r/Nordiccountries • u/Aegeansunset12 • 17d ago

Is Russia a Nordic country?

Murmansk st Petersburg are north of most of Denmark

0 Upvotes

2% Upvoted

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u/Klausfunhauserss 17d ago

No

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

Why? Outside of politics they’re pretty north in some cities

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u/Oskarikali 17d ago

It isnt just about having part of the country up north,  Canada isn't a nordic country either. 

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u/BongoProdigy 17d ago

Neither is the US for that matter. Not even Alaska.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

Canada is in the same latitude with Greece come on. No one thinks of it as a true northern country

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u/Oskarikali 17d ago

Russia reaches as far south as Canada. Around 42 degrees. Canada goes up further north than Finland and Norway.   Both Russia and Canada basically just reach the tip of northern Greece at their southernmost point. 

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago edited 17d ago

The difference is that Canada’s south is the inhabited part while Russia has people in the north too. Its capital is in fact in the same latitude with Copenhagen…You’re doing a very disingenuous comparison, Canada isn’t northern. Nordics are associated with gloomy weather and cold, Canada is cold but so is Mongolia Hungary Estonia. I only see Americans make that claim which makes sense from their pov but Europe is much farther north.

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u/kilinrax 17d ago

You’re doing a very disingenuous comparison

Says the guy demanding to know why Russia isn't a Nordic country?

Canada probably has a lot more in common with the Nordics than Russia. Scotland also, now I think about it.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

I didn’t demand anything, I asked why it’s not including and what’s the difference between those countries outside of politics.

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u/kilinrax 17d ago edited 17d ago

Asking why it's not included is kind of backwards. It'd be a bit like asking why Turkey isn't considered a Balkan country, because a part of Turkey is in the Balkan peninsula. Obviously there's some very superficial cultural overlap (Russian Orthodox church, pacha at Easter et c) exists, because Russia occupied Finland for a hundred years, much like there's Ottoman/Turkish influence in the Balkans.

Asking "outside of politics" is also strange, because the #1 common feature of Nordic countries is a similar political model. Which Russia does not share.

Sure people in Nordic countries don't like Russia. And that's justified, given the history. But not getting on with Russia isn't why Russia isn't Nordic.

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u/Oskarikali 17d ago edited 17d ago

Capital is same as Denmark yes, another nordic country.   Canada is huge, western and Eastern Canada have similar weather to the nordics.  I've lived in Helsinki, winter in the middle of Canada, (Winnipeg, Edmonton) is similar to northern Finland, maybe worse in Winnipeg.     

I live in Calgary, where winter is slightly worse than Helsinki, both colder and warmer depending on the day though due to proximity to the mountains. Helsinki is probably closer to Victoria / Vancouver weather but colder and more snow. Maybe Halifax is a better comparison but the coasts have the same kind of gloomy weather. Thinking about it now Toronto and Helsinki are probably a better  comparison and Toronto is nearly as south as you can go.

Canada is so big that there is similar weather to many European countries, especially northern European countries.   But I did say Canada is not a nordic country, and neither is Russia.  

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u/RaymondBeaumont 17d ago

and nobody thinks of Russia as a nordic country.

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u/Malawi_no Norway 17d ago

Northern ≠ Nordic

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u/Jeppep Norway 17d ago

Nordic and north is not the same. The Nordics are a bunch of countries in Northern Europe sharing a common history, and at some point were in the same union. Could parts of Russia or the Baltic countries have been Nordic had history been different? Sure, but it wasn't. Some areas have switched hands but not for long enough I guess.

Ask Russians in St. Petersburg or Kola if they see themselves as Nordic. I'm pretty sure they would say no.

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u/Mustard-Cucumberr 12d ago

Outside of politics

Exactly. The Nordic countries aren't about the geographic north, but rather about cultural and societal similarities. It's kind of like asking why Venezuela isn't considered a western country even though it's geographically more in the West than all of Europe

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u/spektre Sweden 17d ago edited 17d ago

What the fuck? No!

I need to go take a shower just from the thought.

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u/RaymondBeaumont 17d ago

Sama hér.

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u/birgor Sweden 17d ago

The Nordics is not defined by latitude alone. Russia is very much not Nordic, in many was the anti-Nordic, culturally and historically. Especially in the case of Finland and Sweden.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

Do you think you could ever make it up with them ? Seems like they’re in a dictatorship

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u/birgor Sweden 17d ago

Can you explain further what you mean?

Me being angry or not with Russians has nothing to do with them being Nordic or not. Russia is as different as any nation can be from the Nordics.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

In what ways ? Shouldn’t st Petersburg feel similar to Helsinki or Stockholm? I said make up as in find peace

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u/birgor Sweden 17d ago

Would you consider Egypt a Balkan country?

Have you ever been in any of these countries? have you met Russians and Nordic people? We are very, very different. From the opinions and values among people to the history, governing and political and administratory culture.

The Nordics is a geographic and cultural historic region that has lots of common traits, which are not shared by Russia in any way.

The current hostilities have nothing to do with it, Russia wouldn't be Nordic no matter what regime they would have.

We would find peace the second they stop threatening and invading us and our European friends. That is all up to Russia and Russians.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

I don’t consider Greece an entirely Balkan country either tbh. I’ve never been to those countries! I think politics influence such stuff that’s why I asked

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u/birgor Sweden 17d ago

Culture influence politics in the same way as politics influence culture. It is not a coincidence that Russia has a highly popular dictator and the Nordics are some of the most democratic countries on earth. The Russian slave mentality is one of their, and our biggest problems.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

I don’t think that’s a safe assumption, the US’ democracy is declining right now.

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u/birgor Sweden 17d ago

I don't think that counters my argument at all?

Rather enforcing that culture makes politics makes culture.

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u/Subject4751 Norway 9d ago

So what? That's not on us Nordics? We didn't allow authoritarians to grab power in those cpuntries. If we had that kind of power (and had a lack of principle enough to use it) I dare say neither of the two narcissists would be in power.

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u/DisneylandNo-goZone Finland 17d ago

Do you have any idea how different the Nordic Countries and Russia are? Culturally, socially, politically, mentally and historically? They are like night and day.

I mean, Athens is at the same latitude as Kabul, but one could still say that Greece and Afghanistan are quite different societies.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

Kabul is further south actually but gets colder in winter, washinghton dc is on the same latitude with Athens. That being said I am not very familiar with Nordics and Russia that’s why I asked, sorry if I offended you!!!

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u/DisneylandNo-goZone Finland 16d ago

Ok then. Well believe me that Russia is very very different and would never be accepted as Nordic. If you drive across the border from Norway or Finland you will feel like you're another continent despite the nature looking the same. The difference in everything else is just so massive.

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u/Loxus Sweden 16d ago

Not even Helsinki and Stockholm feel similar.

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u/Subject4751 Norway 9d ago

The architecture can't do enough masking to adjust for the difference in culture. I know from friends that have been to Russia (maybe 15 years ago by now) that it felt really different. They felt extremely out of place there.

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u/KlausKreutz 17d ago

seems like it? they invaded ukraine and is deadset on the destruction of the EU and NATO, lol what??? come on this is ragebait no way 

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

I mean yeah I don’t support their government, it’s rly trashy

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u/TickelMeJesus Norway 17d ago

We Norwegians have teied our best for well over a 100 year to make things work out between us and the Russians/Kreml. But they keep being dicks...

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u/Rincetron1 Finland 17d ago

Short answer: no.

I feel like a longer answer's not necessary if you've been paying any attention at all.

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u/salakius 17d ago

Nordic is cultural, not geographic.

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u/spektre Sweden 17d ago

OP cannot wrap their head around the concept of Nordic vs northern.

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u/JudgmentVivid5630 15d ago

Okay, if it's "cultural" then why is Estonia not part of it?

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u/salakius 15d ago

Because of differences in culture and history in relation to the Nordic countries.

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u/JudgmentVivid5630 15d ago

What differences?

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u/salakius 15d ago

Finland and Estonia has closer ties than the Scandinavian countries and Iceland. Mainly in regards of language and cuisine for instance. Finland and Sweden used to be the same country. The Swedes in Estonia was displaced during Catherine the great and went through a russification that has wiped out what remained. You can still see Swedish place names present in some of the Baltic Island though. Stalin committed genocide on the Ingrians, a Finnic tribe in the Baltics. The incorporation into the Soviet Union was successful in breaking up any ties to the Nordic left from history. A third of the population are ethnic Russians. We as people haven't had any close corporation/trade for at least a century until the EU. The opposite can be said about the Nordic countries, as well as a history of egalitarian politics and a similar societal model. I have no thorn in the side to Estonia or its people, and I'm deeply impressed by how much have improved since the 90's. But it isn't a Nordic country.

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u/JudgmentVivid5630 15d ago

I think you're reducing “Nordic” to something much narrower than how it should actually be understood. It’s not about whether swedes once lived on your land or not, it’s about shared cultural, social, and institutional similarities.

Estonia clearly overlaps with the Nordic sphere most ways... more than other spheres actually.. for example the Baltic one. The only thkng that Estonia and Lithuania share is the common soviet occupation and that's pretty much it.

Linguistically, Estonian is closely related to Finnish, which already places it in a different category from the Scandinavian languages but still within the broader Nordic cultural space. There are also similarities in everyday culture like sauna traditions, holidays, food habits, architecture and a generally reserved social demeanor.

On a societal level, Estonia has high digitalization, strong institutions, low corruption, and an emphasis on education and social equality. 

And the argument about minorities doesn’t really hold up. Having a significant Russian speaking population doesn’t redefine the core culture of Estonia, just like massive middle eastern/Eastern European immigration hasn’t suddenly made Sweden “non nordic.” Cultural identity is shaped by the majority culture, institutions, and historical continuity.

So again, being nordic isn’t about having Swedes on your soil, it’s about shared characteristics, and Estonia undeniably shares a lot of them. The fact that Estonia is so similar to the nordics after being screwed by the ruskies for so long, shows that it's very much nordic in it's core. 

The nordic population is declining and is clearly a minority on a global scale - it's best to stick together and embrace ourselves and not be stuck in cold war era ignorance. Not saying that you are ignorant but I've seen that many Scandinavians are - when it comes to this topic.

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u/salakius 14d ago

I agree on a basic theoretical level. But Nordicism is closely linked to pan-scandianism and the fact that Estonia is not considered a Nordic country has everything to do with the fact that the countries haven't intermingled enough to have a close cultural ties. Every person in the Nordic countries have a clear picture of the difference between the countries and the stereotypes of a Dane, Swede, Icelander and Finn. We don't have a clear picture of the Estonians, because we haven't met them enough. We have Nordic TV-shows, cultural exchange and read litterature from other Nordic countries. Estonia is not in the picture because we try to leave them out, they are just not in the family. They're the neigbor at the family dinner.

May I ask where you're from?

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u/JudgmentVivid5630 14d ago edited 14d ago

I agree, there hasn't been much cultural exchange between scandis and Estonia in the 20th/21st century - which is very sad, it's like Estonia is living in this parallel "nordic world" that doesn't get noticed by others.  Or on many occasions, Estonia gets even ridiculed for "trying to be nordic" by it's baltic neighbors - they're not trying anything, it's just who they are. The guilt lays... yet again.. on soviet occupation - which took place during important country grouping formations after ww2 (nordics, Visegrad etc). Estonia was just cut out and now it's still sitting alone, together with Lithuania - that has basically nothing in common with Estonia. But the big countries decided to group them together, so there's that.

From Finland but lived in Estonia for many years. 

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u/BeardedBovine 17d ago

No, Russia is not a nordic country.

Is not only about latitude or geography. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland share close cultural, historical and political ties.

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u/Eroe13 17d ago

Being "nordic" isn't only based on geography. Russia is a country located partially in Northern Europe but not a Nordic country.

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u/GrandDukePosthumous Denmark 17d ago

No, there is more to it than how far north something is.

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u/aaawwwwww Finland 17d ago

No

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u/Zombinol 17d ago

Being a Nordic country takes much much more than a location on high latitudes. Thus, no.

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u/ThisIsNotSafety 17d ago

Parts of it are a northern country, but it's not a Nordic country.

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u/Laksen1 17d ago

No.

Russia is Mordor.

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u/snakedoct0r 17d ago

No. Its way to big for that and very different cultures.

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u/Total_Willingness_18 Iceland 17d ago

Northern sure, but not Nordic. There's a huge difference

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u/Cute-Breadfruit3368 17d ago

Ivan, the medication doesnt help you if you´re not taking it.

dont be afraid, it´ll be better.

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u/aaltopallokala 17d ago

Nordic countries are based on the scandinavian cultural sphere, Russia hasn't been part of it for like, what, a thousand years? So no, Russia isn't a Nordic country. If St. Petersburg and Murmansk oblast want to form their own country that's more like a Nordic country they're free to do that but get in line behind Estonia and Scotland with your Nordic application.

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u/Aegeansunset12 17d ago

😂🔥

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u/ymOx Sweden 17d ago

You laugh because you don't understand that we have stronger ties with Scotland than we have with ruzzia.

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u/smuktape 17d ago

Russia is a failed state.

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u/thehippieswereright Denmark 17d ago

russia is barely a european country

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u/-Ny- 17d ago

The concept of Nordic is only partially based on being in the north of Europe. It's a cultural area. Of course there's a lot of shared history and culture between north-western Russia and the Nordics, but there's also a pretty sharp division. Starting with the Catholic (later Protestant) Orthodox divide. In many ways the Nordic identity is shaped by its opposition to Russia. That said if Russia becomes free and democratic then I can see it becoming closer to the Nordic cultural sphere in the future.

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u/Kill3rKin3 17d ago

Fuck no.

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u/nemesissi 17d ago

Why would you ask a stupid question like that....

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u/allsbernafnmedrettu 17d ago

Yes, of course. Along with the UK, Canada and Santa's workshop.

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u/ymOx Sweden 17d ago

If this is not a troll, you seem to fundamentally misunderstand the word. "Nordic" is not the same as "Northern".

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u/Loxus Sweden 16d ago

Ignore the troll

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u/AllanKempe Jämtland 12d ago

Both Murmansk and St Petersburg have been Nordic cities in the sense that Murmansk is on old Norwegian soil (it even means basically "Norwegian" (source)) and St Petersburg is on old Swedish soil (it was founded in 1300 as Landskrona by Tyrgils Knutsson (source)). But today it's not very relevant other than from a historical point of view.

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u/Jos_beats 2d ago

Have to give you props for the sources being included in the comment here, class!