next January

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.

Author columns

Антти Раутиайнен

In September 2024, I gave a presentation in Dresden about struggles against the right-wing government in Finland. Freedom published a text based on that presentation last September, but due to character limitations I had to skip an introduction to the Finnish party system. This background is...

5 days ago
Антти Раутиайнен

Repression targets Chita anarchists already jailed for war resistance and anti-regime graffiti The regional prosecutor’s office for the Trans-Baikal region in eastern Siberia has submitted a petition to a local court to recognize the “Trans-Baikal Left Association” as a terrorist...

1 month ago
Антти Раутиайнен

Thousands of Russians have been fighting against the invasion to Ukraine. During first month of protests against the war, 15 000 people were detained. Small street actions are still sporadically taking place, although they are heavily persecuted. More than 300 people have been imprisoned for anti-...

1 month ago
ДИАна - Движени...

Translation: volunteers of Autonomous Action. «» The history of solidarity networks in Russia began in 2013, when activists from Autonomous Action and Antijob, most likely members of the Barnaul cell, found information on the internet about the Seattle Solidarity Networks. After studying...

3 months ago