#imatra

A Finland-based pro-Ukrainian group Totuuden Vuoksi has purchased an advertisement space for a memorial for Alexey Navalny in Imatra for a week. They specifically wanted it for the date of Navalny's funeral. The group has previously purchased similar by-the-road advertisement spaces for pro-Ukraine messages that have sometimes been vandalised.

Imatra is a Finnish town near Russia, formerly favoured by Russian tourists shopping in Finland. The town also has a population of Russian immigrants.

The name Totuuden Vuoksi is a pun meaning “for the sake of the truth” or “tide/flood of truth”. Vuoksi is also the name of the river flowing through Imatra from Lake Saimaa to Lake Ladoga.

Flowers and a candle were left at the scene on Friday.

According to an anonymous Totuuden Vuoksi member, the local Russians avoid talking about the war. In his opinion, the local Finns in contrast have less fear of Russia as they can see how the sanctions have affected Russia.

"Fear is Russia's most effective weapon against us. Russia ought to be stripped off of this weapon," he says.

A crowd of people gathers in the Eastern Finnish city of Imatra on a bridge overlooking Imatrankoski rapids, one of the Nordic country's most well-known natural attractions.

At the same time every day, the river's almost century-old dam is opened and water rushes under the bridge, to the sound of music by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

It is a popular attraction especially for Russian tourists. Even Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, visited Imatrankoski in 1772.

But since the end of July, the city of Imatra has started the show by playing the Ukrainian national anthem, to protest the Russian invasion.

Finland, which shares 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) eastern border with Russia, is also preparing to limit tourist visas issued for Russians.

"This is bad for the Russians who love Finland," says Mark Kosykh, a 44-year-old Russian tourist who has come to see the rapids with his family.

"But we understand the government of Finland," he says.

Kosykh emphasises that there are Russians who do not like the war.

Imatra, Finland