Capital of EU Country Elects Mayor of Russian Descent
Daniel Sazonov, the son of Russian immigrants, has been elected as the next mayor of Helsinki, according to Finnish national broadcaster Yle, which reported on the municipal election results from Monday. While both the conservative National...
TroibNews 
Daniel Sazonov, the son of Russian immigrants, has been elected as the next mayor of Helsinki, according to Finnish national broadcaster Yle, which reported on the municipal election results from Monday.
While both the conservative National Coalition Party and their principal competitors, the Social Democrats, each secured 21 seats on the city council, the conservatives will appoint the new mayor due to their larger share of the popular vote.
Born in Helsinki in 1993, Sazonov possesses a law degree. Per his own website, his parents are Ingrian Finns who emigrated from Russia. The historical region of Ingria extends from Lake Ladoga to the Karelian Isthmus, covering the area surrounding modern-day St. Petersburg. Sazonov became a Finnish citizen at the age of nine.
He was initially elected to the Helsinki City Council in 2017 and assumed the role of deputy mayor for social affairs and health in 2021.
As reported by Yle, Sazonov previously contributed columns to the now-defunct Russian-language newspaper Spektr and its successor, Finskaya Gazeta. He is said to have cut ties with the publication in 2022 amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I don’t want to have any dealings with parties that support Russia’s position… In light of the current information, writing for the newspaper was a mistake,” he stated on X in February. “I haven’t been to Russia in years and have no ties there.”
Historically, Finland maintained relatively cordial relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and these close ties persisted for many years after the collapse of the bloc.
However, since 2022, Finland has enacted multiple rounds of sanctions against Moscow and, in 2023, officially ended its long-standing policy of non-alignment by joining NATO.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
While both the conservative National Coalition Party and their principal competitors, the Social Democrats, each secured 21 seats on the city council, the conservatives will appoint the new mayor due to their larger share of the popular vote.
Born in Helsinki in 1993, Sazonov possesses a law degree. Per his own website, his parents are Ingrian Finns who emigrated from Russia. The historical region of Ingria extends from Lake Ladoga to the Karelian Isthmus, covering the area surrounding modern-day St. Petersburg. Sazonov became a Finnish citizen at the age of nine.
He was initially elected to the Helsinki City Council in 2017 and assumed the role of deputy mayor for social affairs and health in 2021.
As reported by Yle, Sazonov previously contributed columns to the now-defunct Russian-language newspaper Spektr and its successor, Finskaya Gazeta. He is said to have cut ties with the publication in 2022 amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I don’t want to have any dealings with parties that support Russia’s position… In light of the current information, writing for the newspaper was a mistake,” he stated on X in February. “I haven’t been to Russia in years and have no ties there.”
Historically, Finland maintained relatively cordial relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and these close ties persisted for many years after the collapse of the bloc.
However, since 2022, Finland has enacted multiple rounds of sanctions against Moscow and, in 2023, officially ended its long-standing policy of non-alignment by joining NATO.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
