Today my Substack has grown to 100 subscribers, and I want to thank everyone who has joined. I started these notes because I believed and knew that in the Western world, there are people interested in Russia and Russian culture. It will be a great honor and pleasure for me to continue.
When I began, I intended to dedicate myself to publications about Russian and international politics, hoping to clarify the position of Russian society on a number of issues. However, in recent months, there has been so much politics and war in the world that I decided to turn to culture as a unifying and reconciling force. Russian culture is one of the pillars of shared Western culture, and for various reasons, it is insufficiently well-known both in Russia itself and in the world. I will apply my modest efforts to change this in part.
There are many stereotypes about people of Russian culture. Some of them reflect reality, some distort it. Difficulties in understanding are mainly related to three features of Russian culture that are not always obvious to an outside observer. These are general negativism, emotionality, and orientation towards text.
Unlike the modern English language, which is permeated, especially in its American version, with a cheerful and optimistic mood, the Russian language and Russian culture bear the memory of centuries of misfortunes and catastrophes. Wars, famine, deprivation, and repressions gave Russian society rich grounds for pessimism. As one Russian journalist wrote, the average Russian is a melancholic who hopes for the best while simultaneously preparing for the worst. Russian culture is characterized by painful self-criticism and acutely experienced shame for the general disorder of the homeland. "Why is everything so bad with us?" exclaims the Russian. In fact, although everything could indeed have been bad quite recently, at the moment it may be better or even good. But Russians prefer not to notice this, so as not to bring new misfortune upon themselves with excessive joy. This relates Russian culture to Ancient Greek culture, where it was not customary to boast about one's successes because "the gods are envious." On the other hand, such a cheerless mentality gives Russian society remarkable resilience in the face of catastrophes.
The emotionality of the Russian person is also well known. Everyone has seen some film where stern Ivan drinks vodka and becomes cheerful and friendly. Russian people indeed smile little, especially when communicating with people they don't know. But at the same time, Russians easily make friends and are ready to give them a lot. Russian hospitality is not a myth, so when in Russia, one should remember that all these gloomy and reserved people with disgruntled faces on the street have a warm corner in their hearts.
Another aspect of emotionality is related to the painful topic of shame. All people acutely experience shame, that is, a sense of one's own inferiority integrated into identity. In Russian culture, shame is experienced in its own manner, especially deeply. This is partly due to the possibilities of the Russian language, which, thanks to its rich system of affixes and free word order, allows conveying very subtle shades of feelings, emotions, and reflection. It so happened that Russian people actively use this tool to torment themselves in the hope that through suffering they can achieve redemption. This is a deeply Christian idea, and here it should be emphasized that despite all the differences between modern Western and Russian culture, they have common deep roots - antiquity and Christianity. Therefore, dialogue is always possible. Although the Western person may not always understand Russian melancholy - common supports allow for reaching understanding.
Finally, it's worth mentioning the orientation of Russians towards text. There have been many great musicians and artists in Russia, and I take great pleasure in sharing their legacy in my notes. However, the true pinnacle of Russian culture is Russian literature. Even losing much in translation, it retains its depth and power. Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and other great names need no recommendation. In many ways, their emergence is associated with the general enthusiastic attitude of Russians towards text. If something is written somewhere, for a Russian it acquires a special, almost sacred significance. The text should first be respected and admired, and only then subjected to analysis and criticism. On one hand, this gives Russians the ability to very easily feel other cultures through text, especially since when translating into Russian, many details can be conveyed with the original depth. On the other hand, the enthusiastic attitude towards text sometimes overshadows for Russians its obvious shortcomings - stupidity, errors, or obvious bias of the author. This is one of the reasons why educated Russians are still very sensitive to Western propaganda.
I hope that this Substack will be interesting and useful for you regardless of where you live and what you do. Russian culture is universal, and therefore everyone will find something for themselves in it. Thank you for joining! Perhaps someday there will be 1000 subscribers or even more, but the first hundred will always hold a special place in my heart.
Best wishes to the Author. I'm sure this site will gain traction on its path to enlighten others about matters relating to Russia. Westerners are indoctrinated to dislike Russia through its mischievous propaganda machine so it's great to get a more realistic view.
It only takes listening to some of the gorgeous Russian music, to feel the melancholy in it. I have great respect for the people there, only just recently became familiar with the horror done to the Russian people under communist rule. The tube has several channels where people testify about the generosity and kindness. And when I see the films of more Eastern Russian peoples, like those close to Azerbeijan en the other -stan countries, I get an envy to join their simple lifestyle, the women with their beautiful crafts, the food that looks delicious... Thumbs up for 1000 subscribers ! And more !