Traveling to Karelia, Russia 🇷🇺 | Sortavala, Ruskeala & Harlu

The direct Finland-Russia border has been closed since December 2023, but to see my grandmother in rural Karelia, I took an alternative route through Estonia. In Part 1 of this travel series, join me as I journey through Republic of Karelia, visiting Sortavala, Harlu, and Ruskeala. In this vlog, I share an honest, ground-level look at what life and the countryside look like in this region of Russia today during my visit to see family. 📍 Part 2 (Saint Petersburg):    • I Found AI Scales & Transparent Screens in...   --- TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Start 00:18 Traveling to Karelia, Russia (Finland to Estonia Route) 01:26 Arriving to Sortavala 02:26 Scenic Ladoga Road View 03:40 Visiting Harlu, Karelia 04:47 Walking Tour of Harlu 06:38 Local Russian Village Shop Experience 07:14 Exploring Harlu School 10:50 Heading Back to Sortavala 12:18 Sortavala City Center Walk 14:19 Kalevala Sculpture in Sortavala 15:01 Sortavala Waterfront & Embankment Area 16:32 Ruskeala Express Train 18:08 Historical Post Office in Sortavala 19:02 Trying Local Salmon Pizza 19:18 Wrap-up and next episode 19:29 Tech Highlights: AI Market Scale & Transparent Screen --- CONNECT & SUBSCRIBE: Hi! I’m Vlada, a UX designer living in Finland. Outside of travel side-quests like this one, I run a weekly series documenting my career journey navigating the Finnish job market. 🔔 Subscribe to follow my weekly series "Job Hunting in Finland":    / @hei.vladita