The mayor of Helsinki considers it a “disgusting fact” that children from Finland are being sent to camps in Russia. Artek responded

Director of Artek Konstantin Fedorenko called the pressure of the leadership of Western countries on families whose children came to the International Children’s Center as bullying. Despite this, thousands of visitors from abroad flock to the facility every year, camp director Konstantin Fedorenko told TASS.

Earlier, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat stated that the mayor of Helsinki, Daniel Sazonov, demanded clarification about subsidies provided to the Sun Ray company, which sent teenagers to Russian children’s camps. According to the publication, the mayor instructed to review the practice and rules for providing such payments, and also called on the country’s authorities to provide legislative mechanisms for interfering in such activities. He called the sending of children from Finland to Russian camps a disgusting fact.

We see, so to speak, bullying towards children — who wanted or who came to Artek — and their families from foreign countries by the leadership of these countries. The situation has especially worsened since 2022, when Western countries introduced sanctions, and then the pressure increased. “However, even despite all this, thousands of children from all over the world want to come to Artek.”Fedorenko said.

He noted that after the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation, about 15 thousand schoolchildren from abroad have already visited the center. Only in 2025, when Artek celebrated its 100th anniversary, 2.5 thousand foreigners visited the camp; in 2026, it was decided to increase the number of quotas.

In 2025, there were about 1 thousand children who do not speak Russian, but this problem has been solved. The director of Artek added that after just a few days the language barrier ceases to interfere with communication.

source: TASS

Message The mayor of Helsinki considers it a “disgusting fact” that children from Finland are being sent to camps in Russia. Artek responded appeared first on Crimea news | CrimeaPRESS: latest news and main events.