And today, boats and launches remain the means of transportation for Scandinavians
15/9/0
From Slavs to Varangians
Sweden is separated from us by no less than three countries and a sea. In ancient times, even before the formation of modern Slavic states, local princes quite often received Scandinavian ambassadors, establishing economic and political ties with the Varangians. And courageous Scandinavian warriors often served in the militias of Slavic princes and fought for them. Yaroslav the Wise, seeking to strengthen the international authority of the ancient Russian state, married the Swedish princess Ingigerd (baptized as Irina), daughter of King Olaf.
When cars did not yet exist, and traveling overland from one state to another took long months by relay, the main means of transportation for Scandinavians were light and swift boats that plied many seas and, eventually, reached our shores. And it is not surprising, because for us now one of the shortest and most convenient land routes to Sweden goes first through Poland – by train to Warsaw, then by bus to the Baltic coast – and then across the Baltic Sea itself.
However, today, to cross such a wide expanse of water, people use a much more comfortable and reliable mode of transport – ferries, which hospitably welcome tourists along with their vehicles, whether a car or an entire bus, into their multi-story embraces.
Where to go – we head south
Who doesn't remember the wonderful fairy-tale character – the boy Nils Holgersson, who, turned into a dwarf, flew on his beloved goose Martin to warmer climes? And he flew from northern Sweden to the south, from cold winter and bitter frost to the mild warmth of Swedish Lapland. The entire northeast of the country is covered with mountains, the highest of which is Kebnekaise, rising 2,111 meters above sea level. The local climate is indeed inhospitable, with frosty winters followed by a short and rather cool summer, and the mountain peaks and plateaus never shed their snow-white attire. That is why insulation of external walls during housing construction is so relevant here, especially since modern technologies allow this without much trouble and without disturbing the ecological balance. Again, this is the perfect place for ski resorts and extreme snow slopes.
It's a different story on the south of the country – winter is not too cold, summer is not too hot, and it is almost never dry in this region, as the oceanic climate brings plenty of precipitation from the North Atlantic and the Baltic, which falls with varying frequency all year round. Therefore, the land here is fertile and rich: the entire south of the country is covered with lush forests and fields, abounding with various fauna. Wise and prudent Swedes do their utmost to protect their nature and ecology, for which numerous projects have been developed and many laws have been passed to preserve local forests.
From the window of a car driving along a forest highway, on both sides of the road one can notice fairly high mesh fences stretching along the entire forest. Such welded mesh fences are commonly used here to enclose dacha plots. But here they are protection for animals that might inadvertently dash onto the road and get under the wheels of a speeding car. Among other things, the forest itself is protected by law. It is strictly forbidden to light fires on its territory, and tent camps can be set up only in specially designated areas. Perhaps that is why, and also because Swedes themselves are not particularly eager to venture into the thicket, the whole of southern Sweden resembles one continuous nature reserve, teeming with various kinds of wildlife – from hedgehogs, hares, and squirrels to deer and moose.
Speaking of moose. These animals are a national symbol of the country, and shops and souvenir kiosks abound with cute and funny soft moose toys with yellow-blue scarves around their necks. Why yellow-blue? Because the flag of Sweden is a yellow horizontal cross on a blue background. Therefore, the national colors of Sweden, like those of Ukraine, are blue and yellow.
There really are many moose in these forests; they are as common here as cows grazing in a meadow are for us. But when moose populations become too large and the natural balance is disturbed, an annual hunting season is opened. However, hunting is allowed only with a special permit.
Continuing the conversation about Swedish nature, it is hard not to note that, unlike our people, who on a warm weekend dream of barbecues outdoors, Swedes are not particularly drawn to the forest. Partly, perhaps, because the vast majority of the population lives in small towns surrounded on all sides by forests, or in private homes, or even on lonely farms far out in the fields and steppes of southern Sweden. This means they have constant contact with nature.
It is both pleasing and surprising that, even through small groves, if necessary, a neat asphalt or tile path is laid for people, from which travelers almost never stray: why go into the forest when there are enough worries as it is? But we, as visitors and very curious, decided to step off the beaten path and delve a little into the Scandinavian wilds – and we did not regret it. The forest is completely untouched, almost wild, overgrown with moss, reminiscent of pictures from children's fairy tales. It seems that behind that tree there will be a clearing, and on it – a hut on chicken legs. The rare pedestrians passing along the path looked with surprise at the strange people wandering with open mouths among the trees, and their whole appearance expressed extreme amazement. And we had good reason to wander – almost everywhere underfoot there were countless mushrooms, which even a meter from the road were of no interest to anyone… The explanation for this is quite simple: Swedes are completely unfamiliar with mushrooms and cannot distinguish a russula from a chanterelle, and they buy mushrooms exclusively in supermarkets.
Half a kingdom for sunflower seeds!
Sweden is a rather isolated country in terms of immigration. It is quite difficult to get there, and even harder to obtain a residence permit. That is why the Ukrainian diaspora there is small.
Emigrants from Ukraine greatly miss our "native" food, which includes: rye black bread, buckwheat, processed cheese, and sunflower seeds! How can one live without the pleasure of munching on roasted and salted seeds while sitting in front of the TV, instead of settling for "bourgeois" popcorn? Having visited a bakery factory, we were amazed at the quantity and variety of pastries produced - buns, pies, muffins, cookies - all in endless assortment. But there is exactly what we longed for - Borodinsky or rye bread: almost all bread there is white, made from premium wheat flour.
The Swedish diet is quite varied, except for one detail: in everyday life, they almost never eat soups or borscht, that is, the dishes we proudly call "first courses." Instead, they drink a lot of water or juices during meals. Favorite Swedish dishes include potato casserole and potato salad (similar to our vinaigrette), as well as various fish dishes. They often cook baked meat or pâtés.
As for alcoholic beverages, the state maintains a complete monopoly here. Drinking beer in public places is not customary, and in general, alcohol consumption is not very approved unless it is a party or celebration. It can only be bought in special stores called Systembolaget, and only from Monday to Thursday. If you look young and the seller thinks you are under 18, they have the right to ask for a passport. Therefore, many tourists prefer to buy alcohol at the airport Duty Free. Under no circumstances should you drink alcohol brought with you in a restaurant or café.
Hardened northern character
Swedes themselves are quite friendly, calm, and good-natured. They will gladly tell you how to get to the right place. If, of course, you find a way to communicate with them: not everyone knows English here, especially among older people, but many understand and use German.
Swedes pay considerable attention to their own well-being and the prosperity of the country, and they try not to break the law. However, it is not customary to lend or borrow money, as everyone is for themselves here. Parents send their children into free waters as soon as they come of age. And it is understandable - from school, young Swedes are taught independence: children do their school assignments on their own, finding literature in the library or using the Internet. Children are also free to choose whether to leave the classroom during a lesson, sit or move around the room, and even attend classes or not. The determining factor for a child's academic performance here is not behavior, but knowledge during exams. Each student understands that without a certain number of points, they will have to repeat the year or, even worse, complicate their university admission. So from childhood, the child determines their own life values. Moreover, almost all children try to find a summer job to have pocket money. Thus grows a nation of independent, confident citizens. The person we visited was born into a poor large family, worked from childhood, and by adulthood became a millionaire - isn't that the Swedish dream?
Like any other people, Swedes love to relax and have fun. During our short stay in Sweden, we managed to attend several celebrations - City Day, a summer charity fair-sale, a jazz music festival, and also a summer stage in a large recreation park where classical and folk music ensembles competed. Rock and roll, country, and waltz are favorite styles of all generations of Swedes, who, by the way, are not averse to playing music in their free time from work and study.
One hundred thousand lakes
This is no joke – there are indeed about one hundred thousand lakes in Sweden, from tiny to huge, more like seas. The largest and most famous among them are two giants - Vänern and Vättern. In the 19th century, a grandiose Göta Canal with a whole system of locks was built between these lakes and the Baltic Sea for ships sailing through it.
These two lakes, as well as several other large lakes - Mälaren and Hjälmaren - are open for free fishing without a permit. In other cases, you need to obtain a special permit called "fiskekort" from local information offices or sporting goods stores. Fishing is strictly prohibited in water bodies that are privately owned.
Naturally, the presence of such a quantity of water means that fish constitutes a large part of the Swedish diet. No feast is complete without fish products, and around the lakes themselves there are many shops, pavilions, and small stores selling fresh and prepared fish, as well as various fish dishes. There are even specially equipped cafés and eateries where you can, while admiring the view of the lake, enjoy any fish dishes from the fish caught in that lake. At the entrance to such an eatery, there is invariably a huge fish that once fell into the net of a lucky fisherman; the small cozy hall is furnished with rough wooden furniture, and the menu abounds with names that make your mouth water. Marinated herring with spices, herring with mayonnaise, smoked eel, baked cod, fried salmon – these are just a few names from the endless list of offered dishes. However, in no store in Sweden will you find the salted herring we know and love, or the beloved dried fish, or salted-smoked gobies. Any fish bought here will be sweetened. This peculiar cooking tradition developed in Sweden long ago due to the country's cool climate.
Here and now, the past and future unite
To say that Sweden has many historical monuments is an understatement. The entire southern part of the country is literally dotted with castles, ancient churches, and remnants of old settlements. In the capital alone, Stockholm, there are hundreds of places worth seeing with your own eyes: museums, fortresses, architectural monuments, and much more. Throughout the country, a huge number of castles remain almost untouched by time, many of which now house museums.
But what struck us, having traveled almost the entire south of the country, was the ubiquitous presence of guardian spirits of the past—stone blocks with or without runes, resembling sentinels of time. As a rule, they stand vertically in clearings or on hilltops, embedded in the ground in the shape of circles, figure eights, and ships. One of the mini-Stonehenges we discovered was on private property, twenty meters from the owner's house, who was peacefully mowing the grass on a small tractor among the ancient boulders.
The monuments attract by their mystery and unique enigmatic energy. When you enter a circle of such stones, you find yourself in the center of a powerful upward flow of unknown force, which makes your hands rise upwards and takes your breath away with an inexplicable feeling of touching the mystery of the ages. These centuries-old structures are the power places of the ancestors who laid the foundations of the modern Swedish state. What did they mean to many generations of Vikings—were they burial sites for brave chieftains who died in battle, or sanctuaries for worshiping Scandinavian gods? It is difficult to answer with certainty now. Near one of the stone circles we visited, a stone with a sword embedded in it, strikingly reminiscent of the legend of Excalibur, was erected by our contemporaries, along with a memorial plaque with historical information and the inscription: "Here and now, the past and future unite."
And literally half an hour's drive away, a 12th-century ancient wooden church appeared by the road. Both the church and the surrounding area were completely deserted and beautiful in their untouched grandeur. It is hard not to feel admiration for this, in its own way, strange but peaceful people, who care so much about their past, from which they grew.
We were leaving Sweden, and still before our eyes were pictures of huge lakes with castles on the shore, stone circles and ships, pristine forest and cliffs covered in the mystery of time. From the deck of the ferry, over the receding shore in the cloudy sky, a soaring dot flickered—it seemed as if little Nils was flying on his brave goose Martin to the shores of distant Lapland.