Leningrad Region to Give Tourists a Taste of Ingrian Finnish Culture

Ingrian Finnish folklife culture will be presented at an ethnic village, a concept that should be developed in the Leningrad region by the end of the year, in keeping with Governor Alexander Drozdenko’s directive, a regional government spokesman said.

"Ingrian Finns will be represented at the exposition together with the other four Finno-Ugric indigenous groups living in the region: Vepsians, Votes, Izhorians and Tikhvin Karelians," he said. 

According to the 2010 census, about 4,300 ethnic Finns live in the Leningrad region.

Ingrian Finns fully qualify for state support measures as part of the national policy for the preservation of indigenous languages, traditions, customs, folklore and material elements of popular culture, the spokesman said.

"In June, the Juhannus traditional festival took place. In October, a special event was held to celebrate the 230^th anniversary of the foundation of the first Ingrian Finnish school in the village of Malye Kolpany, and a roundtable, Ingrian Finns: People, History, Faith, took place," the press service said.

Ingrian Finns always participate in folk concerts as well as Vepsian, Vote and Izhorian festivals. Historically, all of these peoples have lived side by side and have similar cultural traditions. Together with other ethnic groups living in the region, Ingrian Finns presented their culture at an ethnic and cultural festival of peoples of the Leningrad region, entitled Russia: a Consonance of Cultures, which took place in September in Vyborg. All five Finno-Ugric groups participated in the Day of Indigenous Peoples of the Leningrad Region, which is held annually in early October.