This is a good argument. The same for Latvia a century or two ago, and lack of personal space. And yes, in Finland the winters are colder and darker and longer than here. Lack of sunlight does not help anybody.
Now I am wondering about Russian far north - is it the same at the same latitutes? Russians are notorious for comparatively small personal spaces...
I have some experience with northern Russians. In my experience, they are easy to get along with because they share the same northern temperament. There is a tendency to be withdrawn and become emotional, sometimes disturbingly so after consumption of sufficient quantities of alcohol.