All night long - English language by Veronika Bazunova

helsinki - pietari

ALL NIGHT LONG

SASKA AALTONEN | TEEMU KAMMONEN

helsinki - pietari

ALL NIGHT LONG THE FIRST YEARS OF THE SOKOS HOTELS IN RUSSIA

Cover: Jussi Karjalainen Layout and visual style: Janne Valkeap채채

table of contents FOREWORD I. BOLDLY ACROSS THE BORDER

11 12

Initial figures were encouraging

First forays across the border

Helsinki - St. Petersburg All Night Long, and a little longer

Three points appeared on the map

The first office

Pondering St. Petersburg in the early days

Sharing our good intentions

At the starting point

Finnish immigration to St. Petersburg

II. PLANS BECOME CONCRETE

The Vasilievsky was first on the drafting table

Round rubber stamps

The General who was a fire inspector

Cash, please

Net problem, normal katastrof

Visual image

The roots of Zavtra Buddhism

Local suppliers

Sanitary Doctor

Sevilla simulator

Do you notice the difference?

III. PERSONNEL

The added value of beauty

Cultural sparks

Young company, young employees

Cats at the Hermitage

IV. RUNNING THE HOTELS

The first customers, finally

Grand openings

Olympia Garden in Pasolini style

Differences in eroticism

Vasilievskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first anniversary celebration

The gentleman and the queue of wife candidates

Excellent marketing

Vodka - connecting people

V. ups and downs The recession reaches Russia

96 97

AN Security

101

Recovery

102

Re-branding and development of the spa

104

Hotel Preview

114

Sokos Hotel Palage Bridge

114

Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden

119

Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky

121

Juhani Järvenpää, Primus motor and diplomat

125

Change in leadership

128

He who asks is not the fool

129

.. .. .. VI. The First and the second Jarvenpaa 124

VII. FOOD AND DRINK, JOY AND LIFE

130

The Russian kitchen

131

Pressure for modernisation at restaurants

132

Dining in the dark à la restaurant Dans le Noir?

133

Right from the port to enjoying your trip - visa free

135

Caught up in celebrating

137

Russian reversal joke

142

But what is “in”?

144

Russian recipes

146

IX. LESSONS FROM THE EAST

150

Ponderings in retrospect

151

Russian time

154

History is valued

156

The everyday life of ex-pats in St. Petersburg

156

Living in St. Petersburg

158

Loving your neighbour

160

Caste and income differences

161

Matrjoškha-doll 162 Codes of conduct for everyone

164

Sticky situations

166

Cruel fairness

167

All antennas up

168

X. A RISING METROPOLIS FOR CITY TOURISM A hard and beautiful jewel

170 171

FOREWORD

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ru wra ssia is ppe a ri d ddl i insi na de a mys e tery n en igm a .â&#x20AC;? Win sto n Ch urch

ill

It has been a good while since Sokos Hotels began its business in Russia. Despite a rocky road which wound through many phases, goals have been met and three modern, high-quality, varied and successful hotels now stand on the other side of the eastern border. Guests see them as international meeting sites with knowledgeable personnel and functional infrastructures, as if they had always been as they are now. But in Russia, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Who would believe that nearly all you see had to be built from the ground up?

How it was achieved is a fascinating, fast-paced story filled with twists and perils. It is the story of Finnish expertise rising up to help build a new culture and international business environment. It is the story of a 23 million Euro investment, the creation of nearly a thousand hotel rooms and dozens of truckloads of raw materials imported from around Europe. But above all it is a story about the people dedicated to the endeavour. This is a story about how nothing works, but everything works out.

I. BOLDLY

ACROSS THE BORDER

- A gap for couple hotels

Initial figures were encouraging It was the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, and Sokos Hotels could be found in every large Finnish city and many smaller ones. Business extended across the Baltic to Estonia as well. Expansion into the Russian market was a clear option, since tourism in Russia was expected to take a sharp upward turn. Russia was also experiencing rapid economic growth and seemed like an excellent location for new hotels. There was an obvious gap in hotel accommodation offerings. Glamorous high-end hotels were aplenty, as were economical lodgings at the other end of the spectrum. But middle-class hotels were actually non-existent. The equation clearly added up to a welcome and promising growth base for the Sokos Hotel concept. And two men grasped hold of the opportunity offered by this opening window. Matti Pulkki, head of the Finnish hotel and restaurant group Sokotel Oy, a subsidiary of SOK, and SOK’s CEO Kari Neilimo did some visionary arithmetic and decid-

ed to take the first bold but well-reasoned steps across the border. At this point the ambitious goal was to build as many as eight hotels in Russia. In 2005, Russia was going through hard economic times. Although the economy had grown rapidly for many years, high interest rates were a risk and restrained borrowing in the markets. That in turn affected the real estate market. Above all, economic growth affected the hierarchy of consumer needs; mobility among the prospering middle class increased the need for accommodations and created a growth market. The new hotels’ customers were expected to come from both Finland and Russia, primarily business people and urban travellers interested in culture.

First forays across the border The first forays across the eastern border were to Vyborg. Three Härmä Cowboys, real estate expert Tomi Bergman, consultant Juhani Järvenpää and

ing m o upc e h t ult, t c a fi f h city of St. Petersburg, the Venice y di ew t r e n v k n e e e of the North. v b e “W d e l b u d to t wo n c e u j o o St. Petersburg’s tourist pr t.” as f l w u c t i offerings are comparable to ffi but e di r those of Europe’s largest cities, but are o m Matti Pulkki went to look at properties and test the waters in the former Finnish Hansa city. It was close by and attracted tourists from Finland. It turned out that finding potential hotel properties was not very easy after all. In practice, there was too much uncertainty for a higher standard of business operations. Con artists painted a picture of hotels in the street scene, trying to give Finns strong impressions of good deals - like used car dealers. The dodgy deals were left unmade, as were purchases of hotel sites. They forged ahead, and soon things progressed as hoped in St. Petersburg. The openness of the city’s administration and their civilised way of doing business made on impression on the trio. It became clear that SOK would take its place as a player in the historically enchanting and appropriately decadent

closer and also more economical than most sites found on a map of Europe. Commercial real estate owners showed the trio numerous locations. City officials also presented ideas and supported the project from the very beginning. In fact, St. Petersburg had just decided to pursue a drive to increase tourism. The favourable atmosphere enabled finding good sites for the hotels. Over the years the locations have continued to improve, since particularly the Sokos Hotels on Vasilievsky Island are close to top tourist attractions like the Hermitage Museum. The Finns had to consider the locations carefully, since inquiries to other hotel chains had yielded only one answer: building a hotel is profitable only on the main road, Nevsky Prospekt. The Finns’ decisions paid off. Positive experiences in Estonia also gave the Finns confidence. Jukka

Räisänen, General Manager at the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge, commented: The fact that the Hotel Viru had been opened in Tallinn allowed us to open up the Russian end, too. The opening of the Hotel Viru went extremely well both operationally and from a business standpoint, which created confidence that things would go well. We saw a clear gap in the market in St. Petersburg and the financial projections were good. The GDP had grown 6% a year. No wonder SOK considered the numbers reliable, and in a way we received moral support to test the waters. The search for properties began in high spirits.

Helsinki - St. Petersburg All Night Long, and a little longer Once plans to break into the Russian hotel business were completed, it was time to find motivated and dynamic core personnel who had solid professional experience with this type of venture, including experience outside of Finland.

While Finns do not necessarily value it in day-to-day life, our country’s infrastructure is like a well-oiled machine. Schedules and progress are as reliable as an atomic clock. Everything is done on time, and usually in keeping with the budget. In Russia, everything is just the opposite. We knew that the upcoming project would be very difficult, but it was found to be even more difficult when Juhani Järvenpää assessed the venture in 2011. This perception of what was to come turned out to be true indeed. Building three hotels in St. Petersburg turned into a James Bondish adventure, complete with uniformed generals, beautiful women, historic places and fast cars. Both fast pace and perilous. Everyone who has lived for long in St. Petersburg knows that Mother Russia will surprise you every day. Kari Liski, then the Financial Director of Sokos Hotels, reminisces about 2005:

When we mapped out nearby areas with Matti Pulkki, Finnish multinational companies with expertise in Russia advised us. That went a long way in helping us in the beginning. At the time, St. Petersburg, with a population of more than five million, had the same number of hotel rooms as Helsinki. At the height of the season there simply were not enough rooms for all the visitors to the city, even if they tried to book them well in advance. You didn’t need a crystal ball or a genius in economics to know that demand exceeded supply, an opportunity worth taking hold of. For those who are unfamiliar with the subject, we should mention at this point that establishing a hotel in Russia is not exactly an ordinary real estate transaction. It takes much more time, money and resources. Hotels cannot be built just anywhere. Permits are strictly regulated and obtaining them is a very long process. The Finns wanted to get into the market quickly and immediately began looking for owners of hotel rights willing to make a deal. Hotel rights were available. Sokos

was not the only hotel chain circling this city of opportunities, looking to line their pockets. Some of them were established players who had operated in Russia somewhat longer. This was helpful in drawing up a strategy. SOK’s Managing Director Kuisma Niemelä summed up the situation: In addition to our calculations, we had business partners in Russia who gave us first-hand information about the markets. Based on that information, a few experts were sent to develop a deeper understanding of the issues, and whey they returned, decisions were made quickly and we got down to work.

Three points appeared on the map As mentioned earlier, originally there were plans for as many as eight Sokos Hotels in Russian cities with populations in the millions, as well as five franchisebased hotels. Sites as far away as Yekat-

erinburg were considered. On the wings of steep economic growth, we eagerly searched for a foothold as the market heated up. A concrete window of opportunity finally opened in St. Petersburg when the Holiday Club Spa Finland chain offered to sell its Vasilievsky Island spa location to SOK in 2007. A year earlier, Sokos Hotels had purchased six Holiday Club spa hotels in Finland. They then proposed the buyout of a venture under way in St. Petersburg as well. The opportunity was not wasted, and a lease agreement was quickly signed thanks to the collaboration and vision of Holiday Club Resorts’ CEO Vesa Tengman. As the result of another determined search, the next two sites were also established quickly. An agreement was made with the Estonian real estate company Manutent for leasing and building of the Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky, also on Vasilievsky Island. The Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden became an SOK hotel through a mix of luck, awareness of objectives and social capital. Through his contacts in St. Petersburg, Juhani Järvenpää got a valu-

“Thi s is w hat ’s bein g offe now red . hand Shal le it? lI I’m a on m l y wa y to N ready orwa y...” abl e tip about a hotel which might soon be on the market. The Norwegian company Wenaas planned to lease out its rights to a hotel site. As a man of action, he reacted immediately and made a fruitful phone call to Kari Liski. “This is what’s now being offered. Shall I handle it? I’m already on my way to Norway...” Juhani went to Oslo to handle preparations for the transaction. The papers were drawn up in Finland, and the lease terms were agreed to in a long and complicated contract. Regarding the content of hotel contracts, we can say that in a lease agreement for a hotel which has not yet been built, the lessee decides to a large extent what will be done at the site. As agreed, the lessee’s demands affect the hotel’s appearance, use, rooms, kitchen and res-

as w e r phe s ng o i k m t o ea ut lo b “Th , se er it n b e t m in me e r l very e .” til m s i t I good back y r ve tauas a rant-related matters, which the lessor commits to realising. Lease contracts are usually made for a period of 15-20 years, and the lessee is almost always given an extension option.

The first office It was an almost lyrical coincidence that the extensive project rose up from the square of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Sokos Hotels’ first office was established there. Realisation of the first three hotel projects required a solid core team. Juhani Järvenpää was given the sheriff ’s badge. Lorentz Salo and Atte Vannasmaa were recruited and deputized. The dynamic core team also included Sami Karppi, Ville Relander, Kenneth Lindberg and

Pille Möll. The first office started getting cramped. At that point, Managing Director Juhani Järvenpää and Marketing Director Satu Oksanen had already been in St. Petersburg for nearly a year handling hotel transactions and networking in local circles. They had already composed the sheet music based on notes given to them by SOK in Finland, and now needed a talented orchestra to arrange the work into a hotel opera. A location was still needed for the concert hall, where the drums would be beat and batons waved. Imagine the situation: A group of experts are sitting in an empty office on their first day at work. The venture which has just become concrete is so extensive that it is understandably hard to immediately know where to start. The project IT and restaurant managers showed their expertise in a foreign land by first procuring a flip chart, printer and coffee maker. Their work began very modestly, and after their little shopping spree titles became almost indiscernible among the

small group, everyone had to extend themselves in most every direction. The three-room office was rented from Manutent, the same Estonian company with which the lease contract for the coming Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky had just been signed. Until the first hotel was completed, all operations were run from this tiny office in the basement of a small, historic building. Recruiting, interviewing and even training was done in the narrow hallway between the rooms. Ville Relander, tasked as Food & Beverage Manager, arrived at the office in Russia right after a year on the Sokos payroll in Finland. Although he had lived across the eastern border a few times before, the atmosphere at the office was surprisingly Russian, even for him. I had to share my work space with my boss, Lorenzo, and we even used the same computer. Internet access worked now and then, but usually not, and Atte Vannasmaa’s clothes were hung everywhere to dry.

All this made the feeling very homey. The internal auditor at the time, Pille Möll, waxes nostalgic about office life in the early days: More and more people kept arriving. The space meant for a few people was packed like a crowded market square and the atmosphere was very intense, but looking back I still remember it as a very good time. It felt like the sun was shining all the time, and sometimes when I needed to calm down I went for a walk on the historic streets. At the square of St. Isaac’s Cathedral’s I watched as young couples got married. Once on my way to the office I saw a man in a tuxedo in a tree. He had climbed onto a limb to propose to a woman. That gives you such a good feeling.

Pondering St. Petersburg in the early days Although genetically we are at least as close to the Russians as to the Swedes, the culture shock beyond the eastern border

s e wa f i l -day o t aby of a l D l “ ly fu t ning n r a a t s e l ” con and , s teps. e s i t y i bab surd y b d lives resse g o r p up to its name - shock. Finns arriving to work on the hotel project saw St. Petersburg as romantic, but also a bit odd. Pille, who grew up in Estonia during the Soviet era, adapted to St. Petersburg easily. She served as an interpreter and cultural liaison at the office when we ran into a language or cultural barrier. Her insights were very helpful in teaching the Finnish team about local practices and orienting them to Russian business culture. Other office personnel, though, took a bit longer to make their way down the integration path. Juhani Järvenpää remembers the early days of pondering St. Petersburg: At first I spoiled a lot of shoes while learning to navigate the slushy, salted

streets of a city of more than five million people. Everything including reading had to be learned from scratch, and it did feel difficult. Fortunately the veteran Russian expert Satu Oksanen was hired as our «right-hand man», who often led me along arm-in-arm. Satu was always with me, read the newspapers for me, guided me to the right metro, told the taxi where to go and made restaurant reservations. Day-to-day life was constantly full of absurdities, and learning progressed by baby steps. A funny thing happened once because of the language barrier. A security guard at a store had started to follow me. I thought he had come to help me, and I loaded up all my purchases one by one into his arms. Russian business operations differed significantly from domestic ones, so the style of handling transactions and doing business had to be re-learned. There was no comprehensive training to help us assimilate it, or at least there was no time for it, so often practices were figured out during actual negotiations. “At first I wanted to get the team to

Lorentz moved to Russia with his wife. For her it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the cultural shock easier to find an assault shotgun from under their bed while cleaning the new apartment for the first time. 21

understand Russian culture, and tested operating models in practical situations. Three Russians and three Finns took part in drawing up our first business plan in Russia. I asked them to consider a situation from their own viewpoints and tell me how personally, on a scale of one to ten, they would take it if I gave them critical feedback. The Finns answered three to four, and the Russians answered nine, and one of them ten. I made a note of that immediately,» says Jukka Räisänen.

SHARING OUR GOOD INTENTIONS At the beginning of the venture, Juhani Järvenpää wanted to make it clear to decision-makers and officials in St. Petersburg what our business involved. He wanted to express our intentions by holding an informational event at the Finnish Consulate, where he clearly explained the company’s goals and business practices. This was unheard of in the experience of the Russians. They took it as a sign of exceptional honesty and openness, which it was. The memo-

rable event was a turning point in the company’s operations in St. Petersburg, and opened many doors both then and in the future. Sami Karppi, the Director of Finance at the time, remembers it well: Juhani’s vision was to explain all about our project there. Russians opposed it - nobody does that. Juhani stuck to his guns and wanted to make his speech on untainted ground, so he invited all the city officials and directors to the Finnish Consulate and introduced them to each other. Among Russians, all contacts are always made through the CEO, but Juhani made it clear that directors and mid-level managers were responsible for their own sites and officials could contact them directly rather than always going through the CEO. He made it understood that officials would always be welcome at the work site, so matters could be handled correctly from the very beginning. Inspections made after the fact would cause delays and make them unnecessarily complicated. Usually companies here do everything up to completion of their

project without asking anyone, wind up with problems and then try to maneuver, cover up or patch things up to meet regulations. One official’s secretary later came

to tell Juhani that nobody had ever done something like that in Russia - explained beforehand what they planned to do rather than just doing it.

ad h y d o “Nob em o s e n ever do that e k i l thing exa i s s in Ru foree b d e plain hey t t a h hand w do .“ o t d e plann

At the starting point... - St. Petersburg Sokos hotelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; area before construction . Inspiring!

Finnish immigration to St. Petersburg St. Petersburg gives wisenheimers plenty to be haughty about, after all it is for example Vladimir Putin’s home town. But did you know that at the end of the 19th century it was the city with the second largest population of Finns? At that time, the Finnish population of St. Petersburg was second only to Helsinki. The capital of Czarist Russia was home to 24,000 Finns, particularly in the area around the railway station. Up to twelve trains per day ran to and from Helsinki. Many employees of VR, the Finnish national railway, lived in St. Petersburg along with factory workers, maids, artisans, merchant and goldsmiths, of which there were plenty. Alma Pihl, a hero of the time, worked at Fabergé and designed the world-famous Winter Egg for the Russian Imperial family. The Finnish gold jeweller Tillander, rich in tradition, also did business in the city. There were

several hundred officials and military officers from Finland who worked for the Czar, including C.G.E. Mannerheim, who later became Marshall Mannerheim. Finnish fishermen sold their catch for a fair price, and country folk made long journeys on foot to feed the unending hunger of the big city. The Grand Duchy of Finland was then only a stone’s throw away from the capital of the Russian Empire. Finnish prostitutes competed in large numbers with their Baltic sisters for dominance in the demand-rich market. Like Sonia in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, many of the girls had to carry a yellow flag as a sign of their professional status. Like today, at the end of the 19th century Finnish children could attend school in St. Petersburg in their native language. It was ironically progressive, since in Finland the official languages were still Swedish and Russian until 1883. Finns also worked in the city’s transportation network, piloting eighty steamboats on its numerous canals whose routes connected the shores of the Venice of the North. An

end to the story of steamboats came when bridges were completed and railway lines brought an entirely new dimension to the metropolis.

Su0mip0Jka

The re w ere s dred ever offic al h tary ials unand offic ers f mili who r o mF work inla ed f nd or th e Cz ar.

II. PLANS

BECOME CONCRETE

- Building begins

“Well planned is half spoiled .” Russian saying

The Vasilievsky was first on the drafting table Jaakko Puro, who had taken part in the renovation of the Sokos Hotel Viru and planned dozens of S Group concept restaurants, was brought on board as the lead architect. The plans also had international colour, since while Puro kept the reigns in his hands, the drawings were drafted by Sinan Kurtsbay from Turkey and Allessandro Vanzino from Italy. The participation of an Italian architect brought great additional value for the Russians. The Italians had planned the lion’s share of historic St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North. To facilitate the project Natalia Väänänen was hired as an interpreter and cultural consultant for planning work. Although construction of both hotels was slated to begin at the same time, the Hotel Vasilievsky was the first on Puro’s drafting table since the Holiday Club’s planning work was to a large extent already completed before the project

was transferred to Sokos Hotels. The Vasilievsky was a challenging site for architects. They had to consider how the foundation of an old building could be used to build a functional hotel of 300 rooms which met current standards. The façade was a protected historic site, and was the only thing untouched by construction. It was decided upon to tear down the rest of the building. The task was surprisingly difficult because it was hard to identify load-bearing structures. After all, the building was very old. To everyone’s horror, at one point part of the protected façade collapsed, and we feared that officials would put the brakes on the project. But artful diplomacy and restoration experts saved the day, and significant delays were avoided. Jaakko Puro reminisces about the early stumbling blocks: In the beginning phase of construction, an enormous number of people were involved in the project and meetings were held only in Russian. Sometimes collaboration became very heated, and some of the

o went s y e h t mes hands h Someti p a r photog o well t s s a a , s r far e he pap t oni g s i n c i e n d g si of the s e c a f hem. t d e n as the ho sig w s r e k ma Russians didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know who Juhani was! If there was a conflict, people just walked out. One woman who was the CEO of a construction company disparaged us completely and refused to work with us. Collaboration started only once it was understood who was in charge. Then there were apologies and work continued. Due to personal chemistry, the project was behind schedule right from the beginning. The biggest problem was lack of trust on both sides. Juhani did his best to improve relations, but the situation remained difficult for both parties. Everything which was agreed to had to be documented in one way or another. Sometimes they went so far as to photograph hands signing the papers, as well as the faces of the decision-makers who signed them. Separate documents were even drawn up and witnessed for trans-

fers and handovers. The inflamed relationships between parties in the Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky case were due in large part to the serious diplomatic crisis between Estonia and Russia. The site was leased from Manutent, an Estonian company which had been run out of St. Petersburg as well as other parts of Russia. Those who followed the news will remember that the crisis stemmed from a row over a statue, when the Bronze Soldier statue celebrating Russian victory was removed from Tallinn.

Round rubber stamps If building one hotel in a largely unfamiliar country is truly demanding, building three simultaneously is even more so. For many, the operational phase of the project became a kind of survival test in which skill, patience and the ability to adapt were measured over and over again. From the very beginning construction was different from what the company was

Russians hate byrocracy but they love the round rubber stamps.

Some of the first rough drafts of the hotels were done with less complicated technology.

“This is a

used to, and ran into difficulties in most every sector possible. Customs inspections of construction supplies at border crossings delayed progress, and there were even delays in deliveries within Russia, from Moscow. The extensive bureaucracy inherited from the Soviet era constantly threw obstacles in our path. So many certificates and forms were required that the total for completion of one hotel and its restaurants was a teetering stack of more than 150 permits from various authorities. To top it all off, laws and regulations changed at a frantic pace. And a special twist in the system was that when a new law came into force, the old one also remained in force. So every legal factor which had to be considered had numerous hitches. The company’s attorney, Igor Karpukhin, explained the situation like this: Russia is not Finland. This is a jungle. Here you have to survive. I’m proud to be part of such a creative and talented team. In Finland everything is easier. There is not as much paperwork, and not as much time is

jungle . Here you have to survive .“ spent on bureaucracy. Here an attorney can’t be thin-skinned. He has to be absolutely purposeful and honest in communications. In the beginning, the number of inspections and different inspectors was confounding for Finns, but soon we got used to that too. When in Rome, do as the Romans. The initial inspections included everything regarding where the hotel would be built. In Russia, by law everything must be planned in detail, right down to the stove, before construction begins. Then round seals were stamped on all documents related to the drawings. Making changes costs money, and a lot of it - or you have to start again from scratch. Just like inspectors in blue uniforms scrawl lists of deficiencies on the back of car registration certificates, Russian building inspectors wrapped up their visits with a long list of issues to be addressed before they would even discuss granting a stamp.

The seemingly unyielding system did have its positive sides, since it clearly defined problems and forced builders to do more precise work. Otherwise the project would never have been completed.

The General who was a fire inspector Atte Vannasmaa remembers well a meeting with the St. Petersburg area fire inspector, a general. Vannasmaaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job was to stand his ground in representing the hotel. He had already been given instructions: Act tough, and keep your mouth shut! The audience took place in a luxurious building

with a corridor which opened into a dining room. Engineers, technicians, a representative of the contractor, safety and maintenance managers and of course the honourable General himself, who was mainly interested in testing the features of his new mobile phone, were seated at an enormous table set for a meal. On the table in front of him were three regular phones lined up in a row. At some point the general became interested and looked up. At this point I made the first volley in the game through an interpreter, and told him I represented a Finnish company which wanted to expand its operations in the St. Petersburg area, and of course to comply with all regulations according to the letter of the law. I also asked for clear instructions to make sure this could be done. When the interpreter relayed my

Puro Plan architects rendered various stylish illustrations to demonstrate the possible design of the hotels. 37

Russian travel agency representatives visited the Olympic Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction site on July 27, 2007.

And why not to capture your foot print for the coming generations too!

Vot! Ready it is. 39

t the n i o at p h ere t w t a l . . e “. onn s r e p eath r k b n ba eir h t ” g in on ... i t a hold ticip n a in polite request, the honourable general flew into a rage and started ranting at the engineers. He felt the failure to make instructions understandable was entirely the fault of the engineers. You can’t expect a business executive from another country to understand anything about the Russian way of doing things.

Cash, please Money, i.e. cash, also caused some problems with the procurement list. Sami Karppi remembers that at the beginning only cash was acceptable, and getting it from a bank wasn’t always easy. I was at a bank stamping and signing a cheque for operating cash, since we hadn’t yet been given permission to be invoiced and payment with bank transfers was dif-

ficult. First, two cheques weren’t accepted because the stamp hadn’t left a sufficiently even mark, or it didn’t fit precisely into the tiny box. Each cheque had to be scrawled by hand, and Cyrillic characters for sums and all, and it was pretty timeconsuming so I then pressed the stamp on the cheque with a surgeon’s precision. The third stamp was acceptable, but the signature differed too much from the one previously given to them as a sample, and I had to do it yet again. The fourth and fifth cheques also went into the shredder, and after an hour and a half I demanded to see the original sample signature so I could scribe one that was sufficiently similar. After all, it was a question of my own signature. I looked at the document and it was indeed a little different than usual. It must have been winter when I went and got the cheque book, and my hands were stiff. On the sixth cheque I tried to copy the stiff scribble as closely as possible. At that point the bank personnel were holding their breath in anticipation. They were excited because it looked pretty good that time, but then that cheque was rejected as well. Finally the seventh one hit the jackpot and the bank personnel

clapped and congratulated me on my successful withdrawal. It felt like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d passed a gruelling test, although Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d only been in a Russian bank attempting to get cash for a couple of hours.

Net Problem, Normal Katastrof The local work ethic and efficiency did not necessarily always meet Finnish standards, which sometimes required zen-like patience from the project managers. Lower-level workers had hardly any feeling of responsibility at all, so the numbers of controls had to be increased exponentially right from the start of the project. SOKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations in Finland are so efficient that there is an existing model to follow for everything. On the other side of the border, almost everything had to be done from scratch, and new practices developed. Ideas were of course borrowed from Finland, but also from Estonia, where experience had been gained from purchasing one hotel and building Prisma stores. But in practice it turned out to be nothing like the

Hotel Viru, although the recent history of the countries would have led you to think otherwise. When all permits required to begin construction were in order, three contractors brought their circuses to town on buses billowing sooty exhaust. The number of nationalities at the first hotel site was extensive. Men came from around the former Soviet Union, though mostly from Southern Russia. A Russian contractor was hired as the operations manager, and a Finn as the site supervisor. The construction area was not just a site for work, but also for day-to-day life, celebrations and rows; the typical social drama that comes of a large, densely populated community. The construction site was a conglomeration reminiscent of some sort of camp and the setting of some colossal play, as most all historic undertakings have tended to be. The obvious difference in work ethic came to light quickly, and the supervisor saw that there were vast differences in the need for supervision compared to Finland. For one, the Finnish supervisor noticed

culk r wo n ing a i h s t s e u s som at the In R a w that e th l e b r a u t in und g o a r g m ni site k so u r o ew r i t top... n s e a the to

significance of the order of tasks assigned. If five orders were given, of which the last was disposing of cardboard packaging, it soon came to light that the cardboard had been handily disposed of but the other tasks on the list seemed to have been forgotten entirely. Thereafter only two orders were given at a time, a practice which continued all the way to completion. Stopping the tendency to make errors also some-

This time the wall is red. Who knows when and how it will ever end up being the right color.

times seemed like a bigger job than the job itself. Even though the site supervisor explained that work done improperly had to be halted, the workmen continued pigheadedly until their own supervisor came and put an end to it. At Russian construction sites the boss is the brains and the voice, the workers the hands and feet. Jaakko Puro broke this tradition by picking up a paintbrush at the Olympia Garden site. I did the finishing of the restaurant walls and fireplace myself. I mixed the deep red colour for the rear wall of the reception area from Baltika beer, pigments and varnish. Then I painted the entire wall myself. In Russian work culture that was something so unimaginable that the entire work site ground to a stop as everyone watched how the designer himself painted a wall as an example for the painters. Maybe Puro should have painted the Holiday Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reception area as an example too, since its wall was painted more than a few different colours before the current one. A passage from Lorentz

Protection was used against the construction dust in the office of the Holiday Club (the future Palace Bridge).

Salo’s diary tells it well: 4th of September. Miracles of construction: The rear wall in reception was to be a light colour. Unfortunately, at the work site it was being painted orange. Juhani Järvenpää stopped the work and submitted a reclamation. The end result was still

orange. Another reclamation was sent to the management, after which the wall was painted red. A stern demand regarding the correct colour was clearly made to both the workers and the management, and the reception area was painted again - ORANGE! We will see if and when we wind up with the right colour.

’s lace p e r the fi received of alf h , n we l e l h e ...” w w “W o d c i s Since representatives Mo s pa a m w o r e of at least 20 contractors had its f pric m r e attended meetings during the other two the p After learning local practices the margin of error was narrowed down during the last construction project. Although completion of this site was delayed, the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden construction project was still the best-managed and executed entity. Know-how had been gained about how to find a contractor amongst international contractors who had already been successful, even with large construction projects in St. Petersburg. The Swedish company JGP, well respected for its work on the Grand Hotel Europe, was chosen for the project. Göran Blomgren, a construction consultant and former hockey star who had played in Finland as well, took on the job of project manager and liaison for its Norwegian investor. Jaakko Puro was happy to work with the Swede.

construction projects, it was a big relief for the designer to sit in an Olympia Garden meeting with representatives from only one company. Göran was also an excellent problem solver. As an example, a neighbouring housing cooperative once complained that the rising hotel obstructed their park view, and the work site was disturbing them. They threatened to complain to the authorities and prevent completion of the hotel. Göran and Lars Wenaas took care of the problem by promising residents new windows for their flats. This was considered sufficient compensation, and work continued. Göran Blomgren and Project Director Conny Johnsson kept strict order at the work site. It was clean and they had zero tolerance for any breach of regulations. They fired workers immediately if rules were broken. This once led to relations between management and workers

becoming dangerously inflamed. To the point that Conny was seriously assaulted outside the work site and stabbed repeatedly with screwdrivers by five men. Fortunately, Conny survived.

If it is up to the Jaakko Puro, the design always includes a fireplace.

The budget stretched and squeaked, and occasionally Juhani received invoices to sign for amounts he had a hard time understanding. The fireplace at the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden cost as much as many workers’ combined annual salaries. When Juhani wondered how a fireplace could be so expensive, he called Göran Blomberg, who answered honestly: “Well, half of the fireplace’s price was paid when we received the permits from Moscow...”

Visual image Jaakko Puro’s company designed the hotel lobby, the restaurants and the interiors of the rooms. They had a concept of making the Palace Bridge akin to its name, like the underside of a bridge,

when selecting the colours and lighting. Furnishings were selected in consultation with Juhani. Anne Berner from Vallila Interiors was given responsibility for decorating the hotel. She was already a veteran in doing business with Russia, so she had a strong vision of what appeals to the Russian eye. We wanted to make each hotel unique to stand out among the city’s other hotels. She describes the project completion like this: The spectrum of the interior design was varied, but met international standards. The Palace Bridge (formerly the Holiday Club) has a classic, nearly colourless overall effect, with a hint of marine-type hues. The Olympia Garden has a nice fresh look, with red chairs adding colour to attract the eye when a guest steps into the room. All the hotels have modern, lovely rooms, but the Vasilievsky has perhaps the most exceptional, with Russian rooms having a slight air of an old-fashioned fortress. The hotels differ from one another in their image as well. The Olympia Garden is a business hotel which is easily accessible,

reliable and secure, and does not provoke anyone. The Palace Bridge, on the other hand, is more resort-like, multifaceted, and I could say a bit large. The threshold to step inside is a bit higher. The challenge was to make it appealing, since the downstairs is a very open area. We built a bowling alley and pub there, and the “bridge” also separates the space well and is a balancing element. Of the three, the Vasilievsky is clearly the most Russian in spirit and also family friendly, small and cozy. Good food is combined with a pleasant room, perhaps more than at any other hotel. Juhani Järvenpää also added his own touches to the hotel’s interior design. Anne Berner often received phone calls from him about one thing or another. Once Juhani called from Amsterdam to say there were binoculars and ships for sale, which would be well-suited for the Bridge’s seafood restaurant. He described the items in detail on the phone. I gave the firm’s credit card information to the salesperson. I sent a courier, and for a couple of thousand we bought some

surprises. And later when the products arrived they suited the interior surprisingly well. For his part, Jaakko Puro and the team considered how the Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky could also be made appealing to local customers. From the beginning, the goal had been to attract the well-to-do middle class. We went to Moscow to see how comparable services had been attained there, and of course which restaurant concepts had become well-established in that financial situation. We were looking not only for Russian style, but solid, old Russian atmosphere. A samovar atmosphere, which had a massive feeling and dusky, dim lighting. The challenge was the attitude of Russian builders, since strict regulations limited the ability to accomplish visions. They were always used as a basis to ask us for more time and money. We learned the tactics, and were able to say, this conforms to norms and regulations. This is how we succeeded in building, for example, an open kitchen in the hotel.

The roots of Zavtra Buddhism Q: So what was the national religion in the Soviet Union? A: Zavtra Buddhism! The joke from the Soviet days still works, but to understand it you really have to know Russian well. SHUTKA=JOKE ZAFTRA=TOMORROW BUDET =COME When a Soviet Russian went to a store and asked for consumer goods, the answer was often “zavtra budet, tomorrow it will come.” While the USSR had long since become history, at the beginning the Sokos hotel syndicate had to practice the old religion plenty of times. Problems with procuring products meant that a large amount of the hotel’s furnishings came from Eastern Europe, as well as from Finland and Sweden. Customs were waiting at

ere h t nk here i h u t iots t , o y â&#x20AC;&#x153;If y id round .â&#x20AC;&#x153; l n o a rk are king ll wo the border, po wi g n i and despite many h not suspicions the process of customs clearance went quite smoothly and painlessly.

Russian Customs was had its challenges, but it was not difficult after all. The most significant challenge was that the rules change often and you had to keep up with them. Veteran Anne Berner understood at the very beginning that they had to delve into it. The rules of the game had to be respected. Information and photographs were required. Items had to be weighed and measured precisely. Unlike rumours, a kind of high-handedness at Customs had decreased. Even corruption was rarely seen anymore and routines at the border were handled legally. Getting through them successfully is a matter of attitude. If you think there are only idiots there poking around, nothing will work. Transactions are smoother if the

shipping agent has used people who are knowledgeable about Russia from the beginning, since they handle things quickly and efficiently. St. Petersburg is after all one of the largest import centres because of its proximity to both the sea and Central Europe. Occasional problems were caused primarily because Russian trucks had to be reserved ahead of time, and they were not always available due to high demand. Now and then of course something went wrong, and a few trucks managed to get lost along the way. Fortunately each time they were finally found somewhere.

Local suppliers While hotels were rising up from the ground in St. Petersburg, Atte Vannasmaa wrestled with finding local suppliers. He laughs about the arrangements made in the early days. For a man who had done that same type of work for years in the Middle East, the personal style of doing business in Russia was pleasantly familiar and he knew how to enjoy it.

Sanitary Doctor Hotels in Russia are required to have a so-called “Sanitary Doctor” to be responsible for hygiene matters. Vera, the lady with this role at Sokos, contrived a solution to her undemanding job description: don’t come to work at all, and receive an adjusted salary. “I would never even have thought of telecommuting! She came herself to suggest it. Vera knew to come when necessary. Previously she was at the office, then at her dacha in the country,” Juhani Järvenpää explains. Pekka Salmela recalls that at times their Sanitary Doctor was very strict in seeing to hygiene:

In Finland, cooks clean. In Russia, they don’t. Sanitary Doctor Vera informed us that it was downright illegal to ask a cook to take out the garbage, let alone wash the floor. Then we purchased a Europress trash compacter. From the local standpoint, one person should be responsible for that too, i.e. the Garbage Manager, as is always required in Russia. They insisted impassively that otherwise someone could fall in. The problem was simply that nobody wanted to clean. Finally one cook said that ‘In Finland you have everything! If you pay me as much as I’d get in Finland, I’ll take out the garbage!’

es u g a olle augh c e ad d l m l r es. e o i r w I’v o t e th se s e d h n t arou y with cr and “Yes while nothing worked the way you would think, everything could be arranged if you found the right person on the other side of the table,” he says, crystallising the cliché about Russian business culture.

He had learned about hiring well ahead of time, and used a local consulting firm which did a study of different suppliers for the hotel chain’s needs. The thickness of the book yielded by the study looked promising, but the result of the study unfortunately was not, since according to the consultant the continuing procurement of products in Russia would be impossible. Still, they had to succeed. Atte contacted an old colleague, Kenneth Lindberg, who had been a chef in Russia since the 1990s, and hired him as the chef for the project. Kenneth was very familiar with the channels through which products could

be obtained, and he knew that not everything requested would be possible. Of course it is more difficult to prepare a menu to meet a set order than to create it using the resources available. We received Sevilla’s menu, the same one offered at Sevilla restaurants in Finland. Finally, after a long process, we were able to collect about 85% of the items on the list. Some were better than in Finland, some of lesser quality, but we thought up comparable substitutions and were able to offer the menu as requested. Even when a supplier seemed very professional at a meeting, the products always had to be personally inspected. Even the same supplier’s products always varied in quality, which was stressful for the Finns although the Russians themselves were unfazed. According to their calendar, every week had a varying number of Mondays, when things are simply not meant to flow perfectly and motivation to keep up the quality of work is not at its best.

Pekka Salmela, the chef at the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden in the early days, wryly remembers the hunt for a missing paprika:

course came from far-away sub-tropical climate zones. Sometimes quality suffered during transport. Customs formalities occasionally took time, and vegetables arrived spoiled. Often products already had to be sent back from the border. Certain suppliers, like Valio, were able to deliver fresh products reliably. A dream for personnel at large kitchens is a large supplier who handles all issues.

There were many wholesalers in St. Petersburg. We visited many, but usually had to retreat. The quantities were laughable, and nothing was in plastic! Whole pigs and fish all thrown in together! Cats ran by even as we stepped inside. Many such wholesalers presented themselves to SOK. There were also no shipping services - we went by metro and came back in four Volga taxis. Actually when I think back, they were great experiences for me. I’ve made colleagues around the world laugh and cry with these stories.

The Sevilla simulator was a brilliant solution, which enabled training personnel for customer situations before a restaurant was opened.

In 2009, a large part of the deliveries were taken over by SOK’s own Prisma chain, which keeps its standards consistent and makes deliveries on time. Of course it is more economical for three hotels to centralise procurement of raw materials. Still, though Finland’s Prisma stores are large and can always supply everything needed, in St. Petersburg it wasn’t as easy. Fruits and vegetables of

Due to the inevitable delay of permits and restaurant infrastructure, restaurant personnel couldn’t practise in their own restaurant. At first the company tried to solve the problem by sending personnel to train at Sokos Hotel restaurants in Finland. Next, training was done locally by renting the upper floor of the Lisbon restaurant, which was on St. Isaac’s Cathedral square, where the first office

Sevilla simulator

still was as well. Training could then be divided into two locations, but the spaces still quickly became too small. A new, larger location with its own dining area and kitchen too, was found in the cafeteria at the St. Petersburg Academy of Music. Personnel received hands-on menu, wine and beverage training there. It was started by placing four-person tables in the small dining area. After a good start and good customer feedback, the academy could no longer be used because of technical problems related to breakage of a particular table which was considered irreplaceable. Soon though, a real restaurant space was leased, which had been an American West theme saloon called Zvezda Seriff (sheriff ’s star). That becaome the location of the legendary Sevilla simulator. The menu was quickly honed, and service improved to the point where the restaurant was soon fully booked every night. The Sevilla simulator was a success, and important interest groups started to be entertained there. The

atmosphere was through the roof. Food & Beverages Manager Ville Relander was at the door as a maitre d’ greeting guests. Our customers at the Sevilla simulator were usually friends or interest groups, but when word of the new Western restaurant spread in the city, curious Russians began knocking on the door nightly. Of course we allowed them in too, and since it was customer service training nobody was charged for meals, which inspired particular joviality among customers. Over the years these people have been our good-will ambassadors who have brought our message to their own friends as well. Due to the delay in the restaurants’ construction, we had to handle many other dining events on the fly since the office was already receiving group reservations at a steady pace. A number of events had to be handled catering-style by packaging up what we needed and taking it to a rented location, which was often in one of the many palaces which make up the St. Petersburg street scene.

These often spontaneously turned into very high-spirited events. “Sometimes when we went to a palace to inspect a leased space, we noticed that there was no electricity anywhere. There was nothing to be donw but find vehicles

equipped with large generators to provide energy for the evening. And since we were in Russia, we usually found everything surprisingly easily one way or another, as long as we had money,” Atte Vannasmaa says of the quick resolution of such problems.

“Nobo dy wa for m s char eals, w ged hich partic inspir ular j ed oviali t y amon custom g ers.”

. . . e r Befo

...Aft

Do you notice the difference? On the left you can see two pictures which are taken from the property of hotel Vasilievsky before the building started. On the picture above are the very same buildings with the colors of green and orange after the building. Because these houses are part of the protected historical street view of St. Petersburg, by the rules of the city, not a single change could be done to their outlook. ...well, a bit of fixing was permissible.

III. PERSONNEL - better, finer and more beautiful than in day-to-day life

The added value of beauty Natalia Bordovskays, who was hired as Human Resources Manager in the beginning of 2007, handled recruiting. She was also the first Russian member of the board of directors at SOK’s subsidiary OOO. Natalia was a psychologist by profession and had a clear vision about how a hotel’s personnel should look. She felt that the single most important factor for a customer service employee was appearance. It was important that high-quality services were served by handsome and beautiful employees. According to the psychologist, a customer feels important when waited on by a good-looking person. Natalia believed that the beauty of a waitress would bring significant added value. She said that for a Russian, staying at a hotel must be first and foremost an experience in which everything is better, finer and more beautiful than in day-to-day life.

In Finland, where equality is emphasized, beauty is valued on many levels and is perhaps more an individual phenomena in which all personal attributes play a role. In the beginning, Hotel Director Jukka Räisänen and Natalia had many discussions about whether classic beauty is the only true beauty. The Russian managers strongly supported Natalia. Russians are proud of their beautiful women, and Laila Snellman, owner of the Paparazzi model agency, has admired the beauty of Russian women on her trips to St. Petersburg. Nowadays, the world’s most beautiful women can be found in Russia! Not long ago they were still well hidden at home. Now that they can boldly go out and can dress as they please, the street scene is always filled with unbelievable beauties. Many are long-legged and tall, and of course since Russia is a far-reaching country there are many different kinds of beauty: Kyrgyz, Tatars, a lot of other backgrounds. You can’t say that someone is Rus-

age y m ople e p e of n e m v d E “ min e r e r .“ n h e ot oft dm n a r sianmy g looking. For example, model Natalia Vodianova looks just like a blonde Italian. The Russian women are truly feminine, many wear high heels and jewellery.

Natalia Bordovskaya feels that a beautiful person should not spoil her beauty with any trendy tricks. A beard, nose ring or tattoo is a surprisingly high threshold to get over. The reception supervisor at a five-star hotel told Räisänen an applicant was “otherwise good” but should not be hired because she had a nose ring. Räisänen replied that he wanted to hire her specifically because of the nose ring. “Russians represent a surprisingly oldfashioned way of thinking. Even people my age often remind me of my grandmother,” Räisänen sighs. Nevertheless, all parties did form a shared perception that a modern hotel

should also have modern-looking employees, as long as they are beautiful ones.

Cultural sparks The new player in the hotel market interested people in the industry. Naturally many competitors lost personnel to the newcomer, since they offered a fresh perspective and a new way of operating. Some managers at competing hotels did not see the matter as a normal phenomenon in the employment market, and instead took it very personally and severed their earlier warm ties to the Finns. This is understandable, since new professional personnel are difficult to find in St. Petersburg. There are really no schools for the profession, so employers must train personnel themselves. At the time the hotels were established, there were no outsourcing agencies in St. Petersburg. At first, adapting to a new culture was difficult for Finnish employees, just as it was for Russians at a Finnish company. This unavoidably caused conflicts, but also amusing situations.

Marina Bazyuk was one of the first employees of the Holiday Club which later on was renamed as Palace Bridge. 59

ILTA-SANOMAT PERJANTAINA 6. 11. 2009 of shed on the 6th li b u p at m o g an llin bloid Ilta-S Oksanen was te Finnish taILTA-SANOMAT atu2009 e 6.S11. er A 6. 11. 2009 PERJANTAINA h w e cl ti e ar n . O of 9 an November, 200 ced in Russia about pregnancy r”Vasta fa hai cut. tällä iällä kasvoissa alkaa näkyä persoonallisuu alta ld not go for a of believes she u o sh y d la t Vielä kaksikymppisenä olin aikamoinen tusinanaanm an n reg them is that a p PMMP:n laulaja Paula Vesala, 27, Annassa

”Ei raskaana kam na kampaajalle!” ”Ei raskaana k

ODOTUS: Esikoistaan odottava Satu

Oksanen on törmännyt Venäjällä pelottaviinkin asenteisiin.

VENÄLÄISET NAISET jäävät RASKAUS EI OLE sairaus – eikä ROSEMARIE SÄRKKÄ kotiin sairauslomalle – ja sitä kutsuSatu Oksanen, 43, näin ajatelluttaan nimenomaan niin – usein jo kaan tullessaan ”varttuneilla päivilvarsin varhaisessa raskauden lään” raskaaksi ensimmäistä kertaa vaiheessa, mutta lain mukaan se elämässään. 43-vuotiaana ensimmäistä pitää tehdä viimeistään kaksi kuuErikoiseksi tilanteen teki kuitenkertaa raskaaksi tullut kautta ennen synnytystä. Lisäksi kin se, että Oksanen on töissä PietaSatu Oksanen yllättyi äitien käyttäytymistä säätelevät rissa, jossa hän joutui törmäämään venäläisten monet taikauskoisuuteen liittyvät myös venäläiseen raskauskulttuutaikauskoisuudesta säännöt, kuten kielto käydä kamriin. raskauteen liittyen. VENÄLÄISET NAISET jäävät RASKAUS EI nainen OLE sairaus paajalla odotusaikana. Kun suomalainen suhtau- – eikä – Kaikestakotiin huolimatta kävin tuu odotukseensa jalat43, maassa sairauslomalle – ja sitä kutsuSatu Oksanen, näin ajatelluttäällä jokin aika sitten kampaajalla, -asenteella ja pyrkii käymään töissä taan nimenomaan niin – usein jo kaan tullessaan ”varttuneilla päivilmutta mietin sinne mennessäni raskauden loppuajoille saakka, varhaisessa raskauden lään” raskaaksi ensimmäistä kuumeisesti, varsin kuinka peittelisin venäläisistä moinen tapa on kauhis- kertaa vatsaani, etteivaiheessa, minua heti tuomittaituttava. mutta lain mukaan se elämässään. si! – Erikoiseksi Venäläiset lääkärit pelottelevat pitää tehdä viimeistään kaksi kuutilanteen teki kuitenPietarin ja Moskovan naiset heti raskauden kautta ennen synnytystä. Lisäksi kin se, Oksanen on töissä Pietakatukuvassa on vasta alussa niinettä pahasti, äitien käyttäytymistä säätelevät rissa, jossa hän joutui törmäämään viime vuosina alkanut ihan kyyneliin asti, näkyä hieman enemettä he eivät tahdo monet taikauskoisuuteen liittyvät myös venäläiseen raskauskulttuumän odottavia äitejä. uskaltaa tehdä misäännöt, kuten kielto käydä kamriin. Aikaisemmin he tuntään koko raskautenpaajalla odotusaikana. Kun Pietarin suomalainen nainen suhtautuivat todellakin olevan sa aikana, piilossa – aivan kuin Sokos-hotellien – Kaikesta huolimatta kävin tuu odotukseensa jalat maassa vammaiset Neuvostomarkkinoinnista täällä jokin aika sitten kampaajalla, -asenteella jajapyrkii käymään töissä liiton aikana. myynnistä vastaava mutta mietin sinne mennessäni raskauden Edelleen äidit vältteOksanen kertoo.loppuajoille saakka, kuumeisesti, venäläisistä moinen tapa on kauhislevät silti julkisia kuinka peittelisin – Suomalaisesta paikkoja pienten näkökulmastahan vatsaani, etteivauminua heti tuomittaituttava. vojensa kanssa, eivätkä on vain hyvä, että si! – Venäläiset lääkärit pelottelevat vaunujen kanssa kulkituleva äiti käy töissä naiseteikä hetijääraskauden jat ole niin yleinen Pietarin ja Moskovan pitkään Satu Oksanen näky kuin Suomessa. kotiin potemaan katukuvassa on vasta alussa niin pahasti, – Siihen on tietysti oloaan pohtiviime vuosina alkanut ihanjakyyneliin asti, monta syytä, mutta yksi on varmaan, onko kaikki nyt varmasti näkyä hieman enemettä he eivät tahdo maan tarttuvien tautien pelko. hyvin. män uskaltaa tehdä miKatuja ja julkista liikennettä ei ole odottavia äitejä. myöskään suunniteltu lainkaan SUOMALAIS-VENÄLÄISESSÄ Aikaisemmin he tuntään koko raskautenniin, että niillä voisi liikkua lastentyöyhteisössä Oksasen raskaus on tuivat todellakin olevan sa aikana, Pietarin vaunujen kanssa. otettu vastaan hyvin, mutta venäpiilossa – aivan kuin Sokos-hotellien läisten erilaiseen ajattelutapaan on VENÄJÄLLÄ VUODESTA 1996 joutunut törmäämään myös vammaiset Neuvostomarkkinoinnista ja Oksaasuneella Oksasella on nyt edessään sen esimies Juhani Järvenpää. liiton aikana. myynnistä vastaava elämänmuutos myös siksi, että hän – Niin, meidän Satu on siis tällä Edelleen äidit vältteOksanen suunnittelee muuttavansa joksikin hetkellä hyvinkertoo. vakavasti raskaana, levät silti julkisia – venäläistä Suomalaisesta aikaa Suomeen. mikäli ajattelutapaa on – Raskauden myötä olen ymmäruskominen, Järvenpää kuvaili paikkoja pienten vaunäkökulmastahan tänyt entistä paremmin sen, miten vastikään Sokoksen suomalaiselle vojensa kanssa, eivätkä on vain hyvä, että hyvä Suomen sosiaaliturvajärjestelvierasryhmälle. vaunujen kanssa kulkituleva käyOksanen töissävauva- mä on. Esimerkiksi toimiva ilmaiVieressääiti hymyili nenOksanen terveydenhoito ja suomalainen vatsansa kanssa – jajää näytti voivan Satu jat ole niin yleinen pitkään eikä äitiyspakkaus ovat asioita, joista suorastaan erinomaisesti. näky kuin Suomessa. kotiin potemaan venäläiset naiset voivat vain haa– Olen voinut paremmin kuin – Siihen on tietysti oloaan ja pohtiveilla. vuosikausiin. Jopa vanhat selkämonta syytä, mutta yksi on varmaan, onkokuin kaikki Näillä näkymin Oksanen ei malta kivut katosivat niitä einyt olisivarmasti kuitenkaan olla Pietarista poissa tautien pelko. koskaan maan tarttuvien hyvin.ollutkaan. Siksi on vaikuin vuoden. kea kuvitellakaan, että venäläis-

KULTTUURIEROJA ODOTUS: Esikoistaan odottava Satu

nne Mooren kästi asustettu ko osoittaa, että uvat värit voivat olla -uskottavia.

Mooren i asustettu soittaa, että värit voivat olla ottavia.

SUOMALAIS-VENÄLÄISESSÄ työyhteisössä Oksasen raskaus on otettu vastaan hyvin, mutta venäläisten erilaiseen ”Ei saa leikkaut ajattelutapaan on joutunut törmäämään hiuksia, myös Oksasen esimies Juhani Järvenpää. muuten – Niin, meidän Satu on siis tällä hetkellä lapsi syn hyvin vakavasti raskaana, mikäli venäläistä ennen ajattelutapaa on uskominen, Järvenpää aikojaan kuvaili vastikään Sokoksen suomalaiselle vierasryhmälle. Vieressä hymyili Oksanen vauvavatsansa kanssa – ja näytti voivan Odottavaa äitiä suorastaan erinomaisesti. – Olen voinut paremmin kuinvalokuvata vuosiei saa kausiin. Jopa vanhat selkäkivut katosivat joten tämän uskom VENÄLÄISET ovat hyvin avulla on ehkä vap taikauskoisia, joten raskaukuin niitä ei olisi koskaanteenkin ollutkaan. Siksi naiset siitä, että he liittyviä uskomukvät syödä salassa. sia on runsaasti. Osalle on vaikea kuvitellakaan, että Laskettua aikaa niistä onvenäläisten olemassa jopa kertoa edes miehe jonkinlainen järkevä selimielestä minun olisi pitänyt olla jo pitkään ten synnytyksestä tyskin. tuskallinen. Usko Raskaana ollessa ei saa kotona tekemättä mitään. poseerata mukaan nainen k kuvassa, muuten synnytyspäivänä lapsi voi syntyä kuolleena. Venäjällä Oksanen kävi raskautensa N

IVO

Katuja ja julkista liikennettä ei ole

asti.”

maan, onko kaikki nyt varmasti hyvin.

EIN /H

RASKAUS EI OLE sairaus – eikä Satu Oksanen, 43, näin ajatellutkaan tullessaan ”varttuneilla päivillään”raskaaksi ensimmäistä kertaa elämässään. Erikoiseksi tilanteen teki kuitenkin se, ”Venäläiset että Oksanen on töissä lääkärit Pietarissa, jossa hän joutui törmäämään myös venäläiseen pelottelevat raskauskulttuuriin. Kun suomalainen naiset heti raskauden nainen suhtautuu odotukseensa jalat alussa ja ihan maassa -asenteella pyrkii käymään kyyneliin töissä raskauden loppuajoille saakka, asti.” venäläisistä moinen tapa on kauhistuttava. – Venäläiset lääkärit pelottelevat naiset ”Venäläiset heti raskauden alussa niin pahasti, ihan kyyneliin asti, että helääkärit eivät tahdo uskaltaa tehdä mitään kokopelottelevat raskautensa aikana, Pietarin Sokos-hotellien markkinoinnista naiset heti ja myynnistä vastaava Oksanen kertoo. raskauden – Suomalaisesta alussa näkökulmastahan ihan on vain hyvä, että tuleva äiti käy töissä pitkään kyyneliin eikä jää kotiin potemaan oloaan ja pohti-

iti tulla?

Oksanen on törmännyt Venäjällä pelottaviinkin asenteisiin.

Taikauskoiset pelkäävät, että lapsen kehitys pysähtyy siihen hetkeen, kun hänet vangitaan filmille. Ei saa leikkauttaa hiuksia, muuten lapsi syntyy ennen aikojaan. Ihmisen elinvoiman uskotaan kerääntyvän hiuksiin, siksi

niiden sielujen tus tietävät hänen syn tään. Ei saa ripustaa Tämä liittynee ha varjella äitiä noste raskaita taakkoja masta käsiään ylö siitä ole vahinkoa

vuoksi lääkärissä kerran, ja se sai jäädä viimeiseksi. – Täällä on näin vanhoja ensisynnyttäjiä niin vähän, että lääkärit tulkitsevat esimerkiksi sikiöiden geenivirhetodennäköisyyksiä ihan eri tavalla kuin Suomessa. He onnistuivat pelottelemaan minutkin totaalisesti pariksi viikoksi, ennen kuin sain Suomesta uudet tulokset ja huojentavaa tietoa siitä, että kaikki on hyvin.

yksi on varmaan tarttuvien tautien pelko. Katuja ja julkista liikennettä ei ole myöskään suunniteltu lainkaan niin, että niillä voisi liikkua lastenvaunujen kanssa.

VENÄJÄLLÄ VUODESTA 1996 asuneella Oksasella on nyt edessään elämänmuutos myös siksi, että hän suunnittelee muuttavansa joksikin aikaa Suomeen. – Raskauden myötä olen ymmärtänyt entistä paremmin sen, miten hyvä Suomen 41 ILTA-SANOMAT PERJANTAINA 6. 11. 2009 VENÄLÄISET NAISET jäävät kotiin sosiaaliturvajärjestelmä on. Esimerkiksi ”Vasta tällä iällä kasvoissa alkaa näkyä persoonallisuutta. sairauslomalle – ja sitä kutsutaan toimiva ilmainenolin terveydenhoito suomaVielä kaksikymppisenä aikamoinenjatusinanaanma.” nimenomaan niin – usein jo varsin PMMP:n var- laulaja Paula lainen äitiyspakkaus ovat asioita, joista Vesala, 27, Annassa haisessa raskauden vaiheessa, mutta lain venäläiset naiset voivat mukaan se pitää tehdä viimeistään kaksi vain haaveilla. Näillä kuukautta ennen synnytystä. Lisäksi näkymin Oksanen ei äitien käyttäytymistä säätelevät monet malta kuitenkaan olla taikauskoisuuteen liittyvät säännöt, kuten Pietarista poissa kielto käydä kampaajalla odotusaikana. kuin vuoden. – Kaikesta huolimatta kävin täällä jokin – Pidän venäläiKULTTUURIEROJA 43-vuotiaana aika sitten kampaajalla, mutta mietin sinne sestä ensimmäistä elämänkertaa raskaaksi tullut Satu Oksanen yllättyi mennessäni kuumeisesti, kuinka peitmenosta ja iloitsin venäläisten telisin vatsaani, ettei minua heti tuomitjo, että suomalaintaikauskoisuudesta raskauteen liittyen. taisi! Pietarin ja Moskovan katukuvassa on en koulu muuttaa vasta viime vuosina alkanut näkyä hieman lähelle nykyistä enemmän odottavia äitejä. Aikaisemmin he asuntoani Pietarin tuntuivat todellakin olevan piilossa – aivan keskustassa. Eihän kuin vammaiset Neuvostoliiton aikana. siihen ole kuin seit”Ei saa Edelleen äidit välttelevät silti julkisia paisemän vuotta, kun leikkauttaa kkoja pienten vauvojensa kanssa, eivätkä tämä lapsi menee hiuksia, vaunujen kanssa kulkijat ole niin yleinen kouluun! muuten näky kuin Suomessa. lapsi syntyy ennen – Siihen on tietysti monta syytä, mutta Arja Paananen aikojaan.”

a kampaajalle!” ROSEMARIE SÄRKKÄ

EIN /H

IVO

> Odottavaa äitiä

“At first, Cross Cultural Human Resources was somewhat difficult to implement, since our managers were so Finnish. Everything had to be done as it is in Finland. After all, we were bringing a Finnish concept to Russia. We Russians tried to make it clear that both cultures needed to be developed and brought together at the workplace, but sometimes they just didn’t understand Russian ways! You can’t just press a button which makes everyone’s thinking become Finnish,” says Natalia Bordovskaya, the former Human Resources Manager and member of the Board of Directors, remembering the early conflicts. Nikolai Eliseev, the chef at the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden, recalls that the early days caused him adjustment problems as well: When I came to work, my first feelings about the Finns were not easy, because they weren’t flexible. There were a lot of absolute rules, which were not to be broken. Here in Russia we have a lot of space, and within us as well. At restau-

rants in Russia there is a more personal relationship with colleagues than with the company, and often work is done on the “grey” market. It ensures a certain atmosphere or feeling, when everyone has a shared secret. The atmosphere isn’t worse or better. It’s just different. Sokos has its own company rules. That was particularly hard for me. I had a lot of discussions with my manager, Pekka Salmela, and for example I stopped smoking because he told me to. We argued. I felt he had the wrong idea about how to work in Russia. It was a little strange that when I saw Pekka in the kitchen he would say that we did this wrong and that right. In our opinion you should first say the good things, and only then the bad ones, if at all. I always wound up as the interpreter. One time after a reprimand I had to translate a historical reference for Pekka, that Russians are not ready to forgive Mannerheim’s little doings either! He was totally confused. What does that have to do with this? I just shrugged my shoulders. I have my own opinion about how to work. But

in hindsight, I can definitely admit that at the beginning I was at least 70% wrong! Finally I became flexible. I told myself that I shouldn’t think of myself, but of my customers. If they are happy, we are too. But there is no formula. When a company is strong, it’s good to work there and employees are satisfied. I’m the same way myself, I think first, then act second. That’s why I found my place here and got valuable experience. Pekka Salmela says that in the beginning something was always a problem, but time guilds the lily. I got along well with Nikolai and the time left me with a good feeling, when I got rid of the excess “Russianness”. Even among professionals, the mentality was, if there was a mouldy cabbage, save it! An employee can eat it, I was often told. It was so far from the Western style of preparing food in a restaurant kitchen, where hygienic and fresh produce is the starting point. Some of the available raw produce was

“I c an defi tha nite t at ly a the was dmi begi at l t n east nin 70% g I wro of ng!“ very h i g h q u a l i t y. Because vegetables often came from small, poor farms, they couldn’t afford to use fertiliser. So often local organic produce was available! Meat products were for the most part imported from the United States, or in Russian style, were whole carcasses. We had a butcher in the kitchen for that purpose, he was a pleasant gentleman a bit older than 50. One day I heard that the butcher was falling-down drunk at work. I took Nikolai with me, and he assured me that there’s really no problem here. We found the gentleman in the changing room and Nikolai unwillingly translated for me why the man was drunk before noon. It turned out he had become a grandfather. Still, he had gotten drunk on the restaurant’s liquor and stealing was punished harshly. He was fired. The Russians thought the new grandfather’s actions were perfectly acceptable. But Jukka Räisänen backed me up. A couple of days later Natalia Bor-

A butcher is very needed in the kitchen for it is the local custom that the meat is bought uncut. Unlike in Finland, in St. Petersburg one can buy a whole lamb from the nearby market hall and take it home by the underground.

Small pictures on the next page: Systematic Russian style: A wardrobe was made in one of the rooms in Olympic Garden while the room itself was completely under construction. When the big game is coming a real fan will show his support; fan clothes of the Zenit-Real Madrid football team during the working day were inspiring certain joviality. After a stressful working day in the kitchen, the chef wants to think about something else than cooking at home. Porkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head from market hall was an easy solution for supper. 64

Olympic Garden’s special forces on the first day of practice in their brand new kitchen. “The uniforms were ordered by the first main chef, Anton Tourchin. I got the new clothes almost directly after replacing him,” Pekka Salmela tells about the black and white style. 65

uch m a we have n s a n a h t ssi ce n ism a “Ru c r i e t l i o r er t the c s on .” a high s r g e n p s lo t a a a , o d e d dovsirect d t ’ isn kaya came practically flying in shouting, “You can’t fire the man, they were celebrating for a reason!” In the end it was me or her, fortunately her.

Kenneth Lindberg had worked in Finland with a Japanese colleague in the 1980s, which was useful in integration. I learned from the Japanese that in a foreign country you must be better than domestic professionals at the same workplace - otherwise nobody accepts you. Only through professional skill and dedication can you gain a place in the work community, particularly in a leadership role. The historic burden between our countries is a reality, which in today’s politically correct atmosphere is quite taboo and may appear as prejudice behaviour. Prejudices are perhaps even more of a problem for Finns, although

it is difficult to admit. Jukka Räisänen was once surprised by a direct question. The regional director for Lufthansa asked me why Finns always have such an uptight attitude when there are Russians at the negotiating table. I contemplated that and understood that it is deep in our people’s nature and we’ve been brought up that way. I haven’t even been able to entirely let go of it myself. On a bad day I’ll find myself unnecessarily criticising, looking only at the negative side of an issue. Russians have a much higher tolerance than we do, as long as the criticism isn’t directed at a person.

Young company, young employees The average age of the hotels’ personnel is young, 26 years old. Despite their young age, employees are devoted to their work and do it with heart. Russians take work matters very personally, and work is of great significance in there lives. Still, supervisors are saddled

with responsibility for workers’ own results because their word is the final seal, which is followed to the letter. This differs in certain ways from the Finnish work mentality. Because problems caused a delay in completion of the hotels, about half the personnel who had already been trained and oriented quit and used their new professional skills at other places. Costs doubled, since once again new personnel had to be trained. “We trained employees ourselves, because in Russia the training situation in this field is quite poor and international-calibre personnel are very hard to find. If they’re available it’s reflected in salaries, and on the other hand it may not be sensible to hire a couple of trained employees to work among newcomers if you need dozens of new employees,” Kenneth Lindberg sums up. There wasn’t time to waste months of time or money. The company tried to make it as efficient as possible. The goal of a very intensive orientation period

was to give new employees comprehensive and multifaceted skills in hotel tasks. Raisa Goreva remembers the content of the training: The main idea in training was to enable us to help each other as much as possible whenever someone needed help. That’s why we learned about a lot of things: menus, beverages and customer service. A few managers were also sent to round out their training in other countries. Many went to Finland for additional courses. I went to Glenmorangie’s whiskey school in Britain. The result was a multifaceted hotel professional able to take responsibility for her own work. Juhani Järvenpää sums up the company’s view on employees: In the Finnish manner, the attitude about employees at Sokos Hotels is that they are responsible for their own work, not their supervisor. In other words we are subjects, not objects. In Russia, workers automatically expect that the perspective needed for work assignments comes from

higher up. I’ve asked employees many times whether they feel it’s the supervisor who best understands how employees should do their own jobs, or if it is the employee after all. So far nobody has denied it... On the other hand, part of the Russian work mentality is that you don’t argue with your supervisor, you obey. For some reason it has also been difficult to tell them that everyone makes mistakes, and in a way has permission to make them. Though of course not the same one too many times.

security,” Raisa Goreva explains. She was working at the company since 2007, and was also the head of the new “darkness restaurant” Dans le Noir?

The Nordic management style gives employees room, and at the same time responsibility. Some of the company’s first Russian employees still work there for exactly that reason.

“So where, finally, did we show that integration had worked? In disorganisation! And lack of planning! Sometimes we planned a job while already on our way to the location. The Russians themselves said they’d never seen such a thing,” Räisänen says about the pace of work.

Finnish managers are open-minded. They are open to everything new, so it’s easy to present your own ideas. I like that a lot, because it makes work much more pleasant. In Russia it’s typical that you can’t even talk with your supervisor about these issues. Of course this closeness is strange, particularly at the beginning, but in my opinion it’s very positive. It creates

Finns eventually adapted surprisingly quickly, although they are considered a somewhat stiff and unwelcoming people. We ourselves maintain this perception internationally. Still, according to Jukka Räisänen the Finnish personnel at Sokos Hotels have proved to be more “Russian” than Russians themselves.

This particularly peculiar factor in success has given the company a foothold in the Russian market: Russian service for Russian customers provided by foreigners - it feels more pleasant.

“Finnish ma nagers are open-minde d . They are open to ever ything new, so it ’s easy t o present yo ur own ideas. I like that a lot, because it makes wo rk much more pleasant.”

Bris

kR ussi nas an tics styl wer e gy e pa mstuff rt of trai the nin g cl ass.

Cats at the Hermitage The Hermitage is a must for visitors to St. Petersburg. The truly enormous complex houses more than three million works of art, of which only five percent are on display at a time. The collection of treasures is immeasurably valuable and has its own furry defenders. When you walk the halls you sometimes run into very healthy looking cats, which may make tourists looking at great works of art wonder. Are they art cats from an installation, or are Russian cats so civilised that they too are there to enjoy high-class culture? The Hermitage derives its name from the French word which means “hermit’s dwelling”. Despite the name though, mice, let alone rats, cannot feast in peace on the oil paintings and furnishings of precious wood.

Valuable works of art were saved from the terrorist rodents when Empress Elizabeth of Russia brought in cats more than 250 years ago from the city of Kazan in Tatarstan to guard the art. Even today, an army of dozens of cats operates around the clock in the former Winter Palace. Are the guards of the precious artwork descendants of cruel Tatar mates?

An arm y of dozens of cats operat es arou nd the clo ck in the former Winter Palace .

IV. RUNNING THE HOTELS

The first customers, finally When the first group of customers arrived at the Holiday Club in 2007, it was still only partially finished and not everything worked as it did in the Finnish television show Strömsö. A lot of the company’s own employees were coming, and a group of the hotel’s managers and chain managers from Finland. Of course the aim was to show them how well things were already going, though there was a suspicion that in Finland all sorts of rumours were circulating about the situation at the hotels in the neighbouring land. Sami, Lorentz, Juhani and all the hotel’s personnel had been waiting for several days for a shipment of furniture to arrive, since the hotel still lacked, among other things, all its chairs. The shipment did not appear even in the morning that same day, and everyone except the Russian employees started to worry. Some were already counting the minutes until the guests were to arrive. Finally the ship-

ment arrived just a few hours before the celebration guests were expected. The shipment continued on its way directly from the plane as quickly as possible. Every pair of hands carried furnishings upstairs, into rooms and lounge areas, and all around. The manager worked alongside the hotel page, since without everyone’s diligent attitude the job would never have been completed in time. Sami Karppi was among those carrying chairs upstairs. It was like a film, one of those scenes that’s sped up, where people teem about carrying things. We just made it, with the last of the furnishing in the rooms with about 15 minutes to spare. Then we mopped the sweat off our faces, put on our jackets and were in line to greet the guests just as they rounded the corner. Then, when we had shaken their hands and shown them in, the personnel broke out in applause and glee that the situation had turned out that way. It was a great moment for everyone and for many even brought a tear to the eye. With the first guests, Murphy’s Law

almost took over. After the day of hauling furniture, the plan was to take the guests to the theatre but for some reason the taxis, ordered well ahead of time, decided not to come. There started to be murmured complaints from the guests, reminiscent of Finland, to which Dmitri Melnikov, the other Food & Beverage Manager at the time, reacted immediately and flagged down a passing bus, which had just finished its shift. He was able to appeal to the driver’s soft spot and succeeded in hiring him as chauffeur for the evening. Everyone made it to the theatre on time. And since it was in the Mecca of vodka, the hotel of course wanted to serve it to the guests from its own bar, although it did not yet have the necessary permits. In a country where alcohol is so easily available, permits to serve liquor were not easy to obtain. But the problem was solved with no outsiders any the wiser. “We made a deal with a local Bartenders’ Guild, since they had the required permits and equipment, to set up bar service at our location for the duration of the

guests’ stay, and we handled food preparation and serving ourselves,” says Chef Kenneth Lindberg about yet another tight spot they had squeaked through. The guests left satisfied and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but storm clouds still rumbled over paradise as an OVIR (Office of Visas and Registration) official declared that the first guests’ permit practices had slight deficiencies. The price for learning this lesson in bureaucracy was initially set at 200,000 Euros. Lorentz Salo stubbornly pursued the matter, and in the end the hotel got off with a warning. Of course it was an astonishing price, but luckily it was worked out. In Russia, first you are threatened with a whipping to scare the pants of you, and only then are matters smoothed over. We simply had to get used to it.

Grand openings Finally grand openings were held at the hotels, and in familiar Russian style the parties lacked neither bread nor

Olympic Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff posing on opening day in the hotel lobby.

lub C y a olid The H ng... i n e p o grand Acrobats entertained the party guests

Lorentz Salo opening the hotel. On his left SOK CEO Arto Hiltunen.

Laura Voutilainen in her element Acrobats from St. Petersburg

Dance legends and old friends Jorma Uotinen and Aira Samulin 78

An impressive laser show was arranged at the spa.

Bowling in the basement

Helena Lindgren and musician Jukka Hakoköngäs

Ballet in the pool

Lights created the festival atmosphere in the Holiday Club Spa.

Restaurant Sevilla looking gaudy.

Even the camel wanted to join the party!

Director of Sales & Marketing Sokos Hotels St. Petersburg Satu Oksanen got a kiss from musician Remu Aaltonen. On the left Finnair’s Country Director Marja Illikainen. 79

circus entertainment. Feelings ran high particularly among the core team, since each had a great feeling that now something had truly been accomplished. Experienced man of metropolies, Jorma Uotinen ponders: Hotels are always just hotels. You can find night clubs, restaurants and congress halls. One has one style, another something else. Material can be wood, bone or anything. But how about in St. Petersburg! That’s where you find dance! Marinsk and Bolshoi. I don’t pretend that I would know the Russian culture, but in traditional dance they are good! It’s always good to see how life is in different places around the world. The cream of high society from Russia and Finland had been invited, along with important officials and of course SOK’s directors. Ville Relander and Kenneth Lindberg had put their most into the party, and buffet tables were filled with food for two thousand people. Guest Remu Aaltonen is still enthusiastic about the party.

It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. And when we’re in Russia, of course those games have to be spectacular. When they invest in things, then they succeed. There were all the camels, zebra skins and reindeer lined up in a row waiting. I said to Satu that this is gonna work, I’m totally sure. Lorentz Salo’s diary sums up the grand opening well. Incredible programme at the Grand opening: trapeze artists, water ballet, Laura Voutilainen, jazz band, a band playing Spanish music in the cellar. Also a camel and reindeer. At night after 4:00 a.m. major water occurred the building and some of the guests had to be moved out of their rooms. The group included Finnish media people, of course. “We were afraid the whole roof would collapse.” Wow, how exaggerated! Well, at least they praised the personnel and the party, so there was some positive publicity too. The reason for the water damage turned out to be the failure of a water pipe’s aluminium connector. As mentioned above, the small shadow

that fell over the opening of the spa paradise was the sudden water damage, which as luck would have it happened on the floor where the Finnish media were staying. For safety reasons they were asked to change rooms in the middle of the night. Of course this unhappy setback got a lot of press, even more than the opening itself, thanks to drama-hungry reporters.

Olympia Garden in Pasolini style Shortly before the Holiday Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening, an even more decadent party was held at the Sokos Hotel Olympia. The Italian artist Giuliano De Capo, whose production company specialised in large parties, was hired to handle the grand opening. His idea of a successful programme relied strongly on theatrical performances, including even some shocking mini-plays, which were staged in suites on different floors. St. Petersburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NeverPorn performance artists handled the plays and staged them

His id pro gram ea of a su me thea cces r elie tric sful d al p clu s t ro e din g ev rforma ngly on en s nce s o m min e sh , ini-p ock lay ing s. according to Da Capoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions. There were many different themes. In one, the living dead, a zombie, wandered around a dramatically decorated and lit suite in search of brains for nourishment. The themes, well ahead of their time, enthralled the audience, which was impressed with the special effects and make-up. In another room, an endless trio drama played out among two women and one husband. The mini-play had no lack of Pasolini-like features, and each play got resounding applause from the party guests. One drama scene was set in the hotel corridor. A manic-depressive Pippi Longstocking drew mysterious figures on the newly painted walls and was joined by guests, perhaps invited by the perfor-

ning e p o s rdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a G c eme . i h p t s m Oly circu a d ha party

Opening ceremony of the Olympic Garden (former Olympia Garden)

The ceremonial master of the evening, segnora Da Capo, brought magic into the evening. 82

Is this the hottest show of the evening?

Looping mini-drama was telling a story of a gentleman and two ladies. 83

skip ot n d coul a t the n a of S g n n e i Ev pen O d n yn . a k r s G v e e i th Vasil i l l e Hot

The guest of honor, our beloved Santa Claus, came all the way from Lapland to enjoy the party.

Artist Pavel Pletnov created the right atmosphere for the great day by painting the wall of the garage. 84

Juhani in discussion with an important guest, Governor Valentina Matvijenkon of St. Petersburg te about the acciThe Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat wro d of August, 2009. dent in Hotel Vasilievsky on the 22n occasion was an However, it forgot to mention that the d by Finns. opening party and the hotel was founde

Juhani J채rvenp채채 and Bishop Nazar

were s e i art p e s e lk of Th a t e y th l n i a . t town

certhe

mance artists, who jumped into the raucous fray and helped Pippi with her destructive installation. But not everyone was as enthusiastic about the direction of the creative expression. As we know, successful art splits opinions.

DIFFERENCES IN EROTICISM In the opening party of Olympic Garden, art was made out of striptease culture. “It’s definitely true that the police tend to arrive just at the culmination of the best and most memorable parties, which is what happened to us at the Olympia Garden opening too,” says Ville Relander, who was usually responsible for Russian food and beverages at Sokos Hotels’ parties. The performance artists’ speciality was erotic plays, and this time a dramatic play about friendship between women was being performed in one of the hotel

rooms. The erotic nature of the friendship was emphasised through love play where metaphorical salmon swam in dark and watery tunnels and the limits of good taste were stretched, maybe to the breaking point. The audience got more than they bargained for, and someone called the police to crack down on morals. The militia took the performance artists and their friends to jail, and the celebration had a dramatic ending. These parties were certainly the talk of the town.

Vasilievsky's first anniversary celebration An even more extravagant party was held for the first anniversary of the Hotel Vasilievsky. It was clearly necessary, being that it has been a while since there has been a flamboyant celebration, at least at that hotel. Finnish Independence Day had been marked by a late-night party with a bus load of guests at the consulate, but in Russia they know how to celebrate even the smallest occasions, and birthdays are the most beloved occasion of all.

The gentleman and the queue of wife candidates In October 2009 a Danish gentleman moved into the pleasant penthouse suite 706 for his trip to acquire a wife. The wife problem was solved by taking the bull by the horns and placing a classified ad in the free English language newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times. The huge response to the advertisement tied up the phone lines at the reception desk, and candidates arrived night and day. We registered them as guests, since there was not much else we could do. Those Danes are pretty innovative and virile. But the man was already a 62-yearold bearded buck!

Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky’s Director Tomi Meriläinen says: We invited 600 people with their spouses and dates. The famous Russian TV star Mikhail Gendelev was the master of ceremonies and the popular Russian Candy Shop Band performed. The relatively calm celebration culminated at midnight, and people thought the party was over. But Gendelev announced that everyone was to go to the cellar. We had saved a surprise for that moment, and led the curious crowd

As is typical in Russia, with good relationships anything can be arranged, even a football club’s cheerleaders to dance in a car park!

downstairs. The lights were off and people anticipated what would happen next. Then it exploded. Club DJ and the break dance group started the fireworks, and the crowd was so excited that the atmosphere went right through the roof. And we kept it high - we had more surprises for the guests, who almost went crazy when the cheerleaders for the St. Petersburg football club, which Sokos Hotels sponsors, put on their show. The celebration was very succcessful, thanks to event organiser Maxima.

Excellent marketing Many of those who took part in the project refer to the period after the hotels opened as the Grand Surprise. And it was a positive, big surprise that since the project had received both local and international publicity in tourism media, even more guests than expected began to arrive. This was a big relief for management group members who had been under a great deal of stress. Of course success was the fruit of the labours of all who participated, but in this connection it is good to note the efforts of the Mar-

keting Department, as well. From the start, a bit of distance was kept from competitors by using the company’s own style. The usual way of operating at the city’s hotels seemed to be quite inflexible and even stodgily old-fashioned. A fresh approach was emphasised with the motto: Open Way, Easy Stay. The hotels were developed into gathering places where there was a socially comfortable atmosphere. Communications supported this ideology. The hotels were already operating efficiently, with customers coming and going. But the Holiday Club’s spa was still not completed, even though marketing had already been started on some fronts. Honesty worked better than awkward explanations, at least in connection with the Spa Trade Show, which was considered very important for its promotional value. A group of key reporters had been invited to tour the spa, which was not yet completed. But the reporters were in St. Petersburg that evening anyway, so it was decided to receive them.

Sokos Hotels immediately brought a strong Finnish presence to St. Petersburg by organising the Naisten Kymppi 10 kilometre run. Equality was ensured by “boy bunnies”, without a doubt a first in Russia, who were a great success. Ville Relander organised the opening reception for the delayed work site. We bought a red carpet and strawberries from the open market, and dishes somewhere, and set up to receive the reporters. We decided not to explain anything, but to tell them openly what was going to be offered at the luxury spa. We asked the reporters to use their imaginations amidst the piles of materials under tarpaulins. Somehow, when the reporters came across something they had not expected at all, honesty was appealing. The evening became rich in atmosphere and everyone was left with a very positive feeling. This type of effort led to a strong bond among us and the entire team.

ta in koulu”Kamppail ntoni tu aikana itse net Ilta-Sanomat o M . a The web version of the Finnish tabloid ss kan saattava renowned Finnish näyttelijät jännitt wrote on the 6th of June, 2010 about ja olla ujoja , mutt to decorate one tä clothes designer Jukka Rintala’s project esiintymis ää usk pit l. hal sä by n lob ’s e dge se Bri ace it Pal i. corner in the Sokos Hotel m-ela sano Pan amit eivät tu a d t a m e k u lan p nyt Jukka Rinta tyjä, mutta

ssa i r a t e i P ä t s ä n i ee se s i ä p e r a l a t n i Jukka R reväis ellisole seinästä

irjaim netusti Pietarissa k e e is ä p re stamalla mies itse malla ja sisu a la a a m ä ishotelliin. esti seinäst nsa suomala se k u a k rk u oman n rojektiaan viikonlopun p sa is ar et Pi ti ta Sokos Rintala viet önä oli maala ty ä n se äi m sim laus, joka aloitellen. En laan seinämaa au en g d ri B vaa lobHotel Palace min valmistu em h yö m USIKK n aa m ROCK-MU tulee hallitse toim i u a. tt u st u ik a st v en sisu sa K n o im bynurkkauks a ovä km tä n ku tari , ie ta P va ä ku kanssa o tätä nyt viel kau tu ak n e et ta n in at n ll n a tu an ll a K ”I edanttin p ? rav a än ss sä a is m jö teki huim kla aa äm in ik li se on vasta alku o , aan kinissa li poseeratess ai sk tu la ta Rin . sensa edessä e Rintalan aisista tunte al om su a istaan, Suurin os juhlien puvu an n n Li en än a hänen repainoastaan h uluu yhtä laill ku en in am st mutta sisu ertuaariinsa. u issa valmistu rojekti Pietar yp b b lo ta lin in el R kä Kun hot , siitä tulee se sa es lu ku en käynnoin kuukaud sisustustyylin n se ai al om aalauk- lan oman että su oman seinäm si la aa m la n. tikortti venäläisille. Jukka Rinta otellin seinää -h os ok in esitS en is busein aiemm lo sa an is ar om sensa pietarila et le Pi al ik - Olen käynyt tilaisuus esin sisustaa pa nyt tarjoutui Myöhemmin hä ja i n ia ot u m iakkaita. telemässä nsa. n venäläisiä as jo al p bynurkkaukse jo an ev rtoi hänellä ol tala iloitsi ja ke in vyyksiin työR i, n ta is stam Pietarin nähtä n aa m u st tu tellä myös sisu ti tu oterassilla lmis, Rintala eh i-hotellin katt va sk e in ill p va em K tä it n laus oli vi sa sijaitseva Kun seinämaa a. Moika 22:s ss n ka en is la jektiinsa. Vaske usta lobbypro parinsa Matti la si ä imeistellä st ei im nkin pitäisi vi timaan vi u in oh p m i ty kä h h E ry ! hän jen kupoleita altavia kirkko m ki n teli. lla it n ku n u su oita - Katsokaa n htikullalla, hän le i en ks u ka lobbynurk pietarilainen

Arja Paananen

110

MeNai

an yhdeksä isistä, Zestohjelm tutuista Zesttiimilä ssa si stam opaine Naiset, wrote on the Eva on ykh ,jaaMe issagaz ulu ma ies ko lad lä y nis n t a Fin ä v o ä it rt ta ie k a at a si li tk a jo sia , 2011 how Finnish model Ninja än sober mätem hittä Sep tää n22 a keof uorind . visit their n itseensä ta maalo uskoasa ja Sar was invited by Sokos Hotels to koa”, at.

a free cruise bo St. Petersburg hotels with a vis

KERNELJÄTTÄ in ri ta ie P TAA

t tutustunu n o ll a A io d Ra ISTON llen MALLITOIM ti reisjuontaja E RARAZZIh PA lä .) ik s a (o Jokikunn op- Laila Snellman nne-Maria keskittyi sh ”En suun ystävänsä A joka puvusti . kanssa, pailemaan Ylitapion ansa saavan Syvälle in lt -i si ole aiemm pluaisin pian en u kuvan. ”Ha rissa katlo -e ehtinyt ka sin u tt la te sa at te y iö L sk . tti. Mariin poihin ”, Laila mie koja käydä uusia mek kin.” somassa balettia ja ihanan ta

änä

rj KO A.W. Y kja-muusi

mitta kisen Kikke Heik ista. lo to in v ra in anupungin v Pal, vintolassa n.” e in to is kimu

Ä I S K Y M ELÄ A S S I R A T E I P

N in ja , la u la ja shikin ja ENTINEN hensä Yo ie m i tt a syksyiu nsa kanss asalo na T a r Y a ik N S o Y Ä -p K o ”OLEN tiaan Tait aiemkaksivuo Pietarissa vulla. kaupungis rista. u n kertani e sestä Pieta in iä min 1990-l n ra m a v m n ieraa n ensi o – Tämä o turelli ja v Kaupunki nut, s unis, kult tu a k is n s s a my ö a a n m k o si ri n n o ta lä it ie a P T : t sa e h n a äyne ää nä mutta vierai ole lemme k tekee hyv e O ll . n se e p n e a s L a. . varaisuu Venäja Italiass opuolella Japanissa kodin ulk kadonnut. utuja Sokosu n tt ri ju ia iin Pieta k n dä erilais u läiset suhta oisesp u a on kutusti k -varustam vat intohim nsa, Hän matk e in L r te e e St. P yjä teketi taiteese itsemia risteil otellien ja h to it n e m te su kuten den kessillä vii juhli vuo elijäsumana, s lu -a a ri kin”, näytt nna ssa alkoiss Ma a vä Prince n. Elokuu ä ä viulisti Joh i. Sykti in in ö n iken kaupung tänyttä li Koivu sano a on s viiden ö y . m a ll a a n ss ute nastasi syllä luva elemivat uutu rincess A P t tt y y il ä n te a is -r uusi Itämeren siikkiin seen ja mu ä. it liittyviä tö ALLI HUIPPUM

N tutt PIETARI O anes-

rrig paikka Hu mu Aale legenda R a matkusk jo , e ll se to iin tällä ti kaupunk ittajaim kertaa to askan poikansa S uhtia ja a kanssa. ”V lanteita ti vaarallisia pungin u a k ”, ä tä riit kehunut yöelämää ti. is n Remu vir

011 iset 22.9.2

arak salo on mu -perforäkkiä tässä ässä. ”On m manssiryh a näytellä. a av tt u a p va me ovat Esityksem . Pidin a si teatraali ensimmäiri u ju s ö my vanäyttely sen valoku nostunut n ii ni, olen k vaamisesu ihmisten k oi. Ninja rt ta”, hän ke ietarissa P rentoutui nsa ja a ik o -p Taito nina työske sushikokk lisonsa o televän pu nssa. a Yoshikin k

Ninja S LAULAJA ana Yht-

Vodka connecting people Finland has become known for Nokia, Russia for vodka. An endless number of fun stories, legends, interesting rituals and gestures have developed around it. In the Soviet era, at the end of a worker’s day a relaxing shot of “rocket fuel” was enjoyed with company - not alone. Since pay was low and even alcohol was sometimes rationed, it too involved a surprising amount of an entrenched Soviet practice: regulation. “Na troih” (among three) came from the cost of a vodka bottle in Soviet days, three rubles, and a bottle was just the right amount to share among three friends to forget the day’s labours. The “threesome” practice took hold throughout the country as people stood

in queues: if you had a ruble to invest, you held one finger out of your coat. Soon a friend was found and another finger added, and shortly a third finger appeared to make a vodka trio. At first, knowing each other was not a primary concern - what was important was rewarding yourself after a hard day’s work by oiling your gears. Q: Why are the eagles in the nation’s coat or arms looking in different directions?

A: They’re looking for a third. Three happy drinkers sat reading an article in Pravda: One in four alcoholics in Russia dies from alcohol. The oldest of the men said he was thinking of quitting drinking in time. The other two answered, “But Igor, there are only three of us!”

If a to a speech is m wom ade an , men all the stan d. speech when your turn comes. Make it even in your native language, as long as you don’t try to wriggle out from under etiquette. If a speech is made to a

Lessons from Siberia Vodka is always drunk from a glass. If necessary they’re borrowed, or traditionally even rented. Of course they’re paid for with vodka. Vodka is drunk cold, but not with ice and not diluted. For most of the year in Russia, keeping your vodka cold doesn’t take much creativity. No matter how funny a guests thinks he is, simply saying “cheers” isn’t enough. When in Rome, do as the Romans: something always has to be toasted - wonderful women, a gratifying life or maybe great friendship or everlasting brotherhood. During a business meeting, a toast is made to the fruits of shared success. Imagination is valued in this talent. If you’re a man, you’re expected to make a

woman, all the men stand. As the evening goes along, don’t leave empty bottles on the table. A superstitious Russian will always put them on the floor to keep

them from bringing bad luck. In Russia, truth is even stranger than fiction - at least if it involves alcohol! Ivan Ivanovitz (Russia’s “John Smith”), how does vodka affect you? - Little vodka, no effect. - Reasonable amount, maybe I sing. - When I drink to my heart’s content, I become leader! The same was true of Russia’s first President, Boris Yelstin’s practices, even if it meant leading an orchestra. Tapping your neck with your forefinger means you’re drunk.

Vladimir Putin sat on the shore at his dacha in Sardinia and wondered why the Mediterranean was so clear compared to the Gulf of Finland. Suddenly a golden fish appeared through the surface and addressed the small but mighty leader of the large country by his diminutive name: “Vova, whatever you wish, I will give you.” Putin pondered it and hesitantly said, “My greatest wish is that all of Russia would love me.” In a flash, Putin turned into a vodka bottle.

Vodka in history Russians often remember Prohibition in Finnish history. Because the date of the end of Prohibition often remains a bit hazy in the minds of the neighbouring country, it has been used at times to explain the amount of “vodka tourism” in St. Petersburg, and at other times the root of Finnish alcoholism. The dry period has also led to jokes in Russia: One sunny day in court, the defendant

was being questioned. The judge asks, “Sir, how did you wind up in court?” Defendant: “Two policemen brought me.” Judge: “Drunk again?” Defendant: “Yes, Your Honour, both drunk as skunks.”

St. Petersburg’s Vodka museum is near St. Isaac’s Cathedral at Konnogvardeyskyn Bulevardi 4.

- Little vodka, n o effect. - Reason able am ount, maybe I sing.

- When I drink to my hea rt’s con tent, I becom e leade r!

V. Ups

and Downs

- The recession and a new impetus

The recession reaches Russia Big spending in good economic times was followed by a financial hangover, which was felt immediately in the hotel business. In 2008 economic growth in Russia ground to a halt, and because of the worldwide recession the country slipped back to fighting its way forward on the terms of a market economy. Use of hotel capacity plummeted. In January 2009 the Holiday Club’s capacity used was 9.8%, when at the same time the previous year it had been 37%. “Russia’s economy crashed overnight. If we were driven to our knees, many around us fell on their faces, and hard. Fortunately operations were already up and running otherwise opening the hotels would probably have been delayed for years. The original business plan was suddenly faced with a two or three year slump. The recession permanently changed the business plan, but at the same time trimmed the fat and made operations lean. Now, during good years, we’ve been able to achieve a larger

turnover with the same fixed costs, and increased profitability,” sums up Kuisma Niemelä four years after the dramatic times. “Wonderful hotels were open and going strong, and then right away the recession hit. We had to adapt, in other words we dropped prices,” says Marja-Liisa Järvenpää, speaking of the easiest way to compete. In addition, healthy cost cutting was started. The largest costs, personnel and real estate, were reigned in quickly. The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky’s and Holiday Club’s housekeeping and maintenance personnel were combined. How many employees were needed to keep operations running well was scrutinised through an even stronger loupe. The recession put a harsh end to the economic growth which Russia had been sailing on for years. It was visible not only in the huge number of idle cranes but also in increasing social problems, which of course were reflected in employees’ attitudes. Constant negligence, illegal activ-

ity and theft were a problem among the Holiday Club’s staff, and Security Chief Aleksander Mashin did not lack work. The recession could of course also be seen in employees’ morale, and the need for extra income led some to start side-businesses within the hotel. Doormen made shady deals with taxis, acted as pimps and chummed up with swindlers. Cleaners might live secretly in the hotel and drink at work. Alcohol was a major problem for other employees as well. In addition, many employees did not bother to notify the hotels of absences, and if they were asked after, they might produce a doctor’s statement purchased at the metro station which was quickly found to be a forgery. An increased number of genuine doctor’s statements were also seen at the office. The hotels operated with too few personnel. People were overwhelmed by the work load, and many expressed their exhaustion. Fatigue began to show among management as well. Natalia Bordovskaya, the Human Resources Manager at the time, remembers when Gunnar Jonsson, a Swede, was asked to lead training in Mindo (My Individual Development

System) and Lots (Logical Thinking System) techniques for personnel who were hanging on by a thread and working at the very edge of their endurance. “After only a week, we began to understand each other significantly better,” says Natalia. “The sessions helped me, at least to openly admit my own weaknesses and lowered the threshold for asking for help with work tasks,” Sami Karppi says of the positive results of the training. The psychological techniques helped the team a great deal after the process as well, and the stressful situation was successfully diffused. Still, schedules for completion of the other hotels certainly did not bring any relief to the situation, since at a critical time all the projects neared completion at the same time, even though an effort had been made to stagger them. It succeeded through rigorous work. Although the recession brought troubles, it also opened a few doors to a very

t ie P ä ä t e v s u u is la a m o Su Zakriään 70 euro nichni kerto on. o. Ero johtuu Kovan kilpa tuplasti iso ilun vuoksi masta koos tässä ta ja sijain m- Prismassa ei my ydä lainkaa nista: kodin 8 000 neliön n koneita, ja ka vaateosastovät ”kukkulan uppaa käyttä- kin on keskittynyt isoissa omak kuninkaat” eli seen enimmäklapsiin. otitaloissa m äe asuvat rikka ”Venäläinen at. Lähietäisy llä nainen ei os ydel- vaatt le on raken ta eit teilla 30 000 asuk- rinich aan marketeista”, Zakni hymähtää .

tava asia ka nsanäänestyksell e. Muut so pijamaat voivat panna sopim uksen toimeen myös ilman lan Irnin osallistum otteet ja Sista. Irl an ni n pääminist rkit ovat nä eri Enda Kenny ka nnusti sunn KOONNUT: untain televisi opuheessaan ELINA KERVIN EN HS äänestäjiä hy väksymään sopimuksen. ”Vahva kyllä hieman teita ovat kahvit -ää , esillä ni sti luo sillä Irpaan varlant,i josta muuttakyvä tuoreita tuotäänesaa ja vakauttaasta hinn huoli- ja sipsit”, Trofim stää asta sii amm LN / HS tä, korke usein hän suuntaa myös suo- talo ett maamme tal ä alaiskaupat ovat Suom Trofimovan m Lähde: SOK teita. usku oune denovat rilaisten pieta ri n. elp ppaa ym a iskau ne matt HS imala n nen jat Aalto kuu”, Kenny Jarmo kaiden kertaos hänelle tuttuja. sanoi uutistoi een. ”Käyn aika usein, koska pi-sopimukse miel m aist ruok st o ostan a AP :n mukaan. in 700 ru ”Enimmäkseen siisti ja Irish Tim erkiksi litra Valion mai- määr Esim luolisää dän kaupasta, joka on es -le hden viime a eli 1,29 20 euroa. Se on , koska kauppa onvii täältä niVA PIETARI. ”Tuokaa vain LL A viiko kolla jul Pietarin vihr aa 51 rupla . Lihaostokset teenAL KA toakamaks tällla ise lisää m vain se as aa ur sa taa Tuok a. a. eä kortti tuoreita hedelmiä, vihannek- luotettava m ieliedelleen m pideti lli- ntettav llisen saa 41 hyvä a,sakun telus arkkin euro ja aina täällä, tämä on täyde keitälaisia 39 prpaika aliike.” tia ääedus ei oikeuta bo tänn osent- lla. kaup Pietarin kehä Euroop sia, perunoita, punajuuria kaise o. nestäjiställakaeli 1,04 assapoja euro nuksiin. , missä kesnen sti kauppa”, Gornova sano kustelu nnatti so pimuksenrupla Kreikan ero merilohta”, Victoria Gornova Isoja vain omistajajäsenille. na on 40 tien risteykseen peru hy en sta euros- metroväksym alain Suom pa ta ist ika najan on ä, llis voimist 30 ia kilpailijoit tiskillä KARE LIAN toivoo Pietarin Zvezd unut. viereisen vastusti ja 31 pros kuin avatussa Pris PrismVENÄ an a EN kaup alla on enttia kallii LÄIS prosenttia Hu t ve ei ol- mpaa Jarmo Aalto Pie lut 000 tarissa noin a kulkee 100 päättän lkakautt aseman kriisin nen HS Prismassa, joka tunnetaan tutviisi, minkäon röykk yt tai seise ole me- Roshassa kerta Liettua leviä- Sama iöittäin, sillä m aikn, lline oi mutt paika lihaa lisäksi kaup olla a silti stä ovrilais an ää Prisne lian ssä. stä Kare at päivä m ta min un ätt heijastu et sa on isoja gis- tellaa määrin 50 euro ä. tavallisem ja paloi mnuunpieta Latvia ina kans ruho PI ETAR I. i on hyvä. Kareliaan on muassa yhtei on nenous saapuu ainvä Nord saeannekk emas lis S-ryhmän iä juj ke eliin tpä a. a. sva kortt man äanalyy Myös an - n arvo luutta Jan Laris kerätty parhaissa hy liiketoieuro essa. nöstä m tik uone mintaa harjo pyyn n aa on takah kaide ilm Viro asiak kaup an vo on skus. n Gerichin suurin kaupan alan ittavalla SO kaup ro he n ikk neliö 000. Eu Kassojen yläpuolella roik100 - e vii enipake viim mtuott jopa päästään 70 eu ukaan K:lla on nyt Pietar yrievn arova miet eita so vuot itys, aam Stoli kolla suhtee Vasil uk- sensuom erikk - n saWa Venäjä in laine kolme pim ahy alais ssa tYh aa vajaa ksymin Ero johtuu Prism kuu sinisiä ja valkoisia ilma l-Mariskill svaltojen ossän Prisma-m alueella yhdekluultavaasti omaavä en , jotta ne löyiskan dy t onä tu siann ynsä hylly dollariin ne sa -Trofi n lihat tii los ap he arkettia. En sillä mov sa aji lpo , lle hana ttaisi Irlanljättä nin . yt Laris viijo a koosta kkoa ta simmäinen avatt palloja kierrenau pevetän jouat räkkäin kkolatää mmin. Tuotteet ovat mast helpo iin 2008. toa. Maidot ja kasvikset ovat in ja oih Priskaup vii eet alais in ko alkan aik suom ko n ovat ana no hdis-auksissa teks- 8 000 neliön o,ks että Osuuskunta tuvaa painett kerto Pietarissa in ka SO K ON i prosenttia. aikoo avata eräispakk a. kärryssä. alkup ostos pieet mon py a ot. seusty raavan vuod kosk ja, kulan i-viik ttä tuttu ”kuk Suom ”Ir vät man lannin ulko en päivineen. t hyaliko ovat ovat per- imat TÄ mark- ettinsa en aikana kalav jany puolella helLihaos- teine essa MÄ vielä 4–5 uutta, usein po ät Suom käyv tus m koniset metr Gornova on Anastasia-tyttä tarila arkkinoil vaikka kilpa kiinn oaseläise eivät N vii t pia mien liepe iset tuot- isoissa omako sella os ja venä t tav sillä la uude itä, im ”Uut on tärke ilu on ille a koventunut eu luu paikkaan, jon tavasti rajall ro toksi lahtu lla. mia on Irlan rensä kanssa Kareliassa, kosk itänaapuriss tuntumassa inen”, vetäv ka rovakin tap mistit muilla ei ole. asuvat rikkaat Stolia eineksiin. - eeti vii akin. SOK:n teet Gericät, SOK arvioi h arjoita l- luota on jakkSostokset kerra 100 000– rakente okatsaukses uusien kaup 150 00 liiketosaa Suomalaiset tuottvio udella 0 hilpa imintisot asukas ellään 25 misa. pia suomalaistuot- le on ojen johtaj appe pojen Antti täältä miel kasvattavan ituim isee Suos ta näet kä ovat it ve a arjen t merk lye Sip syyd ä. Prism täi-kan Ma jaelimuu sen markkin Leivä la virtitt eaa la.po - tairyhmän omat kaup anan ymat osuuden alu Prismojen muttell a tunn kävel in nuut 28. 5. a eta an sta, een ruokakau a- Suomi-v Pie kin iik aupa tar ko lähik jen koristei issa ”metro-k hän ostaa Tilastokeskus pasta noin viitee ta. julkaisee ku n pr Pietarin Prism etjuna”. luttajabarome EK julkaisee SOK:n liiketo osenttiin. oja alusta as trin toukoku luottamusin vetäneen Ve imintojen joh ti ulta. dikaattorit tou Ke skiviikko 30 sa tajan Antti Pu - sa. Alun nnosen mukokuulta. . 5. Sippolan m ka an pe en rin si joulukuussa Tiedot euroa hotelleja pit ukaan tulla tänä vuonna lue i tuvasta valmisen yritysten STA kahdeksa SOK:n Pietar TAU n, ja Bu tou ku haretskayan mut kokuulta jul ja Baltian-to luttajien talou in- suunni kaistaan. Prissluottamukses im telma on So ta nyt masta tulee Torstai 31. 5. ta vaihto on va intojen liike- lien LN / HS vetäjän Mar kos-hotel- ensimmäin koko kaupungin jaa . Tullihallitus ja-Liisa Jär en hyperm naa euroa, en t 400 miljoo- venp Lähde: SOK jul ka ään mukaa arket, isee ulkomaa joka on sam si vuonna jo lisk n nk mat as jäi uu au miljoonaa. 600 ma-laa Lähialueide sa rakennuks ssä Pr lta. pan kuukau nis-Pris sikatsauksen sa uuden m jennusten esToimipaikkoje Saksassa jul maaetroaseman määrä kasva n kaistaan tila ilöstö Prismoihinsa vuoksi. a sa. onaa ns- Henkku Metro euro stot työttömy n SO kulkeae sen ali ka000 o,- miljo ussa. K onvaiht mennessä 21 2013 loppuun tanut Liike rak yd en vihreä kortti en 4 ke arin . hit :stä 36:een. myös kanta-a yksestäPiet S-ryhmän pä tou Yh ko dy 700 sva sia äkilpailija Ke lloissa julkaist kasoh- ko jelman, joh son rynninyt aan tilastot on on liit i3 500 kehityksestä bonuksiin. SO K AI KO uta bru Ve oike tto ei nä tyn m ka jälle isoiltammi–maa yt la rautak uu nsantuotteen O pysyä liskuulta sek aupoilla Pietarin 40 tamassa 600 korvaushake alueella, m vuodessa ä tilastot uu musten määrä 000 0 000 käytt issä sillä on silläkin on rak an, mutta3ny sien työttömy t äjää. Suom stä mä ja myös poike ärä kolme hotel yk en yssit stä teilla kaksi Ciyisen sektor . esta tymark lia. Kaksi ni ten lähial500 in työpaikkoje ettia Pietariin ueiden vihreä Perjantai 1. 2 500 istä on lä keskustassa n . 6. lko Vasilin saar Stockmanni Jarmo Aaltonen HS a alennuk ella ja mut rtilla sa400 kolmas lentok lla on seitsem2 000 Euroalueen teollis sia, tavara ta ei bonuks uu enttätien va än den ostopää taloa ja kym taa ia, jotka ku a rres- luvat n. llik Liettu kö indeksi touko meniä Se uosuuskuntakuultaPIET S-ryhmän liiketoijulkaARI. aatteen mu- pälä-, Lindex- ja Bests 1p-500 Tilastot euroalue 300 isen työttömy ellermyymälöitä Yhdysvalloiss ysasteesta hu Latvia harjoittavalla SOK:lla Venäjällä. a julkaistaan htikuulta jul mintaa 000 1 200 kaistaan. tilastot työttö ulkopuoliset rin alueella yhdekmyydViro työpaikkojen en ja maata on nyt Pieta kehityksestä loudenPrisma-markettia. Ensim500 toukoku Venä sän 100 ulta.jä mäinen avattiin 2008. 0 2013 2012 2011 0 2013 Osuuskunta aikoo avata seu2012 2011 1 a vielä S raava I P 1 n vuoden aikan

alaiskaupat a monet pie Suomessa os -

ynsä, jotta ne tää helpom min. Tuottee löyt ovat alkuperäisp akkauksissa teksteineen päivi neen. ”Uutuudet ja sellaiset tuotteet vetävät, joita muilla ei ole. Suosituimpia suomalaistuo t-

Finland’s larark när,jäll eja wsVe ettne pape the. hyperm gest e Helsingin Sanoia mp iso ä tist en ä ttä sty S-ryhmä py mat, explained on the 28 th of May, 2012 about Hotellihank the investments of Sokos k e e t jä i s Ho sä tels’ Finnish parent Prisma-laaje company SOK in St. Peter nnusten vuo sburg. According ksi to the article, the origina l plan of eight Sokos Hotels was cut down to th ree since SOK was concentrating more on th e grocery business by building several large mar kets in St. Petersburg. Below th e previou s article H published elsingin S an analys anomat is about t nomics. A he Russia s an inter ne esting de how the tail it exp coRussian e la conomic ences fro al behavio ined m many r differo t h er countr the diffic ies: Even ult times d money is fear of fa not saved uring st devalu d ation wh ue the the value ich could the savin c u t g down s. Thus sp which m ending c akes the ontinues economic s recover faster.

Hotellihankkee Prisma-laajennu

moina aikoina

Venäläinen kuluttaa epävar PIETARI. Kulutuskysynnän

kasvu jatkui viime vuonna Venä jällä niin, että kansantuote saavutti vuoden 2009 syvää uromahdusta edeltäneen huipp tason. Kansantuote kasvoi 4,3 prosenttia, mutta vähittäiskauppa lisääntyi vielä enemmän, 7,2 oiprosenttia. Kuluttajien ostov maa tukee inflaation hidasntprose en tuminen noin kuute tiin eli venäläisittäin hyvin alhaiselle tasolle. Inflaation hidastuminen johtuu muun muassa siitä, että hallinnollisesti määrättyjä energian vähittäishintoja nostetaan tavanomaista vähemmän ja

tavallista myöhemmin, eli alkuvuoden sijaan vasta kesällä, Suomen Pankki arvioi. nousu KULU TUS ja öljyn hinnan

avittivat Venäjän toipumista taantumasta. Vähittäiskaupan kasvu viittaa siihen, että luotta , mus talouteen on lisääntynyt in mutta on esitetty synkempik tulkinta: ruplan devalvoitumisen on oima pelko. Venäläisten ostov vahvasti riippuvainen tuontitavaeli roiden hintojen kehityksestä ruplan vahvuudesta. Vähittäiskaupan kasvun taustalla voi siis olla huoli rahan arvosta, mikä panee kansalaiset ussijoittamaan säästönsä kulut

tavaroihin. Venäläisekonomistit a nimittävät tätä ”epävarmuudell elvyttämiseksi”, mikä poikkeaa useimpien muiden maiden kuluttajakäyttäytymisestä. Kun muualla epävarmuus panee ihmiset kiristämään kukkaronnyörejä, venäläinen panee rahansa kulutukseen, . kuten teki myös vuonna 2008 PERI NNÄ ISEST I venäläisten

kuluttajien luottamus talouteen uon vähäistä: kuluttajaluottam sindikaattorin pitkän ajan keski arvo on negatiivinen. Vuoden ti, 2008 lopulla se sukelsi jyrkäs mutta on kohonnut siitä vain lievästi negatiivisen puolelle.

4–5 uutta, vaikka kilpailu on in. koventunut itänaapurissak SOK arvioi uusien kauppojen kinamark kasvattavan sen osuuden alueen ruokakaupasta noin viiteen prosenttiin. SOK:n liiketoimintojen johtajan Antti Sippolan mukaan tänä vuonna SOK:n Pietarinja Baltian-toimintojen liikeovaihto on vajaat 400 miljo naa euroa, ensi vuonna jo 600 Toimipaikkojen miljoonaa. määrä kasvaa 2013 loppuun mennessä 21:stä 36:een.

AIKO O pysyä Pietarin alueella, missä sillä on myös kolme hotellia. Kaksi niistä on ja keskustassa Vasilin saarella skolmas lentokenttätien varre

SOK

SOK:n liiket Antti Sippol Suomi-viikko

sa. Alun p tulla kahd suunnitelm lien vetäjä venpään m ma-laajenn Prismoih tanut my jelman, j muutama 400 000 k poiketen lä kortil mutta ei luvat osu

100

valuable situation. In the undulating economy, an opportunity to make a rare move on the business playing field presented itself. SOK was able to make lucky deals with the Estonians and bought the entire real estate property for themselves, including the lot. The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky is still the only hotel in Russia which SOK itself owns, since a comparable opportunity has not yet at least, been found. Today, with much tighter competition, locations for hotels are difficult to find in St. Petersburg, where tourism has grown enormously.

AN Security Sokos Hotels hired a well-known St. Petersburg security company to provide doormen and security for the hotels. In addition, the company served as additional security for ex-pats, SOK’s employees working abroad. Many interviews mentioned a type of “panic card” which could be pulled out of a pocket when a threat was severe, or the card holder was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The militia, in particular, respected this company in the security industry since the firm’s managers and many employees were veterans of Russian wars and had earned their strips in tough places. Convenient. Alarms in the homes of SOK management were connected to AN-Security’s headquarters. Forgetting to turn off a silent alarm brought two armed men with machine guns screeching around the corner in less than no time, which at first flustered for example Sami Karppi. If you didn’t let them in when they knocked, they broke down the door and

101

in m e th t e l ey t h ’ t n , id ed d k c u o o n r...” o o “If y they k ed h t n e own wh d e handled brok your security in action-film style. You didn’t even dare to breathe when you looked through the peep-hole in the door and saw commandos armed to the teeth, but it was still best to let them in to check the apartment. Atte Vannasmaa knows the same commandos are practical men, who can handle tools as well as guns. The lock on our ground floor door was laughably loose and could be opened simply by breaking it. In the winter, drug addicts and homeless people began sleeping on the windowsills in the stairway. It was terrifying when some potentially dangerous type regularly slept two metres from our door, and it particularly frightened the children. I tried many times to get the building manager to fix it, but nothing was ever done. At work I told the security company’s men about it, and

102

they said they would resolve it. The next night when I came home from work the security men had nailed the windows permanently open a bit so the cold winter air blew on the windowsills. Nobody ever slept there again. The cards had a magic number you could call round-the-clock and give the phone to, for example someone blocking your way, or an official who had stopped you. At the other end of the line was ANSecurity’s director, Sergei, a war veteran, who cleared up situations in a way that was usually satisfactory to everyone.

Recovery The downturn in Russia actually lasted only a year. Domestic markets recovered relatively quickly, and the price of oil hit near-record highs, which saved the oilrich country. The use of hotel capacity also grew again. The rapid recovery is thought to be a result of bold economic policies and experience, since operating models had been learned during the deep recession in the transitional economy of

the 1990s. Russia’s attitude toward the recession was also different than it was in Finland. Juhani Järvenpää describes the differences: Here in Finland during the recession we cried and complained, and counted losses. But in Russia they actively considered what could be done. There, solutionoriented discussion is in fact common. In Finland we discuss costs. We think about how to develop and create new products or gain other added value to increase demand. Of course we also have cutbacks and layoffs. In Russia that’s actually even too easy, since for example there are no collective employment agreements. But we still tried to make an agreement personally with everyone about work terms, so both sides would feel more secure. The previous recession had forced the war plan for eight hotels to be put on hold, but the company’s skills in the game had developed and it was once again an uncertain time in the market economy, so the hotel playing field in Russia presented new opportunities for Finns. In 2011, Managing Director Marja-Liisa

Järvenpää commented: When cash flow is on target and profits positive, this comes into question. The strategy is still to stay in St. Petersburg and not expand to, for example, Moscow. From the standpoint of brand recognition it’s more important to strengthen that main market area and focus on where we already know how to operate. St. Petersburg is the number one tourist city in Russia and number seven on the Europe TripAdvisor list of best destinations, with its status continuously rising. This field is starting to be crowded in the city, since the number of hotel rooms is growing by about 10%. When the right time comes for more hotels, their locations will be key. Good empty lots or real estate properties suited for hotel operations are very difficult to find, even though we are constantly looking for them and have a weekly meeting with industry professionals. In the end the company survived the 2008 recession with relatively small losses, and in retrospect many core team members feel that in a way the recession helped SOK. It shook out what was unnec-

103

a ot n “It ’s

l hote

.“

essary in the concept, and also the hotel cluster formerly led only by Finns became a Finnish-Russian international organisation, since Russian managers joined the company right at the time of the recession. After the recession it was time to tune the machine for a new era. “As a company we now recognise the business potential in St. Petersburg and also have a possibility to grow our hotel operations since business operations are profitable enough, and that brings synergy to our company’s other areas of operations,” said Kuisma Niemelä in the autumn of 2012. International business potential in Russia after it survived the recession grew quickly to be more interesting than before the economic downturn. At the end of the first decade of the new millennium, foreign funds flowed both into and out of Russia. Finnish tourism companies got a tidy sum from that pot. But accord-

104

ing to Pietari Pipati, Sales Executive at Sokos Hotels in St. Petersburg, who has spent his entire adult life in the tourism business, even more could be offered. The possibilities in Russia may still not be understood well enough in Finland. If the fact is that the consulate in St. Petersburg issues more than a million visas a year, it really should be visible in ways other than just Russian language guidebooks at the checkout counters of shopping centres in Eastern Finland. Russians are interested in Finland’s unspoilt natural environment and safety. Aren’t these available in almost all of our country’s municipalities, where many are dependent on earnings from tourism?

Re-branding and development of the spa “Retail is detail and business is in detail,” says Tomi Meriläinen about Sokos Hotels’ operational strategy, which cannot be forgotten in the midst of hurries when competition for tourists becomes tighter year after year. Many international chains like the Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn also

The three hotels’ advertisement in the local media

started operations in St. Petersburg at the end of the last decade. Marriot is also a strong competitor, and opened the Marriot Courtyard at the same time as Sokos Hotels opened the Vasilievsky. Hotel-style mini hotels are also popping up all over St. Petersburg, as are economical Bed & Breakfasts and lodgings at private homes which are not listed in any official publication. When SOK decided to combine its St. Petersburg Hotels under the same flag and renamed the Holiday Club to carry Sokos Hotels’ brand by renaming it the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge, a Finn operating in

Russia launched an atypical advertising campaign in which the text in ads read: “It’s not a hotel” This emphasised the hotels’ gatheringplace image and modern environment. In addition to word-of-mouth campaigns the Internet was used. On Russia’s Facebook, i.e. vkontakte.ru, Sokos Hotels’ campaign reached its target group successfully in a single shot. The campaign succeeded well. Visibility was achieved as hoped in local print

105

The three hotelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; advertisement in the local media

106

107

s led n o s rea s s e n Palsi l u e b ial s Hot c o n k a o S orld e media as well as social media, w “Fin h t t g an n r i u k and soon the chain was known a a st ..” e e r l to m s b ’ even more widely in Russia’s ofita ridge r p B e e r tourism media. Dmitri Melac a mo p s nikov, who also worked in marketing at and OOO Sokotel, says of the name change:

The decision to make the change came

108

from Finland. I don’t think the recession was the reason for it. The Holiday Club’s name was changed to Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge to make marketing easier. It’s just more effective with three rather than one hotel. Three hotels is also a stronger brand than two. At this point everything was easily organised names, flags, labels and marketing. Use of the space, capacity used in the spa world and the number of culinary oases also affected the management’s decision. In the end, financial business reasons led to making the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge’s restaurant world and spa more profitable. The Finnish franchise-type fitness centre Ab LadyLine International Ltd, which uses the Only for Ladies operating principle, came into the picture in 2011. It worked out well because, among other things, the exercise guru Jalle Söderholm’s concept, known from his Elixia fitness centres, is on the cutting edge in the field. And being one step ahead of the rest of Europe is exactly what a young Russian customer wants. The ultra-modern fitness centre’s services are based on a personal key card. Everything is automated, using the card

programmed with a tested fitness programme for the user’s needs. After the “body culture” extolled during the Soviet era, women’s fitness in Russia has been considered comparable to looking for a rich man, or simply an otherwise questionable business. LadyLine’s concept offers women their own fitness brand, which is hard to beat in terms of userfriendliness. Lady-trainers with expertise in women’s fitness and coaches in the EasyFit combined programme for men and women serve all levels of clients. The icing on the cake will be “coach holograms” which will bring a science fiction atmosphere to exercising. “While exercising, the customer will be able to use the fitness machine’s display to access the Internet, radio or training videos. The entirely new concept in Russia also enables customers to relax in ten different types of saunas and hot tub areas. “EasyFit and Ladyline fitness centres combined with the spa make up a 5,000 square metre fitness centre, which is the largest and most attractive one in St. Petersburg,” Yrjötapio Kivisaari, Country Director of LadyLine International, says proudly.

109

110

LEHDIS TÖTIED OTE TIEDOTE

Ap coopera ress release telli tion ng Sokos H otel Pala and2 the of the LadyLinabout the new ce Bridg St. Peter e estä bus sburg’s S fitness compan iness- ja Sokos H welness otels on okos Ho y -hotelli Su hotellia. tels. Sokos H omen johtava ho ote tell v LEHDISTÖ

l Palace aiheittain iketju. SO Bridge o K:lla on P n ylelline mikä näk vuoden mittaan. ietarissa nk Ho yy k Kuntokes kaikkialla hotellis tellista tulee kork ylpylähotelli, joka olme korkeataso e ista n kusten a s a y a ta t uudista – s n o ii in n e vauksen teemailla a konse myötä ky huoneissa, ravinto n business- ja we t. lpylä aloit llness-ho ptiaan loissa ku telli, taa rento in ilmapii uttavat ’m ri Lady Lin usiikkia v ssäkin. en aL n d e E den alla’ a as Hotel Pa – lac riddy yLFiitnineasiakkailla gen kylp ja S on käytö 8 saunaa ewBe y o s lä sään Pie , joista yllknes ssä onkta o s tarin s oote s rjollH tasokkaa ao kt unl eP t ravintola i on e-kysh ttinis usahloaitoja suurin ja kaunein e tyluömnis ae c kylpylä. S a Suom t, baarit ja ka n u ron n Pieat.aArsiakkaite ,Bhie okos a hv lariumit, issa a palvriedlegvtaaeat ,osvoa aloitta lainen Ab L ilat. 6 allasta t m a n a ja y d e ö l s hoteolliintta y et hyv SOK:lla o Pala neet invoin Line Intern n Pietac e B t r a ri i i s t d Vasilievs hyvi sa Sogkeosav io ja ky ja Sonkvoin haostei lhPeala liikuntapa nal Oy ja S lmickeu Bridg lvelu ok laaja hos HtoikteelsO k u u e lykm ssa Pn lisäksid en yh os Hotel P seia o n ja Gakrd i i k t e a alace kokon itovalikoim p k t e a s n stllyia y i rin su heoite lpy.lä ön Bridg aisval taisen a ja ylellise n. Lady Lin urimman y, SPoikeotasrH isoste l So e ovat a . n l e h i k y 5 y ja Eas vinvo kos H 000 n Lisätieto Suom intielä lpylähotell en suu ja: in rav yFit –kunto eliömetrin otel mykse rin liiku jalans i k n n e to s vaativ ija n an as lapalvelut m kukset, kyl Yrjötapio Venäjä a Venäjällä tapalveluide iakkaa p Kivisaarin toim n franc ja vie n mak uodostava ylän sinne ip tee puh. +35 korkea , maajo hising t u v u 8 40 546tasoin hista t Sauvo a ja n t . ttiiinjaSVe nkkaa suo uottaja La Jukka Rä harjoitt 6283ejan + ky7lpy am dy Lin is nen, a alaista v bl Ladm H,oA 1o1s4a3st0o4 okonsäjä e t I y e SlOMK:ll98lä n +7 921 8 kä L ylpyläsGeanlleera o t ernatio Pala ine Intesaamis u8u6d, is yt@ ane 641387, tä tule ationtaal n tuula . Idnyvliense.fcie Bridgesrn jukka.ra O.yK, etju nal ottaa n eisPaietaagmeer,rkSitotäkvoäs, Hote s ä to yt s n h n ensim l in r il e P e in n@suoukr.fi lä uudalace Briti on h LadyL esta y dge, pouthelli- lmikuussa. mäise in. ine ja S li . ja + a 5 3 m 58ra 000 ne alla ho t EasyF Lady Lin 0 t6 liömet 4v0in5to9la te it o5 eLja Easy 9in 5 im ja r in t aa Pie llin asiakasta ady LinFit franchis hyvinv t o in e ja in g tikesku arissa im onisnteattisille -liikuntakesk Venäjän palv4e0luto ksesta u ä n hyip s to s k k o e u im lm tj u u ip v e il n is la ja lln aa on Suom kyttu vo tik Ketjun ta teknologteet oin mm viiehntyeis attuePskieuta e ll s vhoitteenaiaa hny avin ä s a yhteen ä,eeriritpyaikkaku s.riE enkilö on avöadtayntä s s s a a ä S s lä n o y h n is k e Fit oons Hote esti n alla. Ens koh 5 vä immäise s 40 000 puolelsPalace aBisten Molempie- jotka ov taista valmkunktouknetoske usktau Pie t ketjun taan m ridgeta r ennus n brändieat erik p ta s s e ri . s s ä it M s a h a elm ole ie se ta. Lad va yksityine n takaonisatune ikruteunsssa ja y Line mmissuarakauvasnteknah o it Lnaja ssa ty ntokes dneanisvtueondyehnt a uu2n0n1it1e. ltu t dy D AAA -luo n AabnLaaisdtyenLin L& e inB ö f äyden e ik ys Inlo kuksis e tto tegrnation skente u. sa on ineanna iaan jaal Oy jole Lady Lin ensimmä on avannut luokitettu yritysio tarjolla usinta . et on Poh isen lä S o ko s liikuntakae olisnäskusoi m o S h ajalaain Hotel hyvinvoin retchingjois-Eum an. jiaen–, L opite Pa tip elujaiä. La rom aty n nleH ady Tr vin otn& einR,eslaamlace Bridge naisille jakiireaislvim tuottdayva ainere L in m e a n ä n k x m t ita a n k ie k tj S o r k u h u – n jo . t in il s Eaasym le palveluaikata kuntoilev tunnit. L ke Fyitöosn uu udion,ejopktin allnatoto s k it a u u a im a ta k lu d t a te 3 s iv rj u e o 0 e a t kuukvairtuaalisyeL n a a n n n v m te . r a a in s jo is k L a in N tenyhtey aeawjaA uutinnologia ana mm –aosniak udelle n Peers getuliikunta sta te e n P toim.inPtaila ntiva keskLady –a uin se ntseasta ietarin Lisätietokuntosalin joka on uu al kTura pe, ru ketjtuu,njo tesja Yo sta ja osoitte käyttö si mak mrianksjaaary3h9mäliiklikuonimaussta , jo s a t k a a kskoapaivt gavaa ja sia 000 ru taohjaalöytyv issa wwöw sutapa www.clu n . jan äktem p at .ladyline.f EbaesaysFyfit.ru. myaös i, www.eVenäjällä. A laa vuodestu it -kun sa. Ma nav. enäläisille a s s y ia fi t. t k p o fi k , e ke sk www.clu uus oik Sokos H rustuvaa bladylineeutta ksun voi jak tutut Girya ote t toko uksessa asia a .ru ajamyö TallinnaoshjaalsryohnmSuie o n k m e a s Easy a 12 e s n voi kä ää suu laajijan vhid F e o ksaaajakuPieta itte o y ll t ik t o r palveluja ä ri ell-ra sc e ä ukau ssa. S a liik yhmreäeänil htjjautt,ujoahhoanrjo eisimp kuituluvuiim kläu.uCluluva matkusta ematka- sjaiekriionk.o y ä li t e 5 ä 0 lu bS usasiakk jille. ellunoems asyhFoittellniawS Hotea. E-k aille sekäEaoskyoFsitin ess–stae,kn -tu etju ta n n monipuovuolssim o e rj o a aksu o ailalamvm lisia vaih irtauttaitaaliit logiaan Lisätieto n ja toehto oeis ja: www.s n 29va ta 0 0 0ar-a pa okoshote upjalana, n opettaja ls.fi minkä voi

111

UUSKII

ROCK-MUUSIKKO A.W.

Yrjänä ja kulttuurivaikuttaja Kikke Heikkinen olivat Pietarin ensikertalaisia. ”Ennakkoluulot saivat kyytiä. Söimme loistavia ruokia ja saimme energistä palvelua. En nähnyt nihkeyttä missään”, A.W. totesi. Kikke iloitsi, että osuuskunta Lilithin kustantama homoseksuaalisuutta käsittelevä teos valittiin viime vuoden parhaimpien tietokirjojen joukkoon.

alvilajia

AT?

MUOTISUUNNITTELIJA Tiia

Vanhatapio vieraili Pietarissa ensimmäistä kertaa. ”Ihastuin kiertoajelulla kaupunkiin heti”, hän kertoi avopuolisonsa Eero Leppäsen rinnalla. Tiian putiikki muuttaa keväällä Helsingin ydinkeskustaan, ja hän matkustaa syyskuuksi New Yorkiin kulttuuristipendin turvin.

KAINEN

i mäkiviikkoa, sillä ännittävä laji. iihtoa ja etenkin mäen uraa. Hän ätietoiselta ja .

NEN

istelua televisios stä Kiira Korven ja haastatteluja. kko eivät kolahda

RTARANTA

ostaja, juontaja maisesti eniten jää erittäin vauhdikas käyn usein paikan ssa pelejä. Olen t jalassa monta sillä pelaan kau

112

KUVAT ATTE KAJOVA, ARI K. OJALA, ROSEMARIE SÄRKKÄ, JONNA ÖHRNBERG, LEHTIKUVA, ALL OVER PRESS

ttaja ni mielenkiintoni sesti jääkiekkoon. umilautailua, aastohiihtoa sekä ännityslajina ahiihtoa.

JUHLAHUMUA PIETARISSA – RAKASTUIN PIETARIIN kertaheitolla. Tie-

RUOKAFIILISTELIJÄKSI tunnustautuva

vuoden 2007 Idolsvoittaja Ari Koivunen ihastui venäläisiin herkkuihin. ”Yksinkertainenkin ruoka on tajuttoman maukasta”, Ari totesi. Nykyään hän laulaa Amoralyhtyeessä ja tekee duokeikkoja muusikko Luca Garganon kanssa.

sin, että kaupunki on nykyisin moderni, mutta sen monipuolisuus yllätti. Arkkitehtuuri, pienten yksityiskohtien kauneus ja historia kiehtovat. Palaan ehdottomasti takaisin senkin vuoksi, että sukujuureni johtavat Pietariin, muotisuunnittelija Tiia Vanhatapio fiilisteli ”Pohjolan Venetsiassa”, jossa hän vastaanotti uuden vuoden. Tiia ja muut julkkikset matkustivat Pietariin kaupungin kolmen Sokos Hotellin kutsumina. Uusivuosi on venäläisille vuoden suurin juhla. Vieraat pääsivät nauttimaan kuplivasta humusta keskustan uusissa, trendikkäissä ravintoloissa. Hotelli Palace Bridgen ylellinen kylpylä- ja saunamaailma tarjosi virkistystä väsyneille juhlijoille.

NÄYTTELIJÄ Jani

Toivola otti matkaseurakseen parhaan ystävänsä Tiina Haapiaisen. ”Kaupunki hämmensi positiivisesti. Kun luulin nähneeni kauneimman palatsin, nurkan takaa löytyi aina isompi ja upeampi.” Jani ehti tutkailla myös naisten pukeutumista. ”Katukuvassa naiset ovat viimeisen päälle. Arvostan rohkeutta, jolla he kantavat itsensä.”

Finni sh the 13 ladies ma g th f ENSIMMY Janua azine, Me Äe ISaTÄ rskeprtaraa Pioer N se y,N2TA0JA tarissa vier JUO ty e aillu 11ELaLEnN Joakiiku t, byt snäevytteilijnäSt. P(oeik Minka Kuud lished a te.)rsmbatuka Pietarrtiiniclennpakuseblle stonen ja ehära l a ol ne o w s i ako r n siippansw b g lm orteglijan ell”T ek as . o em a, näyt Th is u tä on aina e enivinenpaljon,t .a New n äA izareod b etktennool w Wichmann va n t y the e ehFtiinnyntisvielä ke was a eniten vanhas ikuttuivat kaanSsh t.op - tt Pepaile aahn. cSeelertbaa rieties endtuurista. ”Ole ta arkkitehpuut pitää paikattaersm b u r g Slla ok”,ohäs n and si Pietarissa 12n ollut viimek- nauroi. Elle ensi reissu ni -v n ke uo vä ti aa äseen kuu- Hotels. na miekkailukilp luu uusia al

ODOTUSTA

ue punki on muuailussa. Kauhän ei saa pu valtauksia, joista tt hua vielä julk un VU ut O si D EN it ä huimasti”, Aar Pikkus19 isesti 94 Id taangaloku isko o sanoi. oittaa maalis . ning kuatusarsaTiminas a ke Räer säaa ne n jan opinnot. ja vuoden 19 99 tango kuningas Petr i Hervanto ovat onnellis en perhe tapahtuman edessä, sillä Tiina odottaa parin en simmäistä yh teistä lasta. He avioituvat vuonna 2001, mutta liitto päättyi eroon seitse män vuotta myöhemmin . Nyt pari on löytänyt MAISTRAAT ISSA toisensa uu vuonna 2001 delleen, ja pi av enokaisen oituneiden Ti ilaskettu aika ina on huhti Rä sä se n ja Petr kuussa. Mole mmilla on Hervannon hä i aiemmista lii juhlittiin Tang itä toistaan yksi tytär. markkinoilla ose raavana kesä unä. PIETARI

N SOKO tellien toimit S Hous Juhani Järven johtaja etarissa vierai JUONTAJA EL pää (oik.) llut näyttelij LEN Jokikunn to ä ivotti muusi Minka Kuust akselle (oik.) matka Pi on Alangon terv kko Ilkka siippansa, nä en ja hänen ”Tekemistä onetariin oli kolmas. et yttelijä Aaro ai na niin paljon, uudenvuode ulleeksi Wichmann va etten ole eh n viettoon. ti ik ny ut t tu vi iv el at ä ”M kertaaieleen jäi et eniten vanhas kaan shoppa ile öinen kujanj enkin tuurista. ”Ole ta arkkitehpitää paikata maan. Se puute uo n en ol si reissulla taiteilijaystäv ksu si Pietarissa 12 lut viimek- nauroi. Elle äni Sa nin kevääsee ”, hän -v uo ti aa na H yr n kuumiekkailukilp skylahden ka mi luu uusia alue ai nssa. va lu ss lt au a. ksia, joista KauEksyimme ää punki on muu hän ei saa pu ri hu mielenkiinto mmäisen huimasti”, Aar ttunut siitä Pikkusisko Id a vielä julkisesti. is o sanoi. a koihin”, Ilkka iin paikkuussa maske aloittaa maalisvirnisti. eraajan opin not. ENSIMMÄIS TÄ kertaa Pi

POIKA TULI

Pirates of th e vien Orlando Caribbean -elokuBloom, 34, ja h malli Mirand a Kerr, 27, ova uipput saaneet poikavauvan . Pirpana on parin esikoinen. Kolm e vuotta seu rustelleet kyyhkylä iset va vihkisormuks ihtoivat ia viime

Pirates vien Orla malli Mira poikavauv koinen. K leet k vi

N P

JAL

Da ja h PUTOUS-OH Vic JE heittäytyvä IinLMASSA piak a K uu stonen juhli uu topu näyttelijäpuo ttavuotta hees Kai Vaineen kalisonsa lapsi ”Vuodenvaihd nssa. hyvä aika tulla e oli tiedo Pi et ariin. Kaupunki pist pojat taan. Varsink i parasRome in iltavalaistus oli va ovat in Pari esiintyy ikuttava.” kesällä va sta s yhdessä Suom Los An Ronja Ryövär enlinnan in -näytelmässä tytär parisku . vuonna

113

Hotel Preview

SOKOS HOTEL PALACE BRIDGE The Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge is a grand wellness-oriented city hotel on Vasilievsky Island in the historic centre of St. Petersburg. The hotel’s name comes from the famous nearby Palace Bridge, which leads directly to the main tourist sites - the Hermitage Museum, Palace Square, The Admiralty, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Nevsky Prospect. The Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge is a magnificent combination of new and old St. Petersburg - the heart of the hotel is

in a brick storehouse built in the mid-19th century which served until the revolution as a wine cellar for St. Petersburg’s famous Eliseev merchant dynasty. Now, a modern and multifaceted liesure and wellness world is located under these old brick arches: the Sevilla restaurant and the sensory-experience restaurant Dans le Noir? as well as the EasyFit and LadyLine fitness centres and a beautiful spa with its sauna and exotic shower world. At the same time, the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge is an international calibre conference hotel where it is as easy to organise a large international conference as it is a one-day meeting. The hotel has 324 rooms, nine meeting and conference rooms, a café and lobby bar as well as the St. Petersburg area’s largest wellness centre.

Sevilla restaurant The hotel’s main restaurant is the atmospheric Sevilla, specialising in

114

comfortable couches. The lobby’s fireplace adds to the atmosphere. The menu at the Bridge’s Lobby Lounge includes classics like Caesar salad, club sandwiches, hamburgers and local Russian delicacies. The Bridge’s Lobby Lounge is a gathering place in the midst of both hotel guests and St. Petersburg residents.

Restaurant Dans le Noir? Spain’s greatest flavours. The restaurant’s delicacies are served in a location worthy of them under red brick arches and grand crystal chandeliers. Sevilla’s menu includes tapas, crisp salads and juicy dishes from the grill.

Bridge’s Lobby Lounge The Bridge’s Lobby Lounge is the beating heart of the hotel, open 24/7. The lounge is made up of two parts the bar on the actual “bridge” and the hotel’s lobby, with groupings of deep,

Dans le Noir? was opened in October 2011 and is a unique restaurant offering sensory culinary experiences. The idea of the new restaurant is dining in darkness, where customers are served by blind waiters and waitresses, in other words guides. Before entering the restaurant guests chose from the menu’s four surprising options, a selection based on Russian and French cuisine. The actual content of the menu is revealed to customers only after dining. The restaurant is located on the hotel’s lobby floor alongside the Sevilla.

115

Hotel Preview

Garden Café The Garden Café offers both sweet and salty light fare. The Garden Café also serves as the lobby for the Dans le Noir? sensory-experience restaurant, where customers can enjoy a beverage or glass of wine with friends and ponder their unique dinner in complete darkness.

Spa The real gem of the Sokos Palace Hotel Bridge is its luxurious spa area, a Roman-style spa with a unique

...Finnish and Russian saunas, Caldarium, Turkish hammam, steam room and a cave sauna...

116

atmosphere under old brick arches and a huge glass cupola. Inside the old walls is a modern and luxurious spa world, which offers relaxation and wellness for the body and mind. In addition to hydro-massage pools and pampering treatments, the spa has a variety of saunas and showers. In addition to a swimming pool, the spa has various whirlpool tubs for relaxation and enjoyment. Specialities include a mineral tub, crio tub and glass tub. The spa also has a separate shower area where you can try for example a tropical shower. The hotel spa’s multifaceted, exotic sauna world has eight completely different types of saunas. In addition to traditional Finnish and Russian saunas, you can try a Caldarium (a hot room with hot water pools), a Turkish hammam, a steam room and a cave sauna. The spa offers wellness treatments including head, neck, back and foot massage, facials and manicures.

117

Hotel Preview

equipment and St. Petersburg’s first hot exercise room, heated to 38 degrees, for Hot Yoga and Hot Pilates classes where you can sense a bit of the Orient. The vaulted cellar also offers bowling.

Meeting facilities

At the ”Bridge” of the Hotel Palace Bridge

Activities The Sokos Palace Bridge Hotel’s fitness centre’s LadyLine, especially designed for the needs of women, and EasyFit are stunning. The modern centre, which make use of the newest technologies, has dark oak floors, old brick arches and crystal chandeliers. LadyLine also has Technogym’s latest

118

The Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge is an international conference hotel with multifaceted and well-equipped meeting rooms. The ballroom, versatile meeting facilities and state-of-the-art technology make this the ideal setting for events for just a few or up to 350 guests. The Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge’s meeting and banquet rooms can be adapted flexibly for various events: meetings, seminars, conferences, training, gala dinners, private events or weddings.

SOKOS HOTEL OLYMPIA GARDEN The Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden is a high-quality, cozy hotel near the city centre. The hotel is located in a leafy park along one of St. Petersburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main roads, Moskovsky prospekt, making it an excellent choice for both work and leisure travel. There are plenty of shops and restaurants near the hotel,

Fireplaces add to the cozy atmosphere of the Restaurant Fransman.

and the nearest metro station (Tehcnologicheskii Institute) is a mere 2 minute walk away. The hotel is on the road to Pulkovo International Airport, making it an easy trip. Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden is also a first-class meeting and conference hotel, offering versatile meeting facilities wellsuited for different types of events. The Sokos Hotel Olympia Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thirteen modifiable meeting areas are appropri-

119

Hotel Preview

ate for both meetings and training events, seminars or perhaps a corporate celebration. The hotel has 348 rooms, 13 meeting areas, a restaurant, bar, fitness centre and sauna.

Fransmanni Restaurant The hotel’s charming restaurant Fransmanni offers the best of Provençal cuisine. Fransmanni specialises in French country cooking and delicious food, good French wines and freshly baked bread, and the warm atmosphere with a fireplace makes your dinner a cozy experience. Fransmanni’s enchanting cabinet room is well-suited for various small-scale private events. The Fransmanni Bar is a great gather-

120

ing place where you can enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of freshly brewed coffee with friends or colleagues, sip good beer and play pool or just relax and go through your e-mails. On weekends there can be live music or a DJ in the bar. In the summer when the terrace is open the Fransmanni Bar expands onto the greenery of a park.

SOKOS HOTEL VASILIEVSKY The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky is located on the 8th Line of Vasilievsky Island, a 10-15 minute walk from many of St Petersburg’s main attractions. The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky’s rooms are elegantly decorated with warm colours. The hotel has numerous different, uniquely decorated rooms. The hotel’s atmosphere is enhanced by the Russian art exhibit on public display which rotates monthly.

Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and The Admiralty, are also only a 15-minute walk away from the hotel on the other side of the Neva. The hotel has 255 rooms, five meeting cabinets, a restaurant, pub, fitness centre and sauna.

Restaurants The Repin Lounge Restaurant & Bar is the hotel’s gathering place, which serves classic Italian-American cuisine with a new twist. Russian dishes are of course

The hotel is near an enchanting market hall, the captivating St. Andrew’s Cathedral, a busy pedestrian mall, Art Academy and the Kunstkamera museum. The nearest metro station (Vasiliostrovskaya) is a sevenminute walk away. St. Petersburg’s main attractions, including the

121

Hotel Preview

also on the Repin Lounge’s menu. The bar’s relaxing couch groupings make it easy to unwind after a work day or a holiday tour of the city. The 8th Line Pub has a wide selection of beers and ciders. The pub’s selection of whiskies is one of the most extensive in St. Petersburg. The pub’s wide-screen lets you watch sports broadcasts while you enjoy your beer. And if you get hungry while watching sports, the 8th Line’s menu has a good selection of real hearty pub food.

Meeting facilities The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky’s comfortable meeting cabinets and the modern art on display in the meeting facilities adds a fresh touch to your work day. The names of the cabinets derive from the three main roads on Vasilievsky Island Bolshoi, Srednii and Malyi prospect. The capacity of Bolshoi prospect, the largest meeting room, is 55 persons.

122

Celebration facilities The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky’s cabinets are an excellent choice for small, private events. The enchanting atmosphere and professional personnel have made the hotel a very popular location for weddings and birthday celebrations.

123

VI. The

First .. and..the .. second jarvenpaa - The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinguished captains

124

.. .. .. Juhani Jarvenpaa, PRIMUS MOTOR AND DIPLOMAT Juhani Järvenpää’s contribution to the project was invaluable. He chose the right people for the right places, and because of his refusal to back down we are now operating three hotels. Everyone interviewed for this book says this time and again. Juhani has been in the hotel business his whole life. Before SOK, he worked at Rantasipi. On-the-job training at the Sokos Hotel in Oulu, which included working in all areas to provide the most comprehensive experience possible, prepared him for leadership roles. The Russian venture was not Juhani’s first time abroad. He earned credentials in the United States, learning the ways of the world and business practices. Juhani Järvenpää has lived Russia with every ounce of his being from the beginning. He has learned and assimi-

lated the culture; even his gestures show it. Simply put, the team got local know-how by handling things in practice, since there were no instruction manuals. Or if there were, they were at least not useful in practice or their time had already come and gone. Managing tasks required complete presence and an unconditional ability to adapt. These were Juhani’s clear strengths. Anne Berner sheds light on characteristics of her business partner: Juhani is wonderful, because he became Russian almost from the first moment. This is notable, since in the beginning he didn’t understand much of the conversations because of the language barrier. But even though he didn’t understand, he still began to converse, go along for the ride, negotiate prices and live in the city centre. He even started keeping the same hours, learned Russian ways including dramatic outbursts at meetings. He quickly got to know people, from artists to bureaucrats. In St. Petersburg he had plenty of optimism and energy, which he absorbed by visiting galleries and theatres where he

125

effort t u p ed to e n u relao l y a e n r o He pers o t n i rove e p m o i t t and need u o Y . s ip . And s h s s e n n o i i t is. tworth s d u e r t e d r n you ussi i J y h ort trustw made friends by getting to know artists and going to monasteries. He immediately began to sense the Russian mentality. Still, he did not make the hotels Russian, but added little details which he knew would attract Russians. He also bought the right vodkas and teas to serve. Russianness is more in the food and drink at the hotels. In Russia you have to learn the language and culture, and that is what Juhani did. Trust among people is more important here than in Finland, because the law doesn’t protect you here the same way it does there. Here you need to put effort and time into personal relationships. You need to prove your trustworthiness. And trustworthy Jussi indeed is. Ville Relander remembers Juhani as a direct but ambitious visionary.

126

Juhani says what his opinion is. It is not always necessarily pleasant, but in these types of projects it’s a good characteristic. It is also a characteristic of European Russians. Even though he is direct, he has a talent for communicating very well with different kinds of people, whether it is a housekeeper or a mayor. I was also great to go out with Juhani, because he likes good food, drink and company. I don’t believe this project would ever have happened without him.

Change in leadership In the fall of 2011, the leadership of Sokos Hotels in Russia changed when Marja-Liisa Järvenpää stepped into Juhani Järvenpää’s shoes. Juhani Järvenpää himself had at one time hired Marja-Liisa Järvenpää, although it was some twenty years back. “We had to find a person who met our needs,” Juhani said in the summer of 2011.

The first and second chief of the Sokos Hotels, Juhani ja Marja-Liisa Järvenpää. Though the same surname is pure coincidence, many in St. Petersburg untruthfully believed that Juhani is leaving his position to his “wife”.

127

The man knows Maisa’s (as MarjaLiisa is called) experiences and believes she was the right person to continue in the director’s role. Juhani got support for his find from colleagues in Finland as well, and another Järvenpää continued the journey along the road pioneered by Juhani. Maisa talks about the heated first meeting between the two Järvenpääs: I’ve known Juhani for some twenty

When the leadership changed tables, it was bending with delicacy.

128

years. He hired me to work at the S-Group. We met for the first time in 1991, when I was Editor-In-Chief at the Haaga-Helian Restonomi magazine. I wrote an editorial which inflamed Juhani Järvenpää. He contacted me, a coed, to ask whether the article described the quality of education at one of the country’s leading restaurant and hotel schools, or the honourable lady student’s lack of understanding. I had mixed up two of the industry’s central terms: usage capacity and EBITDA. The quality of the dialogue improved as it proceeded, and after I defended my mistake, Juhani, who specialises in quick decisions, was ready to hire another Järvempää at SOK straight away. In 2011 the circle was completed when MarjaLiisa Järvenpää organised Juhani’s going away party in Russia.

He who asks is not the fool - but he who pays

When completed, the Sokos Hotel located along Moskovsky prospect, which leads directly to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport, was named after the nearby Olympic Garden (Russian: Olympiskij sad). It was not long before that there was a tight spot amidst preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi: the Olympic Committee had exclusive rights to the name “Olympic”. Obtaining an exception would have cost a dizzying sum, so the name had to be changed, and fast. Savvy jurists soon realised that the Olympic pavilion built for the Moscow Olympics in 1980 was also next to a hotel, and since what was in question was also a place name, its use as such could not be prohibited, let alone compensation demanded. So one letter was changed. The hotel was named the Olympia Garden, and the idea and image remained the same. A huge amount of money was saved, and all parties were happy.

VII. FOOD

AND DRINK, JOY AND LIFE

- Enjoying to the heartsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; content and with full stomachs

130

The Russian kitchen The fusion of country kitchens in the world’s largest country and classic European-based recipes has been inherited from Czarist times. A Russian kitchen produces unforgettable experiences, which are known by name internationally. If Finland is linked to the word sauna, Russia brings to mind blinis, borscht, vodka and caviar. Caviar can still be found as a natural foodstuff, even though sturgeon roe is now more a product of fish farms than fishing. In addition to dining tables’ black gold, Russians love fish and shellfish. Friends of seafood can find exotic culinary delicacies from Russia’s thousands of massive rivers and many seas. Today, particularly the kamchatka crab, known as a king crab, a giant shellfish weighing up to 15 kilos, is very popular for crowning dinner tables at high-class St. Petersburg restaurants. In addition, various meat stews, root vegetable soups and pastries are standard fare on Russian menus. Russians eat dark bread with almost all meals, often without butter or other spreads. In the morning they eat kasha, i.e. gruel. It does not take

a gastronomist to recognise the origin of many recipes which have risen to the level of even national foods in Finland. Russian buffets are a bit wider in selection. Like the rainbow of nationalities in this ethnic melting pot, ingredients and recipes for Russian foods also come from a very broad area. Zsolt Pleszinger, the Hungarian chef at the Sokos Hotellien Vasilievsky & Palace Bridge, talks about differences between the East and West: There is a big difference in the dinner cultures between the East and West. Russians love to celebrate more than anyone else. Salads, zakuski, i.e. starters, are important, and there has to be vodka at every celebration. In Central Europe, a first and second course are served. Maybe also a dessert. In Russia, they sit half the day at the table and indulge. Other customers though, particularly the Italians and French, are disturbed by rich Russians celebrating who don’t look at prices and just enjoy to their hearts’ content - and stomachs filled. In St. Petersburg, well-off people enjoy restaurants and want to be seen there. Large

131

eed n you er , r a tom eb s h u t d rc d. n u n i o e Beh k to y ld fri al t no o a t e to end lik

highcars, designer clothes, jewellery, watches and the entire lifestyle speak to the importance of status and spending on outward appearance. In Europe, even a millionaire can be an ordinary guy. In Russian, when you have money it has to show.

Pressure for modernisation at restaurants The old merchant’s wisdom - the customer is always right - holds up in the new market economy as well. Sokos’s kitchens have closely studied what customers really want, and have also learned how much customers are willing to pay. The need for newness is a powerful part of today’s Russian mentality, particularly in wealthy circles well able to pay. Sometimes it is hard even for SOK to meet the demand. Customers may go to trendy places for a couple of weeks, until a completely new place springs up again in the

132

city of millions. Menus and restaurants’ images are overhauled when the need for a new breeze is sensed in the air. The last change at the Vasilievsky’s Repin was from French cuisine to a more familiar Italian menu with simpler variations. The hotels’ other chain restaurants have more or less realised the company’s own familiar concepts, but at Repin, named after the Russian master chef, there is more leeway. Quality, atmosphere and selection always affect enjoyment. The Vasilievsky’s 8th Line Pub has adapted to its customers’ tastes. As is often the case in Russia, that too depends on the individual. The twenty-something Bar Manager constantly develops the business, and has succeeded in doubling profits in a short time. The secret is in old tricks: Behind the bar, you need to talk to your customer like to an old friend. A local regular, Aleksander, stops in every day even if just for a coffee. Compared to other hotels, I like the

Sokos Hotels’ different atmosphere. It’s nice to relax when everywhere else there is a fast tempo.

Dining in the dark a la restaurant Dans le Noir? In October 2011 an interesting new concept came to the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge – dining in darkness – with a simple concept: the customer dines in a pitch dark room. Darkness suppresses the dominant sense of sight and heightens other senses, particularly smell and taste. Food really does taste better in the dark, if it is well prepared. While it is a French franchise, in St. Petersburg certain Russian-style changes have been made. In France the restaurant has one menu, but in St. Petersburg there are four. They are also changed every couple of months. “Discussion about food and guessing about ingredients naturally plays a larger role than usual. ‘Wow’ experiences are

numerous! In quiet moments it felt like people had disappeared. The wine selected for the menu completed the experience. The enhanced smells and tastes as well as truly testing one’s own sense of taste made the evening unique. The restaurant’s décor, people’s glances or envying others’ dishes weren’t there as distractions. ‘Eating with your eyes’ didn’t even come into question! Music played in the background and it too, had a completely new sound in the dark. In a way, Dans le Noir? opened up a new dimension at the core of the senses,” commented Antti Eronen, the Helsinki restaurateur and producer of the “Kuppilat kuntoon, Jyrki Sukula!” TV programme. The concept also has an interesting and pleasant added value, because the waiters and waitresses are blind, and in a way the customer experience in a dark restaurant is like a crash course in the world of the blind. The complete darkness creates a special atmosphere, and brings out nuances in your dining companions which you might never have noticed before. Few people in the modern world actually even know what it feels like to be

133

juopottelee elope. Afroja sotasaniautoillaan sa, kunnes diten ja uun kisailua. joka joutuu een inhan sattavaksi. ssä nuoret arra stavat

ravintolan pimeät tunnelmain t

n hillittöm ja paikassa, taruissa ja nyk ästi ajassa poikkeuksellisen mahtava poukkoilevasta Laura Gusyelämässä ja omaääninen teos ja sen lutafs son in keminen on virkistävintä Huorasadusta. Estoitta , mitä Gustafsson tuo mukaan fabu loiva pitk ään aika an koti mai sessa mattomasti kaikki akti puolihuoli- kirjalli suudes sa on tapaht uvistien huo- nut – Kat lenaihee ja Ketun Koh ti iskaupasta ja ydin t ihm DANS LE NOIR voi- tämän kirjavuodenKätilön kanssa pim mas taeytt alkaä. en. Jopa villieläimet kää parasta antia. ntyvätSok kopara tiisissa vegaaneiksi. Yllä Markus Ånäs truok täen Laura Gustafsson: Huorasatu ailu mon n salliset yritykse ikan (Into) t saav aluk tällä kert aasiolla rauhassa. Gustafs at soasia kka nin at mahtava paro kiel i on Lau ra Gus dia tafsson. Kirja pississaa kiel an tä,teta 7-pä ivää ja oletettu esiintyy Ars Cafe -illassailijatar ssa auttaisin?’ a blondistelua. jono ”’Miksi Kiasmassa tänään kello marras ’Sun täytyy. kuu 201 1 pimta 18. eää n ravintolasaliin.

seiden alle, liikk liki alasti vain näkinke uuhan hän ngät rintojensa peittona, ”no ei oike at tietenkään, sellaiset designit!”. Miehet ovat kädettömiä tömiä, kuolaavat vaan, ja ja silmätjos puhuvat, niitten suusta tulee vaa n” Ainoat vak avastiotett rörrörör”. avat miehet ovat joko hyvännäköisiä bodattuja hupsuja tai sitten (tosin vastentahtoisesti puoleensavetäviä) maskuliinisia sotureita. Jopa poikavau vat purskahtavat itkuun ymmärtä essään sukuKauppa lehti | Perjant aina 11.

Tyyliopas

oitti

■ Vuoden 2011 kirja

llisuuden Finlandia-palkintoehdokka ina Laura Gustafssonin Huo ovat rasaTom mi-Kaa dun ohella Aitiorina näyt Eeva tää tien virheettömään bisn Aroespukeutum sen Kallorumpu (Teos), Kristina Carlsonin William N. päiv (Otava), Laila Hirvisaaren äkirja Minä, Katariina (Otava), Rosa Liks Hytti nro 6 (WSOY) sekä omin Jenni Linturin Isänmaan tähd en Palkinnon saajan päättää (Teos). rinjohtaja Pekka Milonoff teatte, alunperin näytelmäksi sovijoten Huorasatu lienee vahvoilla tettu .

Sokos nappasi ranskalaisen ravintolakonseptin, jossa syödään pimeässä ja tarjoilijat ovat sokeita in complete darkness. In cities there are disability. 3sivueverywhere, and even in sparsely Pietari lights Näinä päivinä kiihtyy supi Martti Kiuru tojemme daamit suunnit na yli sermien ja neuvottelupöytien, kun 23 3s iv u televat loppuvuoden juhl martt i.kiuru@kau kaikkea dite ereh- puolens akauden tyyl ppalehti.fi populated areas the dead of night is usuDaniil Slutsker, a täht waiter atfirm the dark äimessä on a. Lop ulta ollaan Lilithin an pikk ujoulut, tuo potentiaalisi iään joh- Sun oikeesti täyt sen ja epäonnistumisen u Helsin- doll n onn a laht yy.’” aam Ruo näyttämö. Ylilyönneil assa ka Piet ss aris iark pros satPatr ik aatt toim tituu se ia. iva tiota vuo tä on muu- Pi Sok ty ei varmasti tän ilois nna os-h ly ina. Gus tulla oin tafs välttym ä ally lit byästi atajas least the stars moon. restaurant, talks about his work: Kys son inand dite ereh-The Telens e on ään, mutta kun huomio telli kirjaAfro osa. Lop Pala vo on puo hilli ceaiva itt Bridnge ttöm i tyy Haa tarj ulta kiin den Kirj oaa olla sa nite tyyl uhan hän ja lenn akr asia an tään in itiik poik olta kka Lilit pien hen ki ilkeu ja hin imp jout Kuv kilö ksel johiin paik uu ko ank lisen mahtava Helsin- dolla lahtaam muuttujiin, aunyelä assa, taruissa ja nyk Sun oikeesti täytyy.’” is Afro dite kiin , pää assa Patriarkaattia. mäs vietkko tyy sä ja teleilev rintojen- pou julk Olennaista ei siis olekaan menestys on taattu. e lepp kiks oma oisa ään den 2011 a päiv inen on muu- inKysVuo teos ää Väl kirjallisuuden FinGus asta jaeksi Sokos Hotels’ Dans le Noir? restaurant ime sen ja tafsson in kirja on miten ylös mak Lau ren lura Te Gus e tenk on os tafs aiva in kara son vo kats n rannrasa hilli in itt tan nku eide tenkään, Huo alla.dus ttöm i helm orim n kem land alle,intä Palm aisen pikk a kirittää tai kuka vetä ia-palkintoehdokkaästi inen on virkistäv liikk ajassa poikkeuksel uuhan hän ja paikassa arisitta sa juop ta.uba ina ovat otte , mitä Esto lee ä päätyyn asti Illan syv lisen mahtava liki alas fabu tarutafss loiv issaonin ”täytafs vainan miehusta -kat a pitk ja nyk dellson Laur näk inentuo a, Gus leen taju yelämäs imm inke ääntiaika nain ngäsess Gus en” ntaa särestaurant t rint uu Penelop laaje Huo sa. Olennais koti ntav - pou e. Afro mai ääninen ego anlearned den muk ravirasa kko 2011 kirjaälle aan ntol-aelä on näyttääVuo a ojenwaitPetersburg eight blind We etiquette trainteosrias ilev sa peit puolihu asta ja sen llisuud - jajaoma tona Lau ditetom hyv dun oli-- employs lu- in ta ,des ra n mie a silmät- mat ”no ältä sehä ohel Gus kirj ei viel la myk n s, St. Tom tafs oike Eeva ei alli tosi ä pilk onn sen. mi son at -Kaa suu kön Aitio tiete istu un in Sok rina sikä näyt jos nkä os sa Arokem land asti s on hankkinut tää jaien ia-palkintoehd inen sotahuo kaikki aktivist tien ismeikit valuvat pitkin san-- sellaiset designit on tapaht u- än, Huorasa on ettö istävkeut Ran okkaina dus mää s- virheba intähalp ta. n virk bisn kariihee , mitä Esto Kallo espu puh kasv Aretsihm rum ittas),fabu soi, nut – Katja Ketun uva !”.Kätilön oja. Sillo pu-kon kasta sen vaan ajeliska t, lena (Teo umi ee ablo loiv Dan seen pan in Krist yt a s ei . Laur le ssar jääv ina noir pitk a ns ät iaut Gus ään rapi oilla tafss Gus sem Koh aika sept an tämMie kan onin Huo tiers upa in,to sta jawaitresses ssa yksinään taskun pohjalle jonkserve, Carlson koti mai sess r tuo ydinvoia het shifts. sotata mukaan ning: and aja silm country how fromanwhich side, Willi ova ken rrörör”. mas a aanhow kädpara tillä puo N. päiv ideatafs ettöIn änin lihu na kirja miäanti onsoni anis dun ohella Eeva-Kaa!rina vuotden ruok tani alka ailuam ssa, en.Afg pimeytt alli suudes sa on tap säkk Jopa ipimäkirj villi (Ota tom ä. eässaä.oli- kirj a. ät- mat eläi A va), asti metkun Laila kaik käänes saap Hirv ki n- tömiä, kuolaavat vaan, jasta aht Juhl akti isaa miehet tyvä uame atodi vist ren ikiss Minä stam ien Alu sen ä huo ksi , aan jos on Kallo asia huo puh tuu Afro rum para kka nut – Katja Ketun Kätmio pu (Teos), Kr ditei.nYllä tiisissa vegaaneiks atRosa itava paitsi sotamaalauk saat Markus Ånäsuvat, lena Sok Kata ja etaa uukoriina ihee n jono (Ota niitt t ihm ssa va), en iska ilön suu den upa kan kest sta t- no real sen rakaikan dattuja täen staLiks ssa tule ävyys. Kovand näyttäv omin Carlsoni stajwhere pim ja there is social security, this to take away the dishes how to thore ydin vaa an eää yys n” n Ado Laura voin at Willi rörr my ravi bile niks Gusta mon am örör et täm ntol fsson en N. tarv ruok ”. Hytt päiv än kisa asa : Huora salli itsev kirja ailu ä i nroen. liinJenn masta alka ilua satu (Into) set yritykset saav n vuoden parasta antia. at tuekseen 6 (WS ohja taan OY) sekä Jopa kov Areskert at aine dän daamill at. Ainoat vak avastio villi (Ota ntahtoi- tällä teloaa i kää eläi,met va), ittaa pöyLintu Kun Lailaet. tiinrin Ado a on Philipp Pleinin niitt naa Hirv ja tarjo niks nisaa en,. Gus renpu ilu alka jokatafs M aluk joutsoa. en Isänssa rauh siolla Noi uu ovat joko hyvänn tettavat miehet tyvä maa t para assa n tunn n tähd ikoristel tiisi Markus Ånäs Katatu (Teo kuokiel veg mek riina lleidi enm uliin aan kova), et’n CocktailICol (Ota eiks kest isia nin ja HRäköisiä bodattu i. s). aaha ävä Ylläin Rosaman angreat n sess t-the Piag Palk ä Liksag is opportunity for people who are oughly serve customer. think great Haa ja ion asia om inno lectioninit’s dee on ja aika kka n mah n saaj inh at täen Laura na tava an Lau an sorm asia päät Gusta mon paro ra kka uks hup tää fsson Gus ikan dia Hytt ita et teat suja : tafs Huora salli visk piss tei jakk tai sittenson nro satu (Into) set yritykset saavat isisoo sään, nokituksen mahdoll 6 (WS upu . Kirja urskah- kiel daaOY) ku-P (tos palv ilijat pitesekä erse in vast elev levissä ar htoi- tällä rinjo at soke Jenn tä, enta htaja n kius saa 7-pä Pekkata tarjo teta ivää attadist isuus jää todellaLintu an vakeja fone Milonoff ilija, t.joten esiin oletettu si. sest kert Täydellityyleen aa olla a blon Arssave i puo rin Isän ohueksi Cafetävi rauh Sam”’M ke -illa assa aaniksi . maan tähden (Te n suk itau- lua. . Gus dämme ratk aikaautt sess alun ä)ssa ä pim an aisi tafslike maskuliof perin Hel so- myLöy eyd sing aisun niinIkuts näyt essä inisiatheir jono issä täyt elmä näk ssa nuoyy. ksi in a difficult because and really work! Earlier worked evie nin Kiasreita sovintettu ret situation kiel mas.sa Palkame n?’ utusta kult ja soke i on sotu innoikis ’Sun tänä n saaj mah iän nais tava an Lau Jopa kult kello päät et paro ra ame poik tä. Mil tää Gus 18. den Huo dia Täs ikill avau teat la tafs rasa rool piss sä ja ä vat ei son tu yhte Kal la har rastavat tava it vaih istark lienee t. purskah- kieltä, 7-pä . Kirja y pimeään oiteta vahv ilijat kokaro kasvoalueen Suvoilla rinjo . htaja i tariväätuva t itkuun ymmärtäessä smi ja olet Miloump esiin nkkPekk hientyy noff,een ettueree aamaista ostuArs jote, a nist joilusta selv nuttCafe dist a kult-illa eän suku- lua. ravintolaama iävä ssa alei ta sokfoundation alunperin lla pela eat blon ami opa ”’M näyt sta, stav iksi at for the blind. For the past elmä jonk at autt ksi Kias a aisi sovi efek tissi mas n?’ tet tiivi poskise ’Sun täytyy. sa tänä maa syydestä toim Näin ilma t harj än ä päiv nha kello oitte llinn saliileht inä lijap 18. Huo kiih n. i | Per antyy ojut rasa kad Kauppa eivä tu otta supi t ymmärrä mitäänliene neit nä- ien sin vahv oilla . jantaina 11. marras ja neu yritvott muteta kev ykse toje iä.mme daamit suunnit na yliaserm jonk n dire elup a eleg öytiktor en, aatt kuuta 2011 kuni toim panee iskyllä merkille televat loppuvuodeUno I’ve been a . ntwo htaa juhl Ruokea kaik akau eiyears kailtäht sovityyl den u pim myö äimeäss skää iään essää on n kult . Enn on firm aluk en ame si ikin an hiepikk pelo ujou teva pail lut, ijatt ikutusta pahimpiin tuo ariin man potentia sen pelo . Täm ja epä ttav alisi ä on a, jopa onn n onn selkistu istumis eä pelipaikka! klau stro en fobi näy ttäm nenö. Ylilyönstay-at-home kok neiltä ei varmasti tänä miI vuo emu nna s.tulla os-hoAmmat välttitai tymtois käädad. äänesti n , mut toim ta kun iva huomio 3s iv Viim u e vuos kiin tarj nite tyyl oilij ina tään valk inapien akkailon imp oku hen asiaiin ltakoh kilö kkamuu ontais an aino dom ttujiin, eninoinut arvometallimeikk a turv mena.estys ta, on mut taat VähOlen ta nyt peri tu. ien markki itellen nteinen kelt nais outo make good borscht ta eitilan siis ne akulta iskeefor olek alka aanamite lauentaylös mak takaisin. L’Oréal Pari trenkara diä kok jatan Pissikset tylyinä leen asiahelm nkuona kas ryht orim isell prostituutiota iloisina. Afro a aise a kiriyy kult n ttää ame pikk toim ikki tai umu ima kuk an s-en L’Or-sarjallaan, josta löyt s paalu a vetä jäljeällä dite päät ereh nat, yyn kyn asti olev puo silak Illan mie ien lens yvät huul at hus syv aist jaimm a.taLop tyy Haa luom iens -kat ulta tajuntaa a avu ivär älle den lenn ego Kirjakritiikki Kuvankaun olla it. rett uur rias lla. an Lilit laaje my children whenever sa. Olenhin ntav u jaanjout naisjohravi uu ta on näy ntol Hel Sunttää sinaelä Kul oike Tomolta - virhe tam doll mi Aitio esti hyv Yht ja eike a laht ältä täyt sehä eisp illä näyt kiinsen. yy.’” viel n aam elionn ei tää , pääSok ämaa pöy assa pilklaam tien viettelee leppoisaa päiv is Afrodite myk dän tyy os istu un aika Patr inen julk mui jos iark ettö kiks an, halp on on den aatt mää kuit han eksi ism asia ia. n enk kkin eiki ja kbisn on in t ut espu valu aste muu ää Välimeren kast Ran arki keut vat Gus tta smei pitk haastavampaa k umiseen. tafs kaid kinkasv in baKys son en duu soi,ekan Temio in naa tenkainDan onssa oja. vaan kirj osidavo aiva min Sillo viri awork. ablo kats en. n yt oneiTär rannalla. Palmubaarissa ää, in hilli itt s eide juttu le noir jääv ttöm mam i aisuusaste kein n alle ät alka ästi asem - tä on huo rapi -kon , liikk ajas luisaan I’m not at sept uuh sa - yksi in,an poik jonk kaik hän ihon rasv nää keu a taa enla ja paik n task ksel inen ja etee lise un smä assa nmi liki na poh n,kan mah idä tarunett alas Tom jalle on tava ti ruok issaujaruok on ”täydellinen nainen” Pen juopottelee idea ! näyt hoidtää vainailu Aitio etta nykayelä näksäkk va virhe inkeipim maimäs ensinettö stuasä. ngäteäss tien ihol rintä. ta n ja ojen kase elop pois oma mää Vuo t . e. ään Kul taitt So Sok Afro pou den bisn inen lan Juhl avat koru ko kko 2011 espu pien ame teos s ilev oka valo sa kirja na keut et ikiss peit asta ilu ja Alu a llisu h milj pp sen oon umiuden tona ä on Lau ksi diten mies, tosi seen kok lu- in tavoin ja senland asi asia ramio huo emu Gusitav kkaei ksen at oike tafs saatetaa s-san- pim a väason at tiete pait kön Koh in sikäran si sota n jono nkässa ti, ”no kan kem s ja sota huo än, hän ssalkint maa ia-pa inen koin rasvoehd laukon Huo en aineokka kestsam sen virk iho rasa ävya, n tai näy istäv sella koro dus kuin ys. ttävintä iset ta.at inako stuu eää Kov yys jos karilai o ,myö Esto ndesi mitä liika jout ravi bile gnit Are itta s sen a, kun taas hele etuisi ntol !”.asa liin, ohjataan nyk s ajelrav tarv fabu kesk ka pim itsev ee pan loiv elle eytt at a tuek Laur sen ssar ä. pitk ä ihan a seen iaut iho Gus ään asti oilla tafss saa kov Gus aika säde int at an pöyMie kult dän oniname ytai tafs ainean htiv dep daa Huoikei son et. koti än koro erfo mill ras Kun tuo tiin mai rma het a on naastuk sotakentillä Afganistaniolamuk jakosess ovatilu nssi tarjo puripöy Phil aan sen. a a. puo käd ipp Tun ettö alka Pleilihu nin olia.miä Sok dun ohella Eeva-Kaarina ai- ikor Noija niitt n silm tunn kirj ssa, ätTein istel alli in kun kan suu tu itytö mat nes mek Piag a des tom The most pleasant part illä maa ko et’n sa Aro asti töm on ilma kest ja on lupa ko Coc HRiä,ailu kaik ävä nme kuo tap ktaiki man käy saapns n sess aht lnoa ttää akti ager uu ep Col uja at vaan toditin vist kultaa isosti, onh lect eläm illa aika, na stam,aan ienän ruok ioni sen Kallo josAfro ja jos nhuo ar-- uks sorm sa asia puh nlaavion rum kka nut uva lijoi an heit itat, vaa et–visk den isoo Kat lena ä pu s),ien Sier ja piir(Teo mat sään Krist Ket ihee rois ittäv daa tom un , nok niittelev saki t ihm uuttiska Kät pite ituk nlevi en ih isot ilön a jout suu sen den rakastajan Adoniks diten ja uu- palv atsisoke upa ssä kan spoi sta tule mah uu sta ssa käsi lerit mie at tarjo doll jaisuu s- . AikuinenCarl e vaa ttim ydin soni aluk ilija n”t. rörr s ään voi-todetäm Williaa jää Täyörör amsen nain ders delli-”. mon en kisailua. sess N. päiv sy lla enn sats än tate ohu kirja äkirj masLöy men eksi ää elta ta alka .vuo tiin nAdo den kan sijaa Ain . pim däm Hän en. para tilta oat nu ä me Jopa ei of my work is meeting pim eä sta . Areöd esim vak Ase ratk villi anti eyd ssä (Ota s telo ava telm erki aisu essä a. eläi va), stio ksi ittaa ja a n asia met koro niin näk Laila tett lakkaa kynsiään kää evie staa ava kuts Hirv niksen, joka joutuu ova kkaat nt n isaa utus mie ja soke ren lä, ta het vaan kult Minä ikok ruo ame tyvä aino ona an kult ikis t an asta para arom ame kult tä. an kyn den tiisi Täs ikill avä iaässa t teta joko ja säMark Katariina (Otava), Rosa sien kuolleid ei mak yhte itan vegoite usyde tark hyvtuva vaih kärj Ånäs ua. aanta ännt.äkö tar et tai vaihtoeh saarool Ruo enmt ssä eiks kok joilija i.kien aah Suv isiä oYllä ereebod anat kasv jat-oaluosa Liksomin Haa nistattu tois ov dee i tareen kyn ja juom n inh kynnen tyve smiLaura so täen nestaam nkk hienmon ke ien ä ved Gusta ostu itaan joilu koo hupjono fsson ikan etää ista n. M nutt Hytti nroesti stum suja :ump Huora salli n tum sta ssa a kult jakkupuku-Persefone tai sitte uks satumal set selv een 6 (WSOY) en ama yritalei iävä ,(Into) vaan arvi nt(tos la laka foreigners. We’ve grown ykse oint sokineat lla tpela lla, ja saav vast i piJenni at sta, jonk enta ami opa kerrann n kius stav htoi Sam at- meä aisvaikusekä Näiniilma alla tiivi a efek tällä tissi ssä ä päiv hien tus kert pos on on Lintu sest ostu aa inä syyd harj kise kov olla kiih nee rin puo aan estä t harj Isän rauh n Samaan aikaan Helsing attavaksi. maa tyy leen tum nha koro toim maa oitte supi assa save atto llinn stam isto n pim lijap na . tävikad mal Gus n isen teemalla mennää tähden (Teosa an yliinis eään ojuttafs ä) mas leeivä kuiottakuli sot ymmhem neit ja aserm issä näia ientenk ärrämän vott toje mitäon nin elup sinneu mm in kiel luom änkiik öyti yllä yrit mutario iykse sotu daa on en,eaa. ttäv ta jonk mah reita sast international iä. kun nän suu dire nais vaik tava Lauup Jopamit nnitvat eleg päät ktor kin et Mil la ja Kal la har nuoret kev paro ravi ra Gus is-ispoik telepur ansenemmän.Palkinnon saajan n tääissa aattPun ntole.adia vatskah avau teat.teV itoim tafs pan kku piss lopp-uvuvalk Pie son ee ja ä mer in an kyll tari . Kirjaaolla odetä, n ilijat Isom juhl rastavat tava kille ar kaik kiel akau paa . kari kea mas htaja Pekka Milonoff, joten den Uno 7-pä kin täht soit tyyl htaa ivää men äim telu Ruo t iään itku ei sovi Näin jaevät essä a kannattaa käyttäärinjo kailn. esiinätyy . Enn olet un u pim on seka päiv ettu Ä myö ymm en firm salii inä a isin Ars skää eäss blon EL ärtä an kiih . Cafe Onk ä n pikk dist essä VI kult on tyy o e-illa ujou aluk än vain ame supi ssa suk lut, si ikin hyv na huu hieu- lasis tuo yli sermien jaalun inho lissa pelo pote sen pelo lua. perin idet teva . Syv pail ja epä sa ntia ”’M uilla ikut ä näyt ehk ijatt kult alisi iksi , usta man neu onn ä Martti Kiuru elmä peh ariin akiil sitte n autt vott onn istu pah mei ksi toje . nkin Kias Täm aisi elup istu sovi mis imp llä mm ttav mas n?’ rose huu miä tettu en öyti iin a, jopa klaustro on selk ’Sun daatänä näy sa lilla -viin en, kun toim mit suukello ttäm aika iä? eätäyt peliyy. ö. Ylilyön ansa nnittele paikka! i fobi a ymp kultcountry, 18. vat Huorasa nen and inkilthe dark akueume äristöss lopp DIThti.fi! vuo tu liene Sokneil ei on uvu nnas.tulla martti.kiuru@kau ä suor tta. än varm okstä EHppale ode e vahv ella kok asti välttitai emu oilla..ana tänä kaik tymtois fran Ammat kea tähtäim kää äänesti chis n i, mut ingta kun iään sop essä on firman pikkujou n juhlakauden tyyl Ennise huomus toim mio kiin Pikk iva nite tyyl ujou tään Viim in Dan luje pien e lut, hen n s vuos tarj le kult imp tuo kilö noir oilija on asiaiin ina potentiaalisin onnistum koh sen ja epäonnistumisasm -kon valk muu inkk tais oku sept ttuji en i viim lta in in, kka on omi eiste men an dom stallää esty aino inoi n en s Ruoka Pietarissa toimiva a pien on nut turva. van kult näy ellä näytteellä arvo asäv ttämö. tu. metyä ta, taat Eth kork allim Ylilyönneil mutik we all look the same! I täluee nais eim eikk VähOlen taInve ta eitilan man nyt stm ien itellen siis olek perient mar huo ei varmasti tänäkää nna nteiGro outo mio kkin tulla aanamite nenupin arvo vält keltaku n décolleté-a kanlta ne alka tym s- iskevuo ään telli Palace Bridge tarjoaa Sokos-ho- jatan mak lauentaylössa. mut e takaisin kara taoille. kun nku Eth tren huo helm orim L’Oréal ikill diä aise kiriyy ä ona kok asia n pikk on Paris ,paa ttää tyyl ”sok kas aryht asiakkailisell tai ima umu in pien. imp kukan akora lutta s-ta” kult henkilökohtaise vint a vetä a esty mio kiinnitetään ame toim oloi iin muu ällä ikki päätyyn en ttuji L’Or jälje in, asti -sar men Illan Tommi Aitio jalla Piet mie an, nat, arin hus syv s leen taju jost ta on kyn imm ohe olevien aist-kat asiis taattu. silak löytyväsighted llaatPari älle ego ntaaTÄ VIE uur rias hope that people Olen ja isiss t laajeKA rett huu sa. luom iens a, nais Olen ntavan u lipu Lon a ivär avu ta nais toos ei it. UD ravi lla. ta sa, ntol on EN olek kolm näy aeläaan miten ylös makkara ossivu@kauppalehti.fi ttää hyv Bar jaYht ältä sehä celo viel Kul myksen. Sokos on han n eieli nass ä tam onn pilk a ja eike istu un New tan nku eisp illä aika josmui orimaisen pikkumus Yorlaam maa an,on kuitenkhelma kirittää tai kuka vetä halp pöydän kiss ismasia a. kkinut Ranseikikinen t valuvat den pitk PAsRH in in kun ä ba soi, kasv aste – Piet arki oja. kasta Dan vaan AA-kon mei aris haastav kaid Sillo asti kin saduu T PIK on en kan in Illan syvimmälle uurrett miehus amp valt le noir ot naa mam KUjonk avan ssaablo aanotice min leen ät rapi ta -kat kuinpäätyyn JOaULtaa viriyt - - on Kiill -tta en.ei mon taju will give more tottää the ää,jääv ego Tär septin, juttu UT rias aan kein laaje sa. alkasem Olen ntav u a luis nää huo an!ravi nais n ntaa - yksi mio task line ta on näy ida ntolipuo un n enla kaik ravi ihon poh aelä-tä ideana on ruokailu säkk ntol jalle rasvaisu inen atar ja eteen kannettu ruok hyv nos ja smä ältä jont sehä sa. usas idä vielä pilkun aikaan a. L’Or myk n te, Hal ei on éal eli onn sen. usim hoid RA ipim istu Sok etta me NT eäss jos os on hankkinut Ranva a maistua. tuot AS halpismeikit valuvat pitk IPI-HOTEä.LLISSSok n ihol Juhl ta kase ameoka pois teen ikiss t taitt . u, joka Aluksi asiakka s- ensiPari Kul ä on lan avat varm koru in kasvoja. Silloin ei mam ba A huo pien sblind soi, valo tuo asti mio et ilu kast vaan lopp a erot at saatetaan jono hiuk itav milj on a tuu ablo a Dan oon kok pait mui yt s emu in si le jääv stavo sota noir after their experience ksen ät maa in ssa rapi -kon a ja vä- ta,huo lauk sen kanssa rasvainen tai semaan yksinään taskun sept kestsam in,s jonk kert ävya, näy pimeääTA oo sen koin ys.kuin a hän hote Kovat en iho yys vuo n ravi llinjttäv myö I -KY ohta koro kiihkeimet uisi ntolLP pohjalle! ja Juk tarvitsev kovin stuu asa liin na josbile YLÄSSÄ kasen on liika jout at tuekidea Räi a, kun - taas den ailu keskelle taan seen . nyk säkknaa kov ipimeäss atruok dän sän aine äase ihan en daa ihoson et. Kun ä. pöytiin ja tarjoilu alkaa. , ohja Pala mill asti saa pää ce Brid a on säde kultameikeistä ytai Juhlnhele htiv Phil juhlikiss dep gest ame ipöy än ipp erfo ä. pur koro Alu rma kiin stuk äTom ksi nssi on Noin tunnin asia niitt sen.huo a. Plei Tunnin kka mioitav ikoristel at nin saat mi a aitu pait etaa Aitio at Dans le Noir?. Maybe mek Piag si n Asia näyt sota jono ko et’n Tein kest ja tää kasp maa ssa Coc HRkan rajo tien itytö ävä alve lauk man a maailmaktai n sess virheettömääsen illä kestitetu lust ager Collect n pain on alupa ävyys. näy huo illa pim ttävkeut nmel noa leht ioniän Soko Kovoks käy n bisn yysumi enet tarvitsevat tuek ii kuu Lis n sorm nisoo ttää at bile myö ravi espu ja eläm äti kult si aa isos s sen ntol naion eto et eää asa ppaika ja visk ar- uks liinssä seen asinajat.asia ti,-me soke onh , käsi . vakka lijoi daa an heit aa , Koh rau nok taan seen kovat aineet. palvelevatssoke den tarjo pite s-itaksevaa L’Or ilija piir sen mat rois t:sään dän a,saki ittävien ihaiikkis mah tiuutt tomituk jotklevi daa at tarjoilijaran aisot na. s-tsi. Aikuine mill Sokohja Kun naapuripöyisuu a jout tiin os vali aarja joka onän, s jää ja Sier uudoll tarjo Phil lerit Täydellimie ipp ilu ttim lla alka Pleinin niittikoristeltu ohu ääntodepöy eksi Noispoi net’n yhd nain . arin n tunn Löy ww ders essä en däm sess tate heh sats Piet kaälai pim in mon me men kuu aa pim an eytt elta ratk sen mek Piag tiin tas kull eydw.r sen soke ä. aisu kan sijaa . ko anessä Hän ipi ainy kest tilta ja n rav n .fi/ Coc niin näk HRei unhdis . ävä esim Ase pik evie int ktai man kuts tyks n sess telma korostaa erkien l Collectionin sormuks n ja agerilla utusta ksi lakkkelt ion jou sokei- kuruo aika kult lut aa ame na kyn kult kan asia ikis siää lä, ssa. ame tä. kka vaan n den roolit vaihtuvat. Suv ola Täs kok ikill Räi ita et viskisoo aino sä säse anSok yhte ko-iaä ei andoll saituksenona säänaisis asta arom muk kultavärilyde an , nok ssä palv aan kyn ja tark kokkien elev sien makoite o kasv ereenisti tarkärj isty ua.taRuo soke mah eti-ötai vaih atnista kosta een tarjo isuus jää todella ohueksi daa pitelevissä käsisnsselv sminat ilija jaoalu toeh epiävä nkk hien sok t. yhte tois Täy tint, sok aam osa eide ostu dell tunn joilu ruok nutt joseatsa juom kan elm nest ump ailu a kult is-esti ien ässa n stum een vediden ama Löy koo , vaan etää n. Muu däm sess tifio n tum llaoint ä kyn mekyn uks pim pela ratknen enalei pa. lehti eyd sauamista, opastavat arvi aisutyve la lakalla, essä up n niin jonk näk Ka i pievie jaHuu a asti e kuts efek kerrlipu tississä mat nituu in utus tiivi jamal ann- aisv tom pos sa. soke az Sam ta maa syyd kise kult iag meä aluk alla ilma aiku estä t sosi ameikistä. Tässä yhteyde harj m si hien nha tus aali toim kult oitte on on ostu llinn sen ame isto ish harj sy lijap kov den vast nee ikill n an öd aan ojut a. nn rool kad n koro uun peri ä ei tarkoiteta koko kasv tumattomalleeivä ään pim Fi otta it vaih stam t ymm neitaja tuva ssä isen nä- tenk ärrä t. eä kuiSuv teem mitä eree ssä sin aatt alla än nist hem oalu yrit eese na mut men asia i keviä. mak ykse tareenou män en.on kiikario ta jonkaolla nään luomissa. Väsaa n än smitnkk direvaik in kka e da hienostu ylläat elegansktoreaa. thaam ttäv aattPun istark nutta kult i pankku sta umpeen, vaan ee kyll ama iävät soksast lesta,ab alei mer tic kille än. pela ja ä joilu eat opakin .selv ami anllaar Uno Aik tar saa stavene Isom ook htaa teta ed jonka efektiivisyydestä euro at mm11,9 Ruojoi valk o hote paa anmen ei sovi a,bl kaillija ish kari mas tissi0pos llike t u pim kin myö ov soittju maa pu telu skää eäss kise avat a evät ilma äat t n a kan harj kult onso pim ke nha seka toim natt aluk oitte ame iöita llinn aa isin isto si lijap ikin s käy hie. n an Onk ojut pelo ttää kad ko o ravi teva otta vainka pailsa kyn t ymmärräsb ikut hyv huulissa. Syvä kultakiieivä ijatt ntol jono a näman pelottava, jopa klau inho ariin anidet ssa lasis uräng’s myö pahmei . Täm mitä imp susta uilla sin silak Hel ehk ä on selkeä iin yrit , peh sing mutSo ä sitte kev ykse issäneit ta jonk iä. lto . Peter nkin n ? kil-

na Sokoksella – Pietarin lan pimeät tunnelmat A RANTASIPI Rento RULLAAVA ROHKEA Raikas Raikaava RIEMU ROIHAHTAA RAPSODINEN Rantas ipi ip Rallatus Runsas Ro i RiehakasRANTASIPI ck Rauha ’n’roll Rantasipi RAVINTOLA Rytmikäs ROMANSSI solli Railakas Ra tto isa Rauha RAKAS Rusetti R Rantasipi Rosolli Ra TTAVA Rantasipi Rant ilakas asipi RAKKAUS ROMANTTINEN ROUHEA RALLATTAVA Rantasipi RAFLAAVA Ruokaisa RAKKAU EMPSEÄ Ratkiriemukas S ROMANTTIN Rento RULLAAVA ROHK Rantasipi REMPSEÄ Ratkiriem EN EA ukas RAIKAA RANTASIPI Rento RU va RIEMU ROIHAHTAA LLAAVA ROHKEA Raikas Raikaava RIEMU ntasipi Riehakas ROIHAHTAA s Rock’n’roll RAPSODINEN Rantas ipi Riehakas ROMANSSI Rallatus Runsas Ro ck’n’roll RAVINTOLA Rytmikäs tti ROMANSSI RAKAS Rusetti

DANS LE NOIR

■

Tyyliopas

Kultakuume sävyttää juhlakauden alkua Rantasipi

NTTIN

Rantasipi REMPSEÄ Ratkiriem EN ukas RAIKA

■

Kultakuume sävyttää juhlakauden alkua

la –SPoiekta korinna SokokTsy e ll a y tunra nevin lmtoatlan pimeät tul–ninPoieptaarisn elmat DANS LE NOIR

Kultakuume sävyttä juhlakauden alkua

DANS LE NOIR

Sokkona Sokoksella – Pietari ravintolan pimeät tunnelma n t

DANS LE NOIR

Tyyliopas ■

Kultakuume sävyttää juhlakauden alkua

Tyyliopas

Kultakuume sävyttää jurehstala kaue Sten alkur, 20a11. urant of thd of Novembe

llä huulilla 8,90 direktoraatti panee kyll pelipaikka!kult a elegansstrofobinen rose ansa ahtaa – Hel pimoks ymp euro kokemus. Ammattitaitois eääella aku sink n on franchis-viiniä? a ja ume tössä suoranaista ä merkille. Sok saattaa olla tarkoituk- aika tta. Uno Ruo eiäris kail sovi esti u ipim ing-sopi- seen eässä on aluksi hieiva mus luom Viim ravi entol ivärariin liianujou vuos Pikk tarj ai . Täm myöskään kultameikin pelotevaikutusta pahimp pien ina Pieoilij valk i met Dan luje taria on asiakkaan ainoatoim pailijatt okusept n kult s ropo le lta man noir li. asm on Piet pelo -kon dom inkk aris ttav inoi i ä sa viim iin kila, on in nut turv jopa omi selk eiste arvo Näin sta- onkult eä pelipaikka! klau llää0näeuro met 10,5 stro ta, mut päiv allim pieninä ene fobioisalii elläkiih eikk Vähitellen outoKo ta Inve mmyä asäv n. peri nyt a. van näytyy ien änkork tteesupi Eth mar pote kou nteiGro ik llä na kkin ntia eim nenupin kok yli sermien ja neuvottelup man alia tilan stment keltaku emu ja mio ne sta huo nntaa.an sa. lisänen s. Am alkarjo ksi a laue arvon déc mat pa e taka titai ras ttikas kanlta toje Kiurryht tois s- iske ta olle Yve u yy esti ven tren öytien, kun toimisté-a semm etdaa L’Or Sain toim äläiisin diä oa luee jaMar éal mit set .ova kokäsat iva Lau asia lle. Pari suu ona Eth nnit s isell t Viim paa kok ikill tele a lutta eilu kult vuos vat tarj on a nha ame toim lopp oilij ina ”sok luis ikki ima valk uvu a koravintoloien martti.kiuru@kauppalehti.fi on jost ia ja an jäljellä okulta on dominoinut ode asiakka n juhlakauden tyyliään -sarvät kaikinkea an jalla ta”L’Oretsi rent an, nat,arin a lipu kynohe turv olevien äim mie kyn silak löyt Tomm a. Piet essä ä Rad lelläaän yväaino . Ennen metallimeikkien markkin i Aitio aistiensa avulla. on firman pikkujouarvo ja luom t huu ta, iant mutvalo uus llaatPari ivär ta täht nyt it. toossa, Väh peri isissa, en outo ntei Lon nen tuo pote oitilan senkolm Tou neia elämyks-iä, ja42,5 ntiaalisin onnistumich Jukkitell lta epä Kultam ossiv a Räis onn 0 elut, istu euro Yht taka Barcelo änen sano uppa misfienkelt eisp a.lehti. isin. L’Or tren Ruo eliaris nasseike maa näyaku diä pöy o. alkaa laueta ka a jaillä ja laam éal Paris paaluttaa koku@ka ttämö.iske dän asia Piet New ona inen mui kas isell Ylil Yor on sa den ryht kiss a yön toim kuit kult asia yy a. neiltä enk iva ame toim kvuo in Sok ikki ima ei varm nna aste os-hoarki tulla välttymään, mutta en L’Or-sarjalla tta haastavampan meiaris jälje asti kaid kin llä tänä en duu – Piet kancessa kää naa an, nat, telli aa min jost kyn kuin viri sa Pala olev a en. silak löyt on Kiill ää, kun Tär ien valt juttu ot aist at ja luomivärit. Bridge tarj huomio kiinnitetään henyvät huulipu-n avan monkein kun - a rasv ULtaa avulla. oaaalka ipuotä tyylin pienimp - line UTja eteen kan asiaa luisil- on huomio idaiens kaik ihon kilökohtaisen iin muuttujiin, menesty aisuusaste, eli n enla smäjont raviinen idä a. Kultameikeillä ntolatar onHal nettu ruoka maikka hoid sa. eisp ettame va ensinos eliéal on taattu. pöy usim stua. tukaset taitt dän nYht ihol Olennaista ei s maalaaminen taL’Or pois on kuitsenk . Kul Sokk la muiden asiaka TIEDU

134

Hotel on the 11th

the threshold for helping will be lowered too. If common attitudes changed to be less selfish, it would be wonderful. It has been interesting to follow the reactions of customers. They’ve experienced strong feelings in the unusual restaurant. Feedback is positive, and everyone wants to bring their friends and family to eat in the dark as well. I’ve had a lot of good experiences myself already too, and the pay is good. At other places it’s not as good for the blind. Apparently the phones are ringing off the hook at the recruiting office because all the blind in the city want to work here.

Right from the port to enjoying your trip visa free The St. Peterline, with ports of call circling the Baltic Sea, has been bringing more and more tourists to their destinations - visa free - since the spring of 2010. Cruise ships have also brought more tourists to Sokos Hotels. The Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky, closest to the port, has attracted a large number of visitors. A menu fea-

S t. P eters nigh burg t lif e ca liter n of ally fer any thin g. local

turing delicacies is also a must for tourists from Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn travelling to European Russia. Their tastes span a wide spectrum and rarely does anyone turn up their nose at the plentiful selection of Russian dishes; about 80 percent of foreign visitors order Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Kiev or the classic of classics, Borscht soup, for dinner. Young and even a bit older city visitors carouse and celebrate, and will definitely become familiar one way or another with traditional Russian drinking culture. St. Petersburg night life can offer literally anything. Put another way, you can find yourself almost anywhere! Ilkka Alanko, soloist and leader of the Neljä Ruusua band, tells the tale of his adventure in St. Petersburg: Nights in St. Petersburg were filled with exotic cafés and ugmests - Russian night

135

ily s a ne a the c n s o owl s left t r... h e e g v i v i N sel er m h t e th of d de n i s fi ng o r w

The Palace Bridge of St. Petersburg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after which Sokos has named its nearby located hotel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is open by night. 136

clubs - like Gribojedov and Fish Fabrique, or Achtung Baby near the mosaic cathedral Spilled Blood. It was a totally wild time. At one bar a woman about two metres tall, I kid you not, hit on me and said, “You me, my house”. She actually scared me so I started waving around my engagement ring. I was afraid she’d just crush me under her arm and take off with me. You should stay in St. Petersburg for weeks! It’s a bit bewildering when stores are open and horses are on the streets at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. It’s fascinating because it’s so close. Unbelievably close! Particularly in the summer the Baltic Sea Metropolis, which in Russia is also called Megapolis, offers countless discos and different types of clubs for different tastes. On the vulnerable ground around canals in the Venice of the North, night owls can easily find themselves left on the wrong side of the river when swing bridges are opened at night, trapping carousers in the city centre until dawn.

On the other hand, what better explanation for playing hookey from work.

Caught up in celebrating An Englishman, Frenchman and Russian are crawling in the desert with their last strength when they suddenly notice a vodka bottle and three glasses in the sand. The bottle’s contents are divided evenly into three glasses, and along with the last drop the bottle’s spirit appears who says: “To thank you for freeing me, you can each have one wish, which I shall definitely fullfil!” The Englishman said: “I wish I were at home with my family, having my five o’clock tea by the fire!” Zap! Bang! Poof! The Englishman disappeared from the desert. Then the Frenchman said: “I wish I were at the finest restaurant in Paris, having a gourmet meal and drinking champagne with beautiful women!“

137

onänä hjyn Po enenkan sese äkäk hdhd Tämän yn nänä ayö tasä at nnke ka ä.ä. en hjolan Venetsiaksi. OA ssss se LV yö äk ke sä VA hd A ille nä TA ne ille yn AT un ne nä ut un NN kk ut KA pi a kk a ta pi at a lvo va nn lvo ka va ssä. yö en sä se ke äk ille ota ne yn nähd san un n ut haa kk tur pi lvoiaaei vatar kesäyössä. Pie si. Tämän voa pikkutunneille Pohjolan Venetsiak

n t e l i i l s v i e n s e s i n v u e e s o i u v N o e N s Nou lumo tojen i s n e i v e s u No o m u o l m n u l e j o t n e nattaa näyn nähdäkseen kan th ofssä April, 2 e8kesäyö . eill e unn th kut pik n voa o val ing shed

c” sw at publi e “romanti th t Ilta-Sanom u o b a le aders ticle artic e Finnish re t th r o F . 2010 an ar rg u no si Vasilins St. Petersb nce there’s si aa, jos asuu esimerkik ist t c mu a je ta b at nn bridges of su ka t ulu wadays. e an exotic Siltojen nostoaikata Finland no this may b in s e g id r gb many swin

yh y ty tyy ey yty itn ken iteeey to k it oh k hä to to en o h d h o öi A h O sä y LV ke ty A e n id V y ri ö id A ta ö it s TA ie ä le k e P il s ovin silta : AT keeajitsam stto ATLA Tutshk in. k SISLLIL rin orih KANN r h llne tu ta e rssisilta ta ie lise e y ll e ie P iety ll ti id P T: ti is ö y T: r ä e is LA r H tu IL k k tu S in e h ll e to in oi e ll h r ta lt s e o si no li s ta h sa li in ie n e ie n aa vi ie ll P m e rh se ti tu m T: ja id ei is ou a ja ö LA r n ia a ä ar IL H Piet .. .s.H in in ou toih tasi.rTäinmänkeSs kir s ih ssil yö tillmeieliselläte tu TutshkovinPösilta milto aja ris H seevviiiin olnla ILLAT: Pie tsiak

u sseavjaiim o.u no lleintu n seih sillito ie n usss.. . ou H iro u k ir o in k s n ö s ih y ö to y m il m a s ll a n o ll ii t u o v a o t e a s iv ir u o iv k o v o s n latsttv illa sssil oautso. lla myö iv ir o k v ö la y il m a ll o t a iv sillat vo

Nev a

ääntyv Pohjolan Vene sillat voivat TÄTÄ NÄKYÄ ker toivoa. attaa nn ka näkyä ei voisi juuri joka kesäyö en aan tase som Pie äk ä kat hd ky iso nä nä sit tPösa torä Va ty näyn vävä au rilla än AN TÄTÄ ty rst äke saa än äll ilin ke mYÄ Vas set ja tella ki tä YÄ ilaie er Taustalla näkyvät ÄK pietar ÄK net ris NN TÄ anTu Nrä kesäyössä.ILM tuh TÄ TÄ ill ille TÄ te t t ssaa e tari. k ne vä ise a. ta Pie un ty na si a. ut ivo pu v än oli n. n to kk ei rä ivo i rje ri pi to ke kä a ur a ä i ju urt. ise YÄ m juisti valvo um tä ÄK linsaaren nä isiisi Naa yn sä kk eivovo yöyö liinä öd sääll TÄ ky ä äei hy keke ka tur ja jo kyedu iom ka jo in kello yh- ky kk tavan TÄ aa nn a-ylväät a. stalla vä len a-a-p ty ivo ts Pi etstret om ja to än äPi Hyvissä ajoTÄ ka ts i rä od ä ur ka tu ke nä ju ky in Ne ku nä isi YÄ siTÄ sii nk yö Ro vo Va siÄK TÄ ljek ite t sä ei iN Va ku ä vä ke TÄ ku a t ua AN it ky Os TÄ at ky vä us ka M AN iv nä jo ky noise miliis toäivo IL Mjälk n vo aila i-lla t ja nänä IL aa ist latTa em ta t ja lla Er ka silTa eta- TÄ a. om een yöllä us ta ise va tsha iai us ar ila eret ka et ar den ilat- Pi jen et nä to pipi juar siltu nn et siTÄ pöyhkeilee mahta Va nn lla sam yö TÄ vo tna ha sä adu ei vä äol AN ke tak Pa ky i.ky M ky ran ka t anuja-tu nä pi een i.ur IL nä jokä ja et ise t pp ar ent .npu lla n Pi et iä na talä liik ise aa iseatei Piisi in joisi ks us pu ilaain atol etaku om ty isi Ta ar ts Pi ei kev On et rje n ä i. lin yl ka ri sul ei pi ats rje ky iä ri et ta pal istu kä äv nä en ut nn sin tai ik ar en m a siTÄ taa ha sa – ar nss Va tu TÄ t sa ka ua n ul vä lin llopu i.yi taris ky puila t llaToisetu ar ka sov LMAN . . Vasilinsaari näajo et ise ort ja yh -tyi-si tsaari tittit Pi tka lla . pi na Dv tu ris lloyh ta isi eliiss ise aan ol ke us nllo ltayv n aik ei in illaH ke ar en rje t on ri u sisTa et in ta kä ul lla ä us ajo ta ta en et a. ä ed ka ar us eill nn ai iss ja siir sa ed ass t ha yv lin t janan ter H lto ääää .au lvlv ran nn - t matu atit .in pypy vava Ne talje yh ris a-jen ise Ne ha Piet na str aa llo Ro ii ii van enarsii.lta isiud ott än ke pu ta.en ksks Ro olsu odstr n tar in stilyv ku aSi lje sekä Pie i ei rje mosa ltta ajo ta lä- tu a aku Os ä en kä isi ttJa at inai us ili Os jos iss m sill isi ed älla m ili ar ja hd t m H illä n nä ää yö ee 5, illä lin em vat lv n 1.2 iel yö lua Er em lo py ma va m ha . ke aen kel Er va ata Ne tit aa ta llo jäl ke jas kiä str t va ii in n yh ris ke sta2.4 ta iseile jälyhtäk si ks Ro pa tu japp nten tku ahah amäke lje em 5m ma im dede ja-ja- Palatyk tta ku em Sit le Os anan aak , ens na tlat lla ile 0– pp ta isi yh ke 2.0 m ili het us pö yh lasasa lälat m tevät llo ed ul la vie lähem ja iKe ad ul t llä jan Hyvissä ajoin kello yö - -kenpö ad ää pää an Pa nt lvään en Er ak sill nPa uNevalrara hem py ke nt va va tä, ee an ta ttu jäl Ne nt ee n sa str ah ii n si Va ke s nt de m ua jatää ks Ro lii jo kik ei e ke lip , mi ,y an lje t in jo er lii ile in an llasil ava pp ku im at ku in eaja jo lo ke ilm a m es alk ev t äs at sil ku yh at On sk sa lk Os isi uu pä ev sti pö ad la laiv si. On su ili as lk ei t gr ul ise e m lat lta si. su iso uu jos ad tro lle. , si ity ell pa illä lat ist uu lat ily n Pe er aa ak ar i i tyin yö pa yi em ist ta Pa iste nt sa ist ta i as ryh in in n en Er ra t yör sa ta 55 ta mu lla te as ee 4. a sko va ns re sa ta nt oli ta ta 5– aa ka ns at pu ke ah n t 3.3 ins ka lii hti nn den jälke Li m jama llo n sil ko e in jo ka yi an t ta lem Va pu llo ile at t ov ku yi si del pp mo ulu ts a. pu ke ev ova ov m tan On or lk ell ts yh sa er ika si. ar su Dv e .sillat la im oa sa lat an sill .kik ul Dv es in pa ilai ka an ad - SuomenlahSi taaneli no en uu sil i ist ai tar inisi .ski ka ak vas as ta taeil Va jen as ai tai nt alal llä esh sass tior jos rie nPie lto sis illill ,st ee aa ns gov ise tntsilta aa koh een Palat- pö rie aa ilv sis ts Bla ka To ise um aa n ist an .uu nan maeli ts isi as To ää la jop mu . tsh llo ata rty ltä la inyi m tara sii sie ov rty eil ataa vät nouse ku ja ts lla ss sii nnkk te orta to rara istavatpu On teill aura . mu t ka Dv si. sulkevat jo liikent an he nn an Laato ulu eli lat uu en ka nn ta pa n jot ist ai al ra ika i äi n in ea, ill ta oa itt as ark rie st sis m sa ta a ise aa no ni ns ta ts a . To lta spi ot jen . ka jää ta ta si isi i . la Ka n ta lto od ot til ta ar rty en a tai eil Si ka llo os od ss ailatlälä sii tta aaa nousut huomioon rann pu ovyi ostil ta.m ra ere in yöjo Suurm tta - t-u- y te alal ka sm lähd an m Jolle stallem sil .1.21.2 lat s sa nä Mu an äisiäsil iatve JaJajo ka s-ke ks nä hd ai nii sä nkk atnä 5,le ast ott kau Liha t eav rie aäi sisillalta eli Dvorts Pietari 5,rel tutä ise ta aa av ais .nyh llo ts ot lulu To ta val . llo od isi ha til on la iä nn a ke ta os t eil ke iä Sil i. tta mrty -va se ss sii t lii al lä kk ra se si m yh tä m te lat äi s eik jo m sil an me a: sim tte n ä nn Ja an ta Si nn en tteromanttisempod tu ot , sim ra Sien sihe luät llelle s nä , en aa ke va Ne at eik na enen ai av usvi aev tktk Ne 1.2 ihd ala lu nh ät vo elähe llo ta ht ha va ev ei ot elä lä in ht in vi jalä iä ar ih a ää etpä kk jot luhe n set ä äja Pim tta tä ti,Ja mostilta. Suomen -ua la äi n5, al lä pä yh m sil m nm lat s ä, sil he sim tte jo nt sil ä, ei Si ä en nt , m ne hd va ää än en nä sin tk Ne itä än at lip ua in 5, m ät he itä n t av llo ev lip 1.2 m ki an va elä lu t a jo ht vi an va ha ilm lä n,iv taan lle kaka ja atam ilm äily ott tii pä miso atatalal no kkaiä kello ta se la iv m täem t la ta us äi la sil . ste msil ä,ot lle Pk us ma .jas ntisk sim ily sk lle ää Sitten yhas te joyö lleis. he , en än y-y- iso va ris tetk ua enat ry htntht tkitä Ne ris lip ot m ry t ät he yö po an va e ev ol elä isk ka äs ht ilm vi pu ol al lä i pä at ja pu ht i ltä ä m . iv at ko ht n la in pä sie m a em t la ko ä m m ol a . isi iso he eik em olem hd eltelt lle ä, sil e en atat mm alleai ily äs hd y-as en teet lala päSu ttu ht latlatovov ris te om silsil ua oi yö om otht lle lip ilm t ko ila isi ol va ar ila - - Su ylös ka pu ilman mitään äänt ar i pa as Pi al et at iviv htjo i ta at m Pi ta ko ivus i ry altä em ht tt la ol elt at ko e m .ajaja iso n nisk hd ov lle la aaaa em lat pa ily en us em sil te ltäjo htyom ris lle t no sie ry no Su isi yö vä sie ot va tt ila vä isk va sta ka ar a as ol ui et sta iv ok ka m pu Pi ui ta at i ok i at m he ht La at ht m ko La n nhe tete eltnako at molem pa hdaa ov a,a,jojo a arar joKa lta keke ta lat uslaem si en ltä sil no joh in s t sie om it lle ov LE vä in ja Su sp iva isi a hk sk EL sp Ka ila sta ts ka i en ar AR ui Tu as ta ok sh i et m e iv IN at SA ta ht Pi ta . ell he N La es AK n . lta elle hti ov teus tata SS erer SI jo agut onon lle mm SI VA Bl ioio ta om lle AI keO us pa taLI om ar AL M jo us huhu ltä ut isie no us SU -- M ano vät nousemaan ko sandr NevskiLa java vasp ta a va un iisiis aa,M ntasi i Ka ot ta ka un tasta ot et on eui kaka m ist ell .Siok at uu ell la ar he ist er nas sa on la m te en lle jo ta omäio jot onon a, Alek us a, Si hu ke ltalta ti. on ta M ar ut as ti. sil e us iss ljä ell e no ijö iiis ne a er ell äv sp ta m un er -k ot Ka an ka m i in u se ta an P e tti ist laan ell Pietar ta. vam er aa mro on ioon m opapa lle pl lta m ta om Si ke se us ti. N hu tti M as sta ut e an lli us ell m do n e no er ro lla ah iis te a n m to m jo ta un te an ot eet s äataujoutvun ti,ti,jo a iso teoriassa paa erjotätkmaäll ov ki m se lla tti te Silta on valaistu ka an ti. ja, m e as to e ill ro sa te n ell t te er ris vä jo Tu ti,m an rätoän llatyiso aa äsau ise äke mnäll älln. um ÄK mpaa mYÄ ynottätii ke täss er TÄ kiN TÄ lla i jaoshy tekk am kkvu inöd ivotea.ille lii ti, joten romanttise i toris oda len taka urTu tu ju in n. isi nk aa yö vo ss ä ite sä ei äll ise ä ku ke m ky at us um ka tä iv nä jo no yn kk voi ja n öd lii aahy lat nuaikaist om iaioh tskk ka deattuaa kyä Pietajenanerun len sil si-oda sil Vatu tin vä ri kutosta aa ky nk ins nä ite ILMAN TÄTÄ nä isil ja . t lla ku ua Va iä ta at ise us ks iv us ila no ty ei vo Ta a ar lä a et ist yl lat ain sil iaika äv utta erpi nnet ik lä. Moni ha –m tu mäl toiäjen uallo sil sil ul a ta t ka ise ke ta ri ei olisi Pietari. ä na tä pu pi nn . ka u a ei ksiä tyrje läkä ka aren yl saiä lin uttataulain ikäv 2 km . –aim titjen ua ltakello yhta.ut ongelman ris ul tu talto än kaSi udäen lla suiss se aiss ajosiin aiyv tkau eduus katanolminH onkära jaul t ta ää ee lta lv ka va iel ai py vann m na aka Ne aa jen str ii in lto kello vin ks Ro pa Si jaum do a lje . oje alla tta ta ku ib a na au t Gr Os isi än yt 2.0 ili kä sti5ist eil m llo se ist ise2.4 Jokir u sinkerta0– n emiva ykKe ttu ta eeEr sa ah iel s den jälkeen yöllä silta m m jajo e , an aa llo in ile in pp lo ke ke m pa äsn.e ja sil yh a sa 5 pä sti pö tta la 2.4 ei ise ul e na 0– ad ity ell ee 2.0 lat n er ar ak iit yi sa Pa nt llo uv in n ra 55 m Ke te ee 4. aa Li nt 5– 3.3 sattuu yökerhossa josin ella. aruu in, ku si.loOn tusa sulkevat jo liike latsil pa ie:ist sti .e etin ei ta lläill npVa sa ta ityinise eeuv ell eras ar um n ilv sa stsil n i pääsne1. Reiss as 55 llo ill 4.ka ans a as p m pu 5–aa ssa ovyi ts 3.3 arell p to or kim saää au . Dv aa inpa e o an sil eli a. ka Valla ta ell p ai al ar äi n ill sa itt t rie in m sis ise aa ni sil a ts . To lta Va . jää si llä isi i n j taula ee ar aa en rty eil ka ilv sa ai ur ss sii um n ra in y ää ossu ka an Jo nälätoisi nn Pietari Su as lla ve on ra stebill toyö iih au a jäädä vim nh vaet ot siks ta. ittaäin e-u- Li t od yksä artoinehva mta nn a ni ke ä Pi tta lii jää al lä i ta si m k ar enossitillta lat s ka eik sa jo ai sil a: ä nn ta t Ja in yö Suurm tu ot i hd isi ka si lu nä Jo utta, nälä lk. na aijas us i pve ja ist lu a unam ksat llo 1.25, ha ääat säav Lieik öm t syita kk lu seelavo us ks ioleitk nn osin ma keäi eniä ke suih sim aätlu liim om Sitten yh ensi neNe Sutä vaa:lle sin minaisunudet ma nn,eik äna in he tuen oteita llo ev kin si tk elä jo t ht a Visa-oä, an vi eik lä n, ta ai us tii ja i ö ste ä ot vo iin orttiin sa m no pä ei la m om y ta in sil he sil en ih S-Etuk ö ar lu us nt sa 3 sieltä/pä jo a inen ihminen. Muutamaivatjoal itä htaläsane ki ei emää aan iltaa t lip asän msk ponis. neua va sin ka ilman m in llo . insi la all n, t ä m tav tii . iso ste n ot eik em lle aiat lisäk teily olisi iha sil hty- eemmyös riseus yö sk vaikkaem joäs , neaov 7ta90nolle sil ösppilm inttu oliskot ryine yl ihte ilooi htei pois. pä mat puaa koäs ku a pä n pääs Suom elt at mol on ltä . hd ov la in sie ihm lat ä m i en eik em mp e ai a äs isi kk pä atta ilatettu aroi piaenski a ne aan kohti taivashtsh Piet ilm esom aid tavallist ylös a jaov piag am kaa ja sieltä jopa em taa edullisemBl joh lle maks t LE vät nous ma va EL ail sta ma AR ui a ok m IN at ns SA N aa he La AK n LI Vis SIa, jote aikat. SI AIta turistip arke nSS kokeilemaan OM SU skus Visaa merell spitaa VA sitilta keAL Kajoh taiLE uknort kuin e on eEL Etki ell S-vs Ne r ar ta. ien AR sa on nd ikk io IN sa en SA lle ka N ta ek t jot om AK LI Al ny us a, hu e on SS SI ta M ä ut SI sil VA ta us AI iss vommlaistu kauniisljä ijölle ne a no ävte n. Aron MAL taO -kho ista kaksi ot insSU arko si PietSo intää va ois ellea,as evskmi ploarelle on lta ke Silta sa euron arv ti. 0 en sta 70 lli jot e do lm on er ta ah ko ä m sil m en iss an sa ljä sk ijö ne oretias tePi neiden ke arin-käv hakejo sempaahden heng en sta keploti, ten romanttitko jen ka teoriassa mahdolli Visa-reissua eli S-Ma

Pietari

kiteytyy to h o h n e id ö ä s e k istille r tu SILLAT: Pietarin e ll e s li ie m ja a H . nouseviin siltoihinyös kirous. sillat voivat olla m Pietari

Pietari

aa lento + hotelli -matk

silta

138

Eurooppaan.

ällä postikortin: osallistua lähettäm

lomaile

m u l n o e j o m o u m t l l u l i n s e ln otojejn

iin vää leller jum jääräll e puo a, ett iineivää jalljum ska jää ettei Pet a, rad jallrog a tai ska rellrad saarog ilinPet Vas si a tai rkik rell me saa esi ilin u Vas asu si jos a, rkik me ista asuu esi nat josmu a,taa kan ista lutmu tau taa nat kanika n nos luttoa ojetau Siltika ojen nostoa

Silt

ns siliri e Va lla, itsen. are nsa siliaa Vasija eet eise Tu tun itse jou sija ss ka ova eettlii jottun um ojat,jou lma kk sat apu ova ka silt iso lee jot en , tul olla jot a oja aut lm sat llä - siltapu mäiso kes en olla a kie autrtä tellllä na mo - ttiinjot llertämä nk n kes avu si ristei itetut ttiiosi tak a kie ukin mo ku n. Tutell le atuk nil älläavuosina kes teille mo siällä rissaa Tuses n.mi tut an vo saaku älläiv i ja hyö tualat ällädyntämtak kes kktäm len ohdetsil dyn un liikkumisesliik da an hyö an tuo ja sta i tua ku kk kin det len oh iten lais aiun ku ma da an usu vat suo voikin tuo . iä. ille. ta nokusta at ille ais ni sill ks iten lais aik Mo aity ku . eri ma lä n usu vat ällä yl suo oje no voi iä ta silm silt at sill kelloa . Moni ikäv ää ällä ojen eriaikais silm iinsil ottin – Joi a eiää kelloapit amtak silt viä ikä ä. yllätyksiä. silt n– Joitakin ka ksi ua –a mu ei tta ainpit k u aulain ul kattta ta issut ikäviä ylläty n ongelma kama ai ratgel kanaulua – mu jen ane ut on lto ataulu kat tä ole isson astmm Si nei aik ka pel jää en ne rat lta toj ka on si mm Sil ulu ole lla a en a. ata tä ma silt ud aut nei aik en ensu ään ti istujää ud ai toj sek ses isu in Sil tai ina lla a lm a. ker lm ma silt aut Ko Ko n sin h istu ä en de yk ään ti ett ee ele suu sek n, t yöpn iel nii lo kertaises m ova kelsin jop aa pai ä ahe ennaa mi taaele ett pan,in nat 0– aa nii en. a mi lo2.45 ja yk tta kel uviite jop Ke 5 ja2.0 aamna 2.4llo nattaa paina tuu erh iiteaen. G llo 2.0o0–jop uvoss ic yök Ke , jos sat mp aam sa a oin Oly nis se t a oss sill rde ti tuu pää nee erh ei Ga a sat ses a s le ic yök tyi silt jos s , rel rto jop mp eri e jo o saa saase ke vill t Oly in,itseese rto.55 tä asu ti sillnoin Litaeinyin lo neeise ke5–4 5–4 ei pää yis 3.3rel le.55 täare are eil sti sil st erityises e llaer nsa yis iri vill eil lta st jok asu si ity Liteinyin silt iri nnsa llasili 3.3lla. va yi jok in sili na nVaasu . si. a sija Va te ka va ojen toi s silinsaareVa jäk ellä Li an lla. Va in na si. nä ilve e silt ma are ov ka nve jäk itsejok nsa in jed nä llää sä dä sija sili ov ve mi . a en ibo jää a jed jok sä ellä Gr oll on yle an o en ibo aut ilve ma on eht n lta Gr yle s asu ar hto si llää tu insa on sa vaijäädä mi in los in ittä yksoi on ov kes tuoll se nim aut hksilt , los lla u-htoeht jää ssa se nllaVa ri iva pu Tuts stalla aa saa llain la sil La i vai kuole ittä yö i.nim iva yksata i Su a La kes a uren silta asjaum - ole Jok i.jää u- n aik Pientar istu nsaaky ri ltt ltt ataisii i ven ilta la pu aikälä nyöky iel isiin ineaine - än älääks ielJok e- i venLis Pietari Suure istumä ja syö inkink enn suo änlla äks nnnn kos mäsio ksi liikLis glagla neieenen too lien m ttaa: telSo tunenn ker siolla syö ni -ho a luosuo lta iksiliik jää kos si ain i use So ksi ar voi en iin a: nei too ei sa ur om tta tun ker hin i yö Su ren luo i lui a iks saa Joka Pineet an ilta eiar omen omaiin maren hin ei voi ain lui tusjoh sisilta usettiin, jolmo anitaj in iltaa saa loin sin mi rs jolei nkan Juh toi a n,ne Pö taa taj ma ttii Suomen Su ste joh no sin ksi a n tus lisä in loi silt t mi k s nk toi ova lii ku ne mo nostetaa iloithin asema Nev lisä,ksi ppova s siltajos se po kuis. si tunneiksi , ne pää. in.iloihinku is.pääjos useik asema poltä eikäsesie a sepää kupp ua aiemm päältä ettin. piavenpää.Järven mm s ilm aieoit ylöua pääse eikä sie piaja aidomJär ompia J edu aidem ne Suomen AR jallis ylös ilmoitett sin AN AN in PA llo JA jo edullisempia . AR n, kat tii pai ot m n tur . isti stakat kupai kesisti intur kun iELLE johtaa a sta Pi llo AR ku em IN itaa SA ku kes as IN AK joh llo in aa ku LE SIL ku ISS ä ist EL VA aa AIS rm kaksi ist AL IN ta äs aSUva OM rm AK telleis atAL ISS atava VASILINSAAR llajotenka nn ta AIS e eikä sieltä pä on at kaksi ka le Sokos ta-ho rel r Ne OM pä a vskin silta ndsilt SU ksain on lla tajä silt Nevsk relle on saann N rjo öis saaaa, Oaa, vij tanel enrjo kä pu N jot SA in-on Aleksandr Ale aSoakos-hotelleis lip tar pu sä lta SA jäOsilt öis AR lipsä ISIS rta nel vij lta lokäPie ka AR i in-itt kep rta itt ETET tar sta ka Vasilinsaari re i PIPI Pie olli in hd re nk loma in ne kep ssa ria teo nenk olli hd ja - sta ja riaisi jo -ki ama ki assajo ila - erteo isi ajeaje a ila nene in isier L veve

Pietari

PietariPietari

tkeelllleejojoilillele! ! VVeenneerreetk

ä y n t ä s ä e n k ä ä s e n k ä t ä e n ä il t a e m lomlaoil

in isia luku . Tu nnnn luku essa . Tu tasa taes tettet VASILINSAAREL osos lta jä. si n ily ki te jä. ,90,90 vs ris ily (12(12 plaa Ne te va r ru a aa ris na 0 pl nd 50 ru sa nava a 0 ek sa kaka 50 Al ak a m sa ak lu neljä siltaa, joten sa n on lu m isi on to n in isi ki to en in ki iel m en atsisilta iel kä m st Eh . . Eh llelle 2 kmkä e pu oleole äräll a).a). e pu roro teoriassa mahdolli eueu äräll 2 km vävä jum iiniin i jää jum ltalta etitejää vava a, te n ka nana et vin kanavalta i- ios do edolta nt iipiip vinvika bojava oje os ka Grikan do ib nt in lytvin Gr oje ka vi tei ib ho in iris edo Gr vi ar Jok boj itätimere l et ho Gri Pi ar ilyt et - - : Pi es aste n ed usus tanloed lois talo erin toris n a- atavisekessktilusiivis em Sing erin itaita ussii Er tklu em Sing ät u aluk sk Ma Er ev enen ek t 2. ht ät tistis ta lä ev t enen t us : ht se e tk lä u t Ma h t se t 2. elsingisteil s uk i t al a p sa e a pas p p kim jok t a saa e o ly, s i Reis jok 1.kimpassa lta tä ly, ä ris pa a pepp by ja 1.p Reis teiotei . . saaed ä ris ltalta vava tevtev lähläh Pietarin vanha talta lta NeNe 6 yötä a 6 talta isoiso estä susin is . ätossin y jpioin edestä ssv.uin a visbia k lk9. tk a t tk it pi ok ilt ä uj ia is an p ts kk nt ok k la pi uj an Fo . 9 ä Pa matkustajasatam kk nt ja tä it 2 pi Fo k er 1 /hlö kitää p ja 2 km lM oika ltalta kitta,er udet maksu sM oika aisutta, sM a-ot min maksu yöyö Vis alk3. yötä aM saa ude aisu min ä tee a-oiin Visortt ttee saatuk ma masta ta ta turis hlö kanava yöläh tukorttiinS-E teily jä.jä. turis inen. Muuta /vin lta ris ily lailai te 3läh ki löoje ta jo nen ris utama Sa as h alli ki ee Muihm m tav n. jo ht n Sa ine / lä iha ee i do 0 ihm ht lta olis lä nen ka 9 ka ib alli vaik Gr 7 n tav kalta yt 0 en ist kka olisi iha kir n pääsee myös Jo 7, 9jot en ineös ejä ihmmy jot , eil itt pi see re ejä i itt ekk n pää a ierre ineaam stapionn ihm a er us aam eit ekkalli us tta ma ltaeit si ksa allista onntav ma in alle sk en tta ailm ma ma sh sa ksa ht ma aan es Vis alle ov an ailm maag saBl aanma Viseile keilemaan kok S-Etukortti Visaa ettu:

opastja pepp visbykätossu pit l

i Visaa kaikki ortten S-Etuk en nyt kkime . Arv kaiom ään nyt mit me tään. Arvom 700 a on arvoista mearv oisteur kolon keneur n kes 700 ide me ene kol hak ken kes hengen keneiden den kah n oje gen atk S-Mden hen a eli n kah atkoje Visa-re S-Missu sa-reissua eli paan. a, oop Eurell a ar a, tka sa ell n. -ma in ar paa elli sil sa oop hot in Va + Eur e a sil to se tka len Va e se-ma elli hotait ait + sij dä, m stä ntosij isuudet maksutta, t tie ttetyi mueri jot, ain asistä alttyi atkeri ellä: postikortin: tiin saa Visa-omina amain lle ort mä tu e lomjot uk o asi a että rtin Et lle läh atkalt Slm tiko tu in- m tua a ipaatk pos pu llis eih ket Kaam llä lm ta osa ma pa mä iikk sil pu ös untka uta että n my läh ta te ma Mu sil jo intu tus ipaatko lom n. ä. ten llisttua Tu eih Ka a) nkis ine yhm osaVoi iikk isi? idt anhe S-r ös n ihm un m sam a) tta myte 88 n tu joko eu Sh oitjo idt e 000 tus tot tkall ta 77, Shm sa johonkin yli miten sen totmi an senTu yhm PLe tav ,88 anhe taten S-r e ryhm ein nm si.tä intion ttaisi? annkis Lähd Lit ino säkjo joko euten e ä. .sam eine 000 ein siesk kessu ill Ma Lit oli (e äma .ntäma ki, tu PLrkk tall täknsirei ,ks ryhm m ill nt ank joato os i on inti tum (e S-P Lähd t tkall ks inotu ohssu m kans rkk i77, unrei kan mi os en i, Ma iiha poru aton varaa llä sk nkkke myyliös oma tu htash -Pake sä joho tum en tai eenkin saäs ohja me sh llä kans htikk sä ailijo himun kan esvaes nnpä matk teiraa poru k- niden Blag ovov ine oma ag taimp ihm Bl iden i istajalle ma ailijo himme ja va om matk tei aa kas ke. kk ma asia amm e ne an dost jall on aup toeh ista a vaih usk sta amme. osu kasom tovadost asia toja kiehtoeh le. an ätie 5.0 sil Lis 0tova0100 ai 0– le. atta alaup 5.0 sta vaih sil 3.1 ja osu ai 0– om ja kieh alusk ieto su 3.1ist 5. 100 isätsu om ja all issukilpailusta1.21.2 lle55 5. tav a-re ma5– sta 2.42.4 ä Vis ailu sekkilp 5–5– ma 55ksam a lta 4.ma nsisi a-reaissu aaisi astaä Visast ) tai: 4. n Vis tom vmissä )ail1.2 tii 5– sutast an a sek +pnet ot n 1.2 ma m ) Vis tii ile käy ta ts ot lta ke sil m ) taielu ala ko n ta vmpuh ts (P uttomasta– ki +ptu / vas t sil aa ala elutat ita n os 7€ Vis (P m Jo ki puh t ti 0 (1,9 ita ort tattu mos uk0– tsov yi yi Et1.4 / vas – Jo orov S-1.4 7 €00 Dv 06 50ipa (1,997 ien orts 4.ynt 0 00 essa s-pankki.fi tat ikk Dv 00 itte 50 ka n.ilante 97e 4. ja hin oso ki.fi t -tee lveluu see ) ank 00mm ny 0– kka et e ta 06 pai e ilan ne sil ) my mm tat 010 mm et ta ta sta en vo hin 4.2 luu ne soi sil la Ar ja osoitteessa s-p ud 23. a: lve t kka en ksi isu e pe uvapai lasta tää ud yntipa ust010 ina tartajou mi my isutar per4.2 itasoi olm i ja mempe olem ina ä upe tatais t 23. tipa tdä(K ksia: olm lisä tais ois uva olem os net u jou dä tois usteks mLöy arvova aks tn.(K itäitä Löyita ltäv per ssai ja lum nene ma mos sisä lveät eui.tron eks jääjää ki ki t voi nat tipa 00– lisää upe hinät itsits net 70 elli tois natssa e)rajo TroTro ltäv Hin5 lm ja hot ma sisä ko to-nat ust4.4 5voi en lenhin itet in elli ova sk py 4.4 1.5 liin ke - nat ai.1.5 yö 0– ntar Berja hot joll Hin py at ta lö,totarust ide yö ov ) sil jaitet €/h ne len at 10 in ta kko he ke in ov Pai sil eily tä rajo ha iny liin a et in rist he Ber ite , joll n lö, (L tä iny in ere t ja et €/h ni ite , en Itäm os 10 kko mPai ng t (L eily5.0 niin jopa he rist nus, mos en ere jopa 15 yi yi hd by kasil Itäm einein Vis 0– us, LitLit ut: jen 5.00 0 ara tko )ara2.0 0– um 15 ta vel 2.0 by aks SPal )€/v VisMa ta eli en ut:in aaks sil ur a, a, su Su en um ississ ur€/v velo in enen ar Su c Ga rdrd Visa-rPaleis iet (P ar ymcpiGa iet

at.

sesveavtat uu oo t tnn lala äinsilsil äin NN

äa 3 yöt / h

790

ympi OlOl et et nene l- ltoise toise tojen e sil tojen e sil sese sij sijaitait joka joka a, ss ta tassa, usus a ke sksk olell a ke olell pupu la la llien teen ho lli ste ko ho sSo o ko o So rtorto keke nini haha JuJu ajaaja htht sjosjo ituitu toim toim ä. ä. päpä enen rvrv JäJä

o (P ogog 00 n.kin liklik 5.15.1 aakin VeVe ) 2.2 0–0– pp tratra sil)ta2.2 PePe Eu silta aant vs atklek i Ne -mlek vs erNe ligo ntroo tel i sa er ho + sa (A to len (A ko vs go Ne ko Nevs sand ra ra Alek sand Alek 4.ä55 0– 4.äll55 2.0 ) ett 0– postikortin: 2.0 )läh ss lta äm ör t (P ör os ualta (P mmy t ös istisi oi os allisi 55 ev m osss zh oi Bi ev 5–5– zh it 5S-ja 3.33.3 Bi Vo 2.5 .4.54.5 58 ja 0– mä 2.5 2.0 ryh ) 0– ta 2.0 sil ) 08 ta vin 00 sil , ko 77 vin tsh PL ko (Tu i, tsh st int (Tu ino mo st ki, Markk vPank taan vS-mo taan koko steste tshtsh nono TuTu s sil latlat s sil kuku a ja josjos stav a ja stav alualu onon taulu makka ulu Ai lle ta : ka aja m Ai ist uo : m om (H as uo iak (H n as ) skaupa Lis in! mos ) uu mja in! m aie a äti meto aie etatu oit ettu ilm oit Visa-reissukilpailusta ilm kä se EN ta AN as EN Vis AN AN AN PAPA AR suttomasta JAJA

etiari Piar Piet

i.fi osoitteessa s-pankk

nää ttyyyyllilillläässi.i.

Lähde ry matkailij 100 kieh

Löydä lisää Paikkoja ta Palvelumak

LeLnento

139

Zap! Bang! Poof! The Frenchman disappeared. The Russian said: “What’s up with this? We were just going to start drinking! I wish for a case of vodka and to get my two friends back!” The classic joke holds a truth that Russians rarely deny: celebrating is the crown of life, and you don’t tiptoe or put on the brakes if a chance to celebrate comes along. Raise your glasses and make a speech! Juhani Järvenpää, who often enjoys special occasions, has mingled easily and made speeches from the very beginning. At many celebrations nobody even understood what he said because of the language barrier, but his presence and following protocols always play the most important role. In Russia the older generation rarely speaks foreign languages, so that skill is often not expected of foreigners either. A way to communicate and be understood is often found if you just remember to make a toast at the end of your speech. After all, that is what is always done in Russia, unless it is a religious occasion. And often even then.

140

Juhani’s advice for surviving a long and alcohol-filled evening: Go to bed sober and eat fructose or chocolate, and you won’t be surprised by a hangover! After midnight I drink only mineral water and lemon, but let my group think I’m drinking gin and tonic. The good host and popular guest is also convinced that a Russian kitchen has no equal. Russian kitchens are robust! There are many kinds of borscht! There is okroshka (from cucumber yoghurt) and cottage salad, and kefir! Cold meats and all other everyday foods are available on restaurant menus too. Traditional food, shi soup, ground beef cutlets, chicken, mean, fish, particularly herring, seljanka and Olivier salad are of course common dishes. Cottage salad, which the whole country loves, includes radishes, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, dill, onion and sour cream, and I have to mention that wonderful summer dish okroshka again!

To raise a toast and give a speech is an important part of any celebration.

141

Russian reversal joke Russian humour is legendary. The Russians have been through hard times. In light of their history, sometimes there was little to laugh about, but they still laughed. And a lot. A good example of this is the formula for a reversal joke. A reversal joke is an ingenious debating tactic which allows you to turn any sentence into a joke, which works every time. It was perfected by the Soviet émigré and comedian Yakov Smirnoff, who worked as a hotel bartender and lived at the hotel employees’ dormitory, and played a Russian taxi driver in the 1980’s sitcom Night Court on the side. His humour por-

trayed the opposing superpowers in an ironic, black and white way well-suited for the Cold War atmosphere. The Russian reversal joke found a permanent foothold in America.

you a c i mer A n ke , I o j t ha joke laug a i s s u in R you! t a h laug you a c i mer ssia u In A R r, in a c e u! o y e driv riv car d

you a c i mer , in In A t e l l e bu g d o llet d u b ia Russ ou! y e g dod

you a c i r me In A law, k a bre law a i s s u in R you! k a bre

In America you listen to radio, in Russia radio listen to you!

But what is "in"?

drink,” Zsolt Pleszinger notes.

Drinking champagne is popular, but drinking too much is not. Usually people drink more frequently instead of drinking too much at once. Still, living, not to mention working, isn’t done in a vodka haze in the big city, despite the impression which persistent stereotypes give. On the other hand, in a country where life expectancy for women is about twenty years more than for men, there is no need to look far for a reason. Men love their vodka. When all consumption is converted in calculations to pure alcohol, Russians consume more than 15 litres of hard liquor per year, while in Finland the comparable number is nine.

A lot of alcohol is consumed in the countryside, where the population is decreasing, and the steep decrease in population is not eased by Mikhail Gorbachov’s legacy, except in overpopulated St. Petersburg and Moscow. The politics of the man with the stork-shaped birthmark tried to eradicate rampant alcoholism among people of working age by introducing weaker alcoholic beverages to the market. Actually the opposite happened, since Russians, who love social drinking, eagerly received the newcomers - without giving up old habits. It was not until 2011 that beverages with an alcohol content of less than 10%, like wine and beer, were classified as alcohol instead of foodstuffs in Russia.

“There is also, though, a tendency for health-conscious Russians to change their own and even others’ perceptions about the damaging effects of alcohol. Eating habits are also becoming more European. Interest in wines is increasing at the same as interest in hard liquor decreases, since today vodka is not the only thing people

144

In terms of social drinking, there is a clear difference between our societies. A Finn will even drink alone, but our Russian brothers drink only with others. Artist Remu Aaltonen has thought about the cultural differences. St. Petersburg is culture and these coun-

try bumpkins just don’t know anything about it. It broadens your horizons when you go to underground places, where there are all kinds of drums in the world and gold bracelets and history is present. On the other hand those Russians come there under my window and boast, since I live in that Alexander I’s overnight flat. I don’t understand what they see in that hovel, when there are endless others the same kind and better in St. Petersburg. Finns should follow the Russian’s model in eating and dancing. Even though you drink heavily you need to know how to eat and with good manners. Night-life is a world of its own, if you look for it there. There you don’t even need to know the language. Expressions and hand gestures are enough. As for food, St. Petersburg has opened up to international cuisine tremendously over the past ten years. Raisa Goreva, manager of a trendy new restaurant, explains her view of Russian culinary trends in 2011:

“Even thou drink gh yo heav u ily y to kn ou ne ow h ed ow to with e at an good d mann ers.”

that’s why steakhouses do well. Soups are always popular and fish has always been part of Russian cuisine, so sushi fits in very well here. From the chef ’s viewpoint, trends add new ingredients to the procurement list, or more accurately there can be a change in quality. There is more demand for organic food in St. Petersburg as well, but according to Kenneth Lindberg organically produced ingredients are hard to find through familiar channels. So far he has found only organic eggs. In Russia, where organic growing is done as a hobby even on balconies in St. Petersburg, there is a lot of know-how, but few subsidies and programmes to support it.

Italian food is popular year after year, that doesn’t change. Russians like meat,

145

Russian recipes Borscht, a beet soup, is perhaps the most famous Russian dish. The soup is made of beets and usually onions, cabbage and a sour liquid like home-made beer or lemon juice. Honey or even plain sugar is added to give the soup a sweetand-sour taste. The ingredients for borscht vary by country and region. In Russia all recipes include beets, while in the Ukraine it may also be cabbage, sorrel or meat soup which does not necessarily include beets at all. Borscht can be made from most anything found in the kitchen, and is served with bread and sour cream, well-simmered and not too hot. Often traditional Borscht does not contain any salt, while the accompaniments are much saltier.

Borscht for three: 2-3 medium beets 2-3 carrots 1 large onion medium to large wedge of cabbage oil for sautĂŠing 100 gr bacon salt 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp whole cumin 1 tbsp black peppercorns water approx. 1/2 dl wine vinegar (pickled beet juice) or home-made beer a few frankfurters sour cream for serving Brown chopped bacon in its own fat. Sieve fat for example by pouring it through a paper towel. Peel vegetables and slice into long narrow strips. Heat oil in a large saucepan and sautĂŠ vegetables in oil. Add the bacon pieces. Add water to cover. Bring to boil and skim off foam. When no more foam forms, add

The

ing red ien aps ts of the reci this pe i mos nR t fa cord mou ussi ing a va s to t ry a he con che ctent f an of t d th he e lard er. perh

pepper, cumin, bay leaves, and salt according to taste. Simmer on medium heat for at least two hours. Chop the frankfurters and brown them in oil. Add frankfurters to soup. Add wine vinegar until suitably sour. Taste soup. Add salt if needed. (Continues on next page...)

For darker coloured borscht, add beet juice from can or jar. Serve with sour cream. Borscht tastes best after sitting overnight. Tip: Sauerkraut can be used instead of cabbage. Wine vinegar may then not be needed. When using sauerkraut, add it when the soup is almost ready. Juha Järvenpää’s borscht and shashlik for a hearty appetite and good atmosphere: Replace bacon with smoked side of port and stew beef, preferably from bones. Boil for four hours to make stock for borscht. Meat stock must be strong, so add plenty of garlic. This is typical of today’s ethnic Russians. To make the stock as tasty and full-bodied as possible, roast parsnips, carrots and onions before adding to soup. (Particularly important for vegetarian version!) To give the soup the right colour, Russians use shredded beets and wine vinegar, added to taste.

Add the wine vinegar last, and do not bring to boil again. Add crumbled dried mushrooms to give the soup a forest flavour (optional). When a Ukrainian makes the dish (borscht was originally a Ukrainian soup!) beans and more meat are added, making it heartier.

Saslik Shashlik is almost a synonym for grilling in all parts of Russia. On a warm spring night when you walk along the water in St. Petersburg, the riverbanks are filled with gatherings of people grilling cubes of meat on kebabs. It is a picnic tradition which Sokos Hotel personnel enjoy too, if they can choose a theme for a leisure day - go together to the forest or the shore of a small lake to grill shashlik. Finns grill sausages, Russians grill shashlik. In Finland, instructions are to use oil, which contains seasonings. That will cause a fire! And to top it off, in Finland the meat used is too high quality! Russians put a variety of things on kebabs: some fatty and bony pieces as well as roast, if it is available. After cut-

ting up the meat, wine vinegar and spices are added, and sometimes yoghurt with lamb. You can be creative with the marinade! Citrus fruits and bay leaves or onion, pepper and chili can be added with lamb and pork. Shashlik never has any oil! Acid tenderises the meant, which can be marinated for several days. The meat is roasted over a pit, where the heat from the coals rises directly upward. If the coals flame up and the grill-master does not want to use water, white wine with salt can be sprayed on the coals. The trick works well: the flames die down and the meat is not exposed to too many carcino-

gens. The meat is eaten with Russian lavash bread and dark, zesty sour plum sauce (ktemal). A dash of chopped parsley can be added.

IX. LESSONS

FROM THE EAST

- What was learned on the way?

150

Ponderings in retrospect More than a thousand years ago when the king of Kievan Rus’, Vladimir Pyä, selected a religion for his realm, he weighed not only spiritual but practical issues. The great man of the time Vladimir set the direction for the future by chosing Christianity instead of Islam, which permits polygamy. The Russian portion of the people was very pleased about this of course alcohol could not be prohibited from a people who were so fond of it! The same ambition is present in many other matters in life. While the majority of the society of 140 million does heavy work for a living, in its own way celebrating is still at the forefront, since even Finns know that heavy work requires hearty pleasures. Russians understand that life can and should be enjoyed every single day. “They just do it without pointless stress. Our Russian experts innately know how to organise things correctly. It’s in their mother’s milk, even if they aren’t children of

the Soviet Union,” says Juhani Järvenpää of SOK’s local employees. Things can happen fast in the pulse of the big city and in capable hands. Juhani Järvenpää feels that the biggest difference between the neighbours is probably that in Finland plans are made and adhered to. In Russia, people adjust to changing situations. And they do change, always. Trust among business partners and friends is therefore of primary importance. It is gained through shared work and experiences. “When someone begins to be called by their nickname, then you know you’re close to achieving the type of relationship on which all activities in the world’s largest country are primarily based. “It’s a beautiful road which is taken one step at a time. I love Russians. They are difficult, but I like their friendliness. The relationships hold up and endure. It has to be earned, and when you’ve gotten to the point of nicknames - it withstands even failures,” say Anne Berner.

151

n is o i t a s nver o the c n d a i h u Fl ant t rt o p im sed . s e r u o c s m s di topic

Humaneness is taken into consideration in Russia in many ways, and Finnish workers themselves have also begun to understand the humane truth during their years in St. Petersburg: when you take notice of another person, you are given respect in return. A man can always be given a robust handshake, and it is customary to ask at least about how the children are doing. Good stories, jokes and anecdotes characteristic of Russians are listened to closely, and the conversation is not allowed to dry up. Interest is kept up and fluid conversation is more important than the topics discussed. But they do not prattle about the weather. Small gifts for the host or hostess make a considerate impression. Sometimes it is valuable to consider how to support a friend’s offspring or their hobbies. That is not forgotten. Flowers are a considerate gift for women. There must be an odd number of them, unless they are given due

152

to a tragedy. “You’ve looked into things!” commented Valentina Matviyenko, who was the governor of St. Petersburg at the time, after receiving a delivery of her favourite flowers. Juhani Järvenpää let the Russian inside him marinate thoroughly during the years he spent in our Eastern neighbours’ country. Moving his cultural observation point to the other side of the border opened up new viewpoints for him about weaknesses in our society. “I’m not at all convinced that we’re better in any way in Finland,” the big man says. Järvenpää feels the majority of the world operates differently than we do here in the sheltering arms of Finland. That is why Finns as a whole could humbly watch and learn how things are done by their Eastern neighbours. Rule number one: In St. Petersburg you have to move in the right circles, as in the novel “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol. Järvenpää says of his own experience:

The rest of the world does not operate like we do in Finland. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pointless to say you have the best products and effective production, if you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even get in the door. You have to be seen with the governor. Then people begin to return your phone calls. Russian literature in particular was a big help in integration. Even housewife Liisa

Salo knows it. St. Petersburg and Russia took over my thoughts so completely, that I just wanted to experience it more and more. We got translated Russian literature for home, which is easy to find in Finland at second-hand bookshops. Without this background information many Russian customs would have remained a mystery.

Anne Berner knows how to enjoy Russia and the Russian way of life. 153

The governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvijenko, was often the VIP-guest of Sokos Hotels in the real sense of the expression VIP.

Russian time I you are less than seven hours late a friend should not even mention it - Old Russian saying. The sense of time in Russia is similar to Mediterranean countries and the time frame is also different. Nothing is agreed

154

to on the calendar, but your business partners must always be able to reach you by phone. Always. Liisa Salo admits that she has assimilated the Russian sense of time. At least when I lived in St. Petersburg I learned that we are different. We have a

different way of thinking and a different model for our actions. The sense of time is an eternal problem for Finns. In Russia, time doesn’t necessarily have a beginning or end. The saying “a time and place for everything” still has real meaning in daily life there. Pekka Salmela, the chef at the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden in the early days, scratched his head when he went to work in Russia. He says the Russian restaurant’s kitchen did not perceive tomorrow in terms of orders. The kitchen employees’ way of thinking was different from ours, and planning ahead was a completely new concept. Filets were not cut into cutlets beforehand, but only once a customer ordered one. An order for new vegetables also couldn’t be made until the old ones had been used up! Rotating stock was a new “ahah!” experience. In other words if you’ve ordered six litres of milk, you can buy more when there are still two left, instead of waiting until the milk has run out. The result-focused and time-depend-

ent Finnish mind may also be bothered by why, in Russia, you cannot set up a meeting for the day after tomorrow, unless it is to leave for a dacha or cottage. A mantra of acceptance and giving in to the same wavelength are the only real ways to make progress. In St. Petersburg people live not only in the moment, but also as if it were the last day. “In Finland, when you try to meet a friend you rarely see, you have to organise it three weeks ahead of time. In Russia, on Thursday nobody knows yet what they’ll

Liisa and Lorentz Salo whirling on the dance floor.

155

do on the weekend,” notes Pietari Pipatti, who has worked in many different capacities at Sokos Hotels.

History is valued In Russia, in addition to knowing how to converse and keep company, civilised culture is also valued. Important books area read at school, and their connections to real life are understood. The value and weight of everything learned comes up sooner or later in personal interactions.

156

Knowledge of literature and the humanities is a necessity, and remembering at least Finnish history is worth the effort, since it is enough to allow you to take part in conversations. In Russia you also learn to see history from a new standpoint, and it is not always as blackand-white or flattering as it is in our own society. “You have to remember that there was human suffering on both sides of the current and even old border for generations before us,” says Juhani Järvenpää.

“At a dinner celebrating the end of training for the Vasilievsky’s personnel, even Eino Leino was read in Russian, even though the average age of the employees was 26,” says Juhani Järvenpää.

The everyday life of ex-pats in St. Petersburg

If a Russian friend or business partner notices that you do not know your own country’s history, you can expect their eyes to roll. How can an uncivilised person be in a high-level position, or even a responsible one? The Russians are patriotically offended.

A portion of ex-pat’s families moved to St. Petersburg when they went there for work, and it was their responsibility to manage everyday life while their spouses were taking a crash course at the core of Russian work culture. It is not surprising that the early days for children with families was at first a bit difficult due to

culture shock. There was though, more time, since spouses had either taken a leave of absence from a job or their studies or had resigned permanently from their jobs when they moved to the other side of the border. Naturally the language barrier made going to the grocery store difficult, so the first step was to take a language course. There is an enormous number of language schools in St. Petersburg. Some are private, and others are part of Saint Petersburg State University. If you did not care for classroom instruction, it was easy to find private tutors. Friendships were forged with other Finns, and as language skills improved with Russians as well. “Families with school-age children found acquaintances and friends immediately through the Finnish school in St. Petersburg, a mid-sized school with about 50-60 students. The number varies each year depending on parents’ employment agreements. If you didn’t have children, once a month a group of Finnish women met, a way to get to know other ex-pats and

The city its and peo the ple seem , way wh ed s s of i tran ch also a g t tou che e , start first d th l e fo ed but gain reig v a l u ab l e ner information and . experience about how to manage in everyday life,” says Lorentz Salo’s wife Liisa Salo.

Ville Relander’s wife Sonja Kailassaari lived in St. Petersburg in 2009 and 2010. Like parallel universes, the language, the city and the ways of its people, which at first seemed strange, startled but also touched the foreigner. Everyday life was lonelier than in Finland, because it isn’t easy to meet new people in St. Petersburg. It probably would have been different if I had spoken Russian, but in that case I might not have met my teacher, Natalia, who became my good friend. I found her through the message board at the St. Petersburg Finnish Institute. We studied Russian at her home, at picnics, in the city, by listening to Russian

157

ha t i w here t es d c e i v d o u j “I m pre of l l had u t f i e s ft le ca I n .” e rt h a w e yh and m r e ov won music, watching animated Russian programmes and eating at local restaurants. She was my gateway to language and culture. Without her I wouldn’t have gotten a grasp on the Russian mentality. She told me why people didn’t smile at me in stores. ‘Why smile, if there is no reason to?’”

Living in St. Petersburg The Finnish real estate market differs from comparable ones in the world in that even small apartments are usually leased empty, while elsewhere furnishings are included in the rent, as in St. Petersburg. Although many interior decorators think that it’s more homey to have your own furniture, when you have to pay for everything yourself, our immigrants found a way to make a home in St. Petersburg which was pleasant and where Christmas and holidays were

158

spent. And small deficiencies were easily forgiven. “Over the years we got used to the fact that sometimes the electricity suddenly went off. Sometimes there was no hot water, and the heat was turned off from late May to the end of September. In flats where there was a water heater it was no problem, you just turned it on. Heating the apartment was harder, since if it was damp and rainy the temperature indoors would easily fall below 20 degrees, and then we had to get out the electric heater. We moved the heater from room to room depending on where we were,” says Liisa Salo. Finnish friends and acquaintances were worried on the other side of the border and always asked about security, since they thought it was so dangerous in St. Petersburg. When they first arrived there was fear among immigrants too, but over the years Liisa Salo, who on her first night in St. Petersburg found a machine gun under the bed, noticed that attitudes changed.

Life in St. Petersburg was safe. There was no need to be scared at any point. Wallets and mobile phones were not stolen. We walked home a few times from Nevsky at almost midnight and never had the feeling that we should be scared. The city won over Sonja Kailassaari, as well. Usually a city feels smaller when you move there, but it wasn’t like that in St. Petersburg. It always felt just as big. I moved there with a case full of prejudices and when I left it had won over my heart. Russia demands a lot from foreigners. It’s worth it to learn the language, if you want to get the most out of it. Even after living there for a year I feel like there’s still so much I didn’t experience. St. Petersburg always impressed me with its contrasts. You might see a crumbling block of flats with a bum sleeping out front next door to a fine palace. Or an elderly woman selling pickles next to a Western luxury store. It enthrals me and is the city’s richness.

Loving your neighbour “In Russia there are many ways to reach the goal,” Juhani Järvenpää knows after living there for more than six years. It’s a surprise for many that taciturn Finns are liked, and (in the Russians’ opinion) the rather dense Finns, derogatorily called ‘tsuhnas’, are welcome guests and business partners. Quality, reliability and cultural similarities are obvious to Russians. A chicken is not a bird, and Finland not a foreign country - Old Russian saying. Aira Samulin has visited St. Petersburg many times and finds similarities in our societies. In my opinion there isn’t a very big difference between Finns and Russians. Slavic blood runs in my veins too, and Russian melancholia - it’s in my nature! I’ve also grown up with the Orthodox religion. I think it has much more sensitivity and art than Western Christianity.

159

And throughout history we’ve been mixed and mashed together! I remember even in childhood that a Russian woman was nearly synonymous with a young and beautiful woman. I admire it when someone - man or woman - is attractive looking. Tall Russian mannequins are gorgeous. In Russia they eat so well, and I think their food is really delicious. I particularly like traditional tee, which they have with raspberry jam in it. I always catch my breath when I arrive in St. Petersburg. There’s culture everywhere, and the whole atmosphere in the city is so nice. It feels like you’re so small there, when you’re in a giant country and come from little Finland. The building culture has remained intact, and is comparable to many other large, old European cities. There are still lovely churches, and a flavour of history wherever you go. In St. Petersburg you see and really experience history. Sokos’s hotels in St. Petersburg are wonderful and high-class. That’s where I usually stay. At a Finnish hotel

160

you know what you’ll get. In street slang, for some reason nature-loving, humourless Finns are called “gorjachie finskie parni” (hot Finnish guys)! Does that mean that Finns are hot ladies’ men, or that we are hot-tempered when we are really in a tough spot? Maybe both, though history proves only the latter. The nation, stretching across nine time zones from the Gulf of Finland to the waves of the Pacific, borders on numerous countries and includes more than thirty republics. It has always been at odds with its neighbours. Finland is one of the few which has been able to put the Russian Bear in its place, thought it lost an arm and a bit else in the commotion. Maybe that is exactly why the former Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian Empire, and its people, are respected. Our heated nature is determination, and determination is our inner strength. In the experience of Sokos’s veterans,

the feeling of respect is not mutual and attitudes toward Russia are often arrogant. The belief is that nothing works there. In reality everything works, granted in its own way. Juhani Järvenpää thinks serious consideration should be given to doing business in Northern Sweden if you really want things to work exactly the way they do in Finland. Based on his experience, the biggest problem is the Finnish belief that there is only one correct and effective way to do things. “In Russia, the best way is simply the one that works. The country considers its possibilities realistically, and for the most part in practice the Russian way actually works faster,” say Juhani Järvenpää. The colourful mix of a large country’s cultures and internationalism can be seen in St. Petersburg when you look for the best way to do business. Sokos has always tried to adapt to that. Unlike ordering a complete package with precisely specified terms, Russian customers

Prob lem is th that e Fin there nish is on and belie l effec y on f tive e cor way rect In R to do ussia thin , the simp gs. b e ly th st wa e one y is that work s. choose a place and then see how they want to be served. In Finland, customers know what they will get before they arrive.

Caste and income differences Russia’s caste system is very evident in customer service. From the moment they shake hands, an employee is always inferior to the customer. It leads to interesting service: the customer is often more than a king. Everything has to be be arranged. The situation often even goes too far, since arranging all imaginable products for rich customers is expensive and complicated. For example, during the 2011 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum hotel guests included high-level politi-

161

MatrjoskhaDoll

Sokos Hotels, since from the beginning a specialty version was made for the minibars, which contained a Standard Vodka bottle.

The wooden doll created at the end of the 19th century by Russian artist Sergei Malyutin is still one of the most popular tourist gifts from St. Petersburgs. Classic or modern versions, one more inventive than the next, are sold along streets popular with tourists.

The doll stood the test of time better than many other products or phenomena, and for many it personified the specter of the Soviet Union perhaps better than anything else. In a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song by the band NypykĂ¤t lightly referring to cultural differences in nearby countries, the Matroyshka doll symbolises all of Russia.

The doll playfully represents themes of fertility and motherhood, a subject of interest in all cultures for both children and adults. Before the revolution they were already exported to fourteen countries, and are now found world-round. During the Soviet era the Matryoshka character was standardised, and previous dolls showing grandfathers, merchants, sailors and various professions were destroyed. Dolls with the same expression were made at factories by the millions. The doll is also related to the

Russia brought children old grandmothers, and hidden inside them are new grandmothers. Sweden brought children a handsome king, though actually there is no such thing. Denmark brought children Legos to play with, and a language so strange that no one can say it. Norway brought children oil tankers sailing, and taught them to like the smell of herring. But Finland brought, Finland brought, Finland brought children a cat that can talk.

The d oll pl ayful repre ly sents them of fert es ility and moth erhoo d.

lture u c o mach e l i feelh , W a i s s in Ru e v need i l ot n is a o ars d e t r o en . ings d d i h to be

cians from Russia and Europe, which tested the limits of the service industry. “I was involved with one delegation from the very first day. The assistant’s first order was that I kneel in front of a top Russian politician,” Jukka Räisänen recalls.

In addition, Räisänen was ordered to refrain from objecting in any way to the customer’s requests. Being ordered around did not sit well with the manager, who went to the customer’s room and personally explained the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge’s concept and what services the company offers. It became clear immediately that expectations for service were at a seven-star level. Shoe shining was demanded constantly, and there were complaints about the quality of room service and size of the wine selection. “I also told the politician personally

164

what we are, and that we do things as well as possible and are proud of it. That was the basic conversation and he was satisfied with it too. I thought later about why in the hospitality business here you always have to have a ‘Yes Sir’ attitude,” Räisänen wonders. But sometimes emplyees have bowed deeply. The Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge’s restaurant Sevilla has sent someone to search for the city’s most expensive cigar. The customer can be king, but not God. It is simply easier said than done. At SOK we hope the future will look different. Räisänen sums up the strategy: We want the process of providing service to be easy and cost-effective. There can be self-service too, but realising that culture in Russia is difficult. The class-based society is so strong.

Codes of conduct for everyone The class-based society clashes for Finns who are accustomed to strict

equality, even the term “class” seems archaic. But in Russia is it alive and well. The nation, extending far into Asia, has assimilated customs from countries with traditional societal structures, particularly while under the reign of Tatar-Mongols for nearly 250 years. While many Russians may look familiarly Finnish, practices are still very different from many European countries. The roles of women and men are conventional and strict, and do not bend easily. Women expect men to have elegant, considerate manners, just as a gentleman expects from his dame. Age, station and situation in life must also be taken into consideration, and although a foreigner will be forgiven a bit, pleasantries can never be overlooked. Using the formal form of “you” and adhering to traditional proper conduct are the building blocks for relationships, particularly in a business environment. In addition to first names and surnames, it is particularly important to remember the father’s, i.e. patriarch’s, name. In polite conversation or when addressing a person, mentioning the name is common and desirable. Shake hands

when meeting and departing - though a man should not shake the hand of a women. Exceptions are Russians who are familiar with Western ways, or if the woman herself offers her hand. On the other hand, in Russia kissing a woman’s hand in a suitable situation is not considered overly dramatic. Or, when men and women meet a simple nod and polite greeting is also enough. At a second meeting, acquaintances can already kiss each others’ cheeks. It is also not unusual for men and women to kiss on the lips as a sign of friendship. This is also sometimes done between men. While macho culture is alive in Russia, feelings or tears do not need to be hidden. Whatever happens, it is also important that nobody loses face. “It is a mental process. In a foreign country you cannot look askance when you see something which differs from your own code of conduct. Usually it needs to be understood, accepted and assimilated,” Juhani Järvenpää continues. Good manners and being civilised, as

165

mentioned earlier, is respected in business relationships as well. In Russia, knowledge is power and power knowledge. It is used and doled out in crumbs to below. That way, Russian directors can maintain their position and distance from employees. “In Russia the boss must be like a military officer, always in the middle of the group and up-to-date. Misunderstandings clear up only if you open your mouth and get attention,” Juhani Järvenpää adds. “In a way I tried to take the best sides of both worlds while I was the boss in a Russian kitchen. You try to bring Nordic democracy by listening to others and asking their opinions while implementing decisions like a Russian manager,” Kenneth Lindberg says of this leadership style in the kitchen.

Sticky situations While your Russian companion may appear to enjoy a little disagreement or heated arguing, avoid politics or criticising the country in unfamiliar company.

166

While Russians themselves may poke fun at their country and its bureaucracy, it is a topic forbidden for strangers. Sometimes silence is golden, and safest. If a disagreement does break out, it is always resolved between the two parties. In Russia, only thanks are welcome in public. It looks and feels better, so why cause someone else problems? Another cardinal sin is to say out loud that you suspect someone is lying. In Russia there are no lies, only misunderstandings and malleable truth. If a person does not see the truth, it is held against him as a personal weakness, which is usually pitied. Problem situations must be avoided particularly when dealing with bureaucracy. Even an exception to a rule can be suggested, if it is done in the right way. Juhani Järvenpää reminds: Genuinely looking for new ways to do things is important in all business ventures! It shouldn’t even be that hard here, since bureaucracy in Finland is fairly czarist-era too. Everything depends of course on contacts and presentation. The

Disa

more respected men you know, the more leeway you have to make suggestions. There are plenty of challenges, but they can also be turned to your advantage. Since Russia often lacks familiar things or technology, we can chose the latest and best solutions on the market from around the world. Still, the country lags behind the Western World in know-how about the hotel industry. For that reason, SOK has often been in the role of giver rather than receiver. But Sokos employees trust in the future.

Cruel fairness Sometimes Russians feel that a Finnish company is cruel. Errors are not tolerated and crimes are punished. No matter how good an accountant is, lining his pockets is not allowed. Dmitri Melnikov, who earned his MBA in Finland, understands both mentalities and alludes to a different perception of truth: The difference in trust is immense. In

gree men solv t is ed b alw e twee ties. ays n th reIn R e two ussi are a, o parwelc nly than ome ks in p ubli Russia, c. they don’t understand that if someone is caught once, a Finn will no longer trust the person.

Even difficult issues are investigated thoroughly at SOK. Spot checks are done, and for example employees’ bags are checked regularly and periodically. Of course this isn’t something we would have thought of beforehand, but when in Rome, do as the Romans. “Security experts are good at these things, so it’s better to use their services too much than too little, and it’s better to pare them down only later,” Juhani Järvenpää sums up. Unexpected situations have also come up with guest who are public figures, since in Russia confidential information is not necessarily considered secret. Unwelcome fans have shown up to hang around in front of the hotel or even the

167

rooms. And we’ve had to fire people who leaked information. Sometimes employees may respect mafiosos more than the law or hotel rules, since some of them have so much power and so many connections that people see them more as opportunities than threats. Sometimes there have been problems with gangsters, who have used the hotels as their offices. At the Olympia Garden, there was a certain Edgar (name changed), who was a well-known mafioso from the city’s underworld. The bartenders were captivated when the gangster showed them pictures of his fancy cars and women. But the man with a tattooed head who came from a Caucasus mountain tribe was already suspected of serious crimes, and his assets were frozen. To hide his money stash from the police, Edgar had talked someone into letting him put it in the hotel safe, without my knowledge! Despite the investigation he spent his time in the hotel bar, and when the bar tab reached more than a thousand Euros I went and asked whose tab it was! The bartenders said Edgar’s! And that

168

by the way he’s a really special guy! Edgar was the type of special guy who didn’t give a whit about paying the bar tab. Finally we had to call the FSB (formerly the KGB). Since Edgar was from a foreign background, the security police were able to declare the man boasting about his Humvees and whores a danger to national security. Then the bill was paid quickly from Edgar’s secret stash. This is what it’s like here sometimes - hassles, bribery and arguing. Someone is always in need of something and you have to know which string to pull next,” says Tomi Meriläinen, the current Managing Director of the Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky.

All antennas up Whether in business or personal life, in a large country you have to be more selective with people than elsewhere. Russia is an incredibly big country whose people lack a shared value system, which despite its extremely brutal attempt even the Soviet Union failed to build. People with very different agendas are around. Jukka Räisänen analysed his experiences:

Even before opening the hotel I began to understand that here people have an instinct that we Finns lack. Russians assess and profile us in an instant. Here people don’t live in a small, safe, cozy place, so the social environment has developed a different kind of sharp intuition about people. At job interviews I often bring along another interviewer, a Russian, to profile the applicant. Juhani Järvenpää’s assessment is that even after everything that happened, in

the end establishing three hotels of the same size in Finland in the same amount of time might not have succeeded. “We are genuinely committed to all operations and prefer to use Russians rather than international professionals. We only brought with us the criteria to be implemented, and even that isn’t as important as expertise in the local market. We got local know-how by working handson,” Järvenpää says in summing up the company’s current situation.

“I began to understand that here people have an instinct that we Finns lack .”

169

A RISING METROPOLIS FOR CITY TOURISM X.

Exoticism just around the corner

170

A hard and beautiful jewel St. Petersburg is undeniably the culture capital of Russia. Regardless of the time of year or time of day, the metropolis’s heart beats and offers rich pleasures for all the senses, and maybe even a bit too much. In a city where Finns too have always had their place, even a demanding tourist will not be bored. You always know you are walking, if not in the footsteps of a legendary person, at least in the steps of a protagonist in one of their works. If the Soviet Union clearly succeeded in something, it was the creation, offering and quality of culture. Now, the cream of the former socialist Motherland’s theatres, museums, ballets and operas is plentiful in the exhibits and repertoires of the City of Canals. Both the poor and rich can enjoy high-class culture, because what is high-class culture for us is entertainment for all in Russia. In Russia, culture belongs to everyone. Glancing around you in the audience proves it: ballet and opera belong to both groups

of students and senior citizens, which ensures that the rest of the family also takes part in culturally enriching events. While prices at some locations are higher for foreigners due to social rights, worldclass performances or the treasures of The Hermitage should never be missed when visiting St. Petersburg. “And not pop culture either!” Juhani Järvenpää gives a cry of delight when he talks about culture in the city. And Russians themselves do not forget popular music events either. You don’t need to be a cultural expert to understand the size difference in audiences and spectacles between our countries. While record audiences in Finland are well below 100,000 (Madonna, Kyläsaari, 85,000), in Russia festival-goers can be about one quarter of the population of our entire country. (Monsters of Rock, Moscow, 1.5 million). “In a way St. Petersburg is the new Tallinn for Finns,” Juhani Järvenpää says. Even before the “invasion” SOK

171

Neva River with spectacular fountains staunchly believed that Finnish tourism in St. Petersburg would grow. Finns didn’t dare to go to Tallinn at first either, but later we rampaged around as if it were a new part of Helsinki. Time has shown that the expectations were right, and more and more Finnish can be heard on the city’s streets. In St. Petersburg, an entire hotel can fill up just with Finns. Early on, tourists didn’t really know where they were going. “Even though St. Petersburg is a big city, people came here pretty much with no idea what they were doing. They forgot their tourist skills at the border, because they thought this was some sort of resort. It wouldn’t matter if it had happened just

172

Hermitage, the Admiralty and St. Isaac’s Cathedral now and then, but Juhani and I certainly couldn’t run around the city all night every weekend giving advice to new tourists. A sense of insecurity created those feelings who goes to a new city and asks, ‘can we take the metro together?’” Jukka Räisänen says to sum up old feelings about needy tourists. In 2012, the situation is different. More and more tourists visit the city. The locale for the creative and fashionable class is moving from Berlin to St. Petersburg. And in a way it is understandable as a natural development. Until just recently Berlin was a lot like the Gulf of Finland’s megapolis. But in the eyes of many who take travelling seri-

Neva’s sandy beach makes the feeling of summer. ously, a certain genuine exotic feel linked to socialism has already disappeared from the streets of former East Berlin, and now they are looking east for adventure. What could offer more to a hipster than smartly decadent St. Petersburg, where style, history and attitude still meet in such a genuinely dramatic marriage, which bubbles on the city’s street like the bubbles in cheap champagne in a night roller’s throat. And one piece at a time everything has become easier. Now a three-and-a-half hour express train ride brings you in a flash from Helsinki to the city’s centre. Crossing the border by car or bus has sped up significantly. And the language

Enjoy shopping!

barrier is gone, too. More young Russians now speak English, and there are even signs in the metro in Western letters. Russian markets are truly large and full of possibilities. “It’s really good that we’re already there and have assimilated the operating model. St. Petersburg is a developing market and very close. At the company we talk about near-area strategy in connection with St. Petersburg. The numbers clearly show that tourism is continuing to grow, and the city is a clear target area to expand into. The Russians are already getting ready to launch visefree travel before the Football World Cup in 2018,” says Kuisma Niemelä.

173

Overall, the same thing has happened to St. Petersburg as to Helsinki: in recent years is has become internationalised and opened its heart to tourists almost without us realising it. Now when you walk on the streets of a city of millions, the air you breath feels more European, people are more open and the street scene has something familiar to everyone. Still, globalisation has not entirely succeeded in quelling localisation and suppressing the city’s age-old mystique, old traditions or characteristic way of speaking. Culture shock has lessened, but still retains its effect. When you cross the border, you feel right away that you are really abroad. Whatever you are looking for, St. Petersburg provides a great experience. It is a mix of urban pulse on par with New York, beautiful locations, warm people and an easy-going lifestyle as well as fast traffic and epileptic neon lights. The city pulses with the richness of life, giving you just the right serving of surprises and a whiff of danger to make you feel alive. At the same time it touches your values and heart just deeply enough

174

that you can always fall in love with it all over again. At the moment, St. Petersburg is actually the best that Europe can offer to any city tourist.

The magic of the white nights

Peterhof ea. “Russian Versailles” is reminding of the mighty Tsar.

At Pet the ers mo bu bes r g is ment t th ,S at act t E u to a uro all . yt p ny he city e can off tou er ris t.

The State Hermitage Museum (former Imperial Winter Palace) impresses with one of the World’s largest art collections. Posing near the St. Isaac’s Cathedral

The “Bridge Bank” is well known for its elaborate statues. 175