It was frosty winter’s morning, the early days of December 2022. A Russian person walked along a quiet street in one of Helsinki’s industrial estates. An unusual car drew their attention – this model was never sold in Finland. While most of the car was covered with snow, there was a sticker on the rear window, a map of Ukraine in blue-yellow colours, that drew their attention. On closer inspection, the car also had another sticker with large letters – blazing ‘UK’. Surely, it must be a Ukrainian vehicle, it had certainly captured the imagination of the Russian who came to inspect it intently.
An aggressive message becomes an inspiration
The Russian came closer. They tried to peel the Ukrainian sticker off. As they started from Crimea, the sticker broke off at the narrowest point. They got really angry, they tried to break off the wing mirrors. But this endeavour turned out to be impossible too – the mirrors on this model could fold in both directions. They spat at the windscreen in anger, then they wrote in big letters НА ХУЙ! (go to ‘fuck’) on the driver’s window. Though, they still couldn’t get enough satisfaction. They then began digging through their pockets and managed to find a piece of paper and a pen. A pen does not work well in freezing condition, but they eventually got it to write.
“THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR THIS CAR. GO TO UKRAINE, DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY!” they wrote and then they drew a picture offensive to Ukrainians. They stuck the piece of paper under one of the windscreen wipers and finally walked away.
There is a saying, “be careful what you wish for!”. Three years later, this very car became part of Ukrainian’s enduring struggle for freedom.
This is an introduction to a two part English language podcast that can be listened to here.
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