Helsinki  - Readers and Finnish media continued Wednesday to speculate over who placed a full-page personal ad in leading Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat over the weekend.

The ad published Sunday was estimated to have cost 20,000 euros (26,000 dollars).

The most recent traces indicated that the ad was placed by a 42- year-old Russian man.

The unnamed man used a free e-mail address offered by internet giant Google, and in the ad said he was searching for a blonde woman he spotted in a Helsinki restaurant at around 10pm on February 21.

Replies were welcome - in English - to the e-mail address lostyouinhelsinki@gmail.com, the ad said.

The newspaper's advertising department has declined to identify the man, citing confidentiality rules.

That has not prevented curious readers and other sleuths from attempting to trace his whereabouts, including by trying to secure a new password for the e-mail address used in the ad.

A wealthy businessman in Russia, has in an online interview, said he often visits to Finland and enjoys the Helsinki nightlife.

Others believe the ad was placed by a company aiming to promote a product or service.

Speculation has included a directory service company and a commercial broadcaster planning a show on tracing missing persons. But no company - or person - has yet owned up. (dpa)