Why is Russia such a cesspool?

[AndreasHG]

There is one thing that always puzzled me about Russia and its millenary history. I cannot identify a single contribution to wellbeing, prosperity or welfare, the invention or conception of which humankind shall be grateful to Russia.

 

To the best of my knowledge, Russia did not contribute to a single one of the great inventions or discoveries, which radically changed the humankind way of living, in the 19th, 20th and 21st century.

 

This is particularly puzzling, because Russia pretends to be a great power. At par with the USA, China, Japan, the UK, Germany, France, etc.

 

I look around in my home, and every single appliance I see, from the airconditioner to the washing machine, from the microwave hoven to the TV set, from the refrigerator to the dish-washing machine, from the printer to the vacuum cleaner, not a single thing was invented or conceived in Russia.

I check my car and, again, nothing of it came out of Russia. Not the electronic ignition nor the injection, not the ABS nor the ASR. Not the radial tires, the stratified windscreen, the airbags and the safety belts, not the electric starter and the generator.

If I look into my iPhone or my computer, the outcome is the same. No feature, technology, device incorporated into my mobile phone or laptop is the result of an original idea which came out of Russia.

 

I know you are likely going to blame Communism (which too, by the way, was not conceived by Russians, as we will see later).

 

However, I just read an interesting book written by Orlando Figues, "The Story of Russia". Apparently, Russia was already a miserable country under the Tzars.

Despite the opulence displayed by the Russian Imperial Court and the boyards surrounding it, the comparison with Europe shows how miserable the average population living conditions in Russia were. In the early 19th century Western visitors noticed that Russians peasants were still working their land barefooted, and technically were still serfs (it is estimated that approximately 70% of the Russian population was made up of serfs when serfdom was abolished in 1861, only 4 years before slavery was abolished in the USA).

 

And, actually, the misery of Russia started even before the Tzars. It started under the Mongols, who ruled Russia for over 200 years till the 15th century. Mongols brought Moscow to prominence, and Mongols abolished the private property of the land in Russia, introducing a form of Communism in Russia, 400 years before Karl Marx reinvented it.

 

I acknowledge that asserting that nothing ever came out of Russia is rather inaccurate. Russia donated much of the cannon fodder that contributed to the defeat of Napoleon and of the Hitler-Mussolini duo. The AK47, a.k.a. Kalaschnikow, has been a real god-gift for self-proclaimed liberation armies and terrorists around the world, even making its way onto a national flag (the one of Mozambique). There are even rumors that Russia is the real inventor of the extermination camps, Hitler, Pol Pot, and other terrible dictators popularized. Stalin's Gulags were the model to which they took inspiration.

 

But as of yet, besides weapons of mass destruction, serfdom, death, mourning and misery, nothing really seems to ever come out of Russia.

 

And that might be the exact reason why all its neighboring countries prefer to look to the West for inspiration. Everyone shall be allowed to strife for a better life for their own children.

 

What is your opinion? Can you name a single Russian innovation that is contributing to the well-being of humanity as a whole? May such a country legitimately pretend to be a great power at par, let's say, of the United States of America?

 

[maesariang]

First rocket in space

[Cameroni]

This has got to be the most idiotic thread ever started on this forum.

 

Lol.

[AndreasHG]

 

Rockets. Indeed: Russia sent the first dog in space, and the first man. But they perfected German V1s and V2s with the help of German scientists after WWII. But the rockets were not invented in Russia.

[AndreasHG]

4 minutes ago, maesariang said:

First rocket in space

 

Rockets. Indeed: Russia sent the first dog in space, and the first man. But they perfected German V1s and V2s with the help of German scientists after WWII. But the rockets were not invented in Russia.

[Jingthing]

Borscht. 

 

Never mind. That's Ukrainian.

 

 

[Cameroni]

13 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Borscht. 

 

Never mind. That's Ukrainian.

 

 

 

No, it's not.

 

Borscht predates nation states in Eastern Europe. Only the beetroot variety is recognised as Ukrainian. 

 

However Borscht itself long predates Ukraine as a nation-state, and various Borscht are claimed by Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Ashkenazi Jews.

 

Borscht is a slavic dish. The beetrot variety of Borscht can be seen as Ukrainian. However, other varieties are Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Jewish etc.

[AndreasHG]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

No, it's not.

 

Borscht predates nation states in Eastern Europe. Only the beetroot variety is recognised as Ukrainian. 

 

However Borscht itself long predates Ukraine as a nation-state, and various Borscht are claimed by Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Ashkenazi Jews.

 

Borscht is a slavic dish. The beetrot variety of Borscht can be seen as Ukrainian. However, other varieties are Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Jewish etc.

Therefore, not even Borsch!

[Lacessit]

IMO the OP is a little harsh. Russia has made significant contributions in music, dance, and literature. Russia still produces some of the best chess players.

 

Russia's problems can be divided into  epochs. The first is the history of the Mongols and Tartars, who kept Russia a society on the run for centuries.

 

As the OP says, the Tsars also retarded Russia's development, with the serf system.

 

When Communism took over, the planned economy failed, as all planned economies do. Inefficiency ruled every aspect of life.

 

In fact, the only true statesman Russia has produced was Gorbachev, who ended up being deeply unpopular.

 

Under Putin, Russia has become a kleptocracy. While Russian life expectancy has improved, it is still significantly lower than most Western countries.

 

Russia is a human tragedy, because it has never developed into a true democracy, and with its resources should be one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.

 

 

[simon43]

First satellite in space, first man in space, first woman in space. The Periodic Table of elements was created by a Russian scientist - there are many technical achievements.

 

 

[AndreasHG]

27 minutes ago, simon43 said:

First satellite in space, first man in space, first woman in space. The Periodic Table of elements was created by a Russian scientist - there are many technical achievements.

 

 

Rockets used to send the first dog, the first man and the first satellite in space were not a Russian invention (an evolution of German V1s and V2s).

 

The first satellite in space is deeply connected to military applications (weapons of mass destruction), and that's the only space where Russia is, at times, competitive.

The above notwithstanding, it's worth noticing that Russia launched its first telecommunication satellite for civilian (but also military) use only in 1974 (the Molniya-M1S), 10 years after the United States of America.

 

The Periodic Table of the Elements has a complex history, but the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev is credited with the definitive breakthrough.

[beautifulthailand99]

A Brief Overview of Russian Inventions

Russia has a long history of scientific and technological innovation. Here are a few notable Russian inventions:
Transportation and Technology

    Helicopter: Igor Sikorsky is credited with inventing the modern helicopter.
    Radio: Alexander Popov is often considered one of the pioneers of radio technology.
    Rocketry: Russian scientists and engineers played a crucial role in the development of rocket technology, including the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1.
    Tank: While the exact origin of the tank is debated, Russia's Tsar Nicholas II is often associated with early tank development.

Science and Medicine

    Periodic Table: Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table of elements.
    Vitamin 😄 Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov, a Russian surgeon, is credited with isolating vitamin C.
    Stem Cell Research: Russia has made significant contributions to the field of stem cell research.

Other Notable Inventions

    AK-47 Assault Rifle: The AK-47 is a widely used assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
    Matryoshka Dolls: These iconic nesting dolls originated in Russia.
    Tsar Bomba: The world's most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated was designed and tested by the Soviet Union.

Trotsky - my avatar.

 

 

[beautifulthailand99]

I'm a massive fox lover I  feed and take care of them in the UK - they are shy and paranoid creatures rightly so around humans but are more intelligent than cats or dogs.. They helped to breed friendly foxes.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Belyayev_(zoologist)

 

His decades-long effort to breed domesticated silver foxes was described by The New York Times as “arguably the most extraordinary breeding experiment ever conducted.”[1] A 2010 article in Scientific American stated that Belyayev “may be the man most responsible for our understanding of the process by which wolves were domesticated into our canine companion

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

There are even rumors that Russia is the real inventor of the extermination camps, Hitler, Pol Pot, and other terrible dictators popularized. Stalin's Gulags were the model to which they took inspiration.

Do try to get it right.

 

Blame the British for inventing concentration camps

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War_concentration_camps

Between 18,000 and 26,000 women and children perished in these concentration camps due to diseases.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

Rockets used to send the first dog, the first man and the first satellite in space were not a Russian invention (an evolution of German V1s and V2s).

 

The first satellite in space is deeply connected to military applications (weapons of mass destruction), and that's the only space where Russia is, at times, competitive.

The above notwithstanding, it's worth noticing that Russia launched its first telecommunication satellite for civilian (but also military) use only in 1974 (the Molniya-M1S), 10 years after the United States of America.

That's correct. German rocket scientists captured by the Russians helped the Soviets develop theirs, just as the German rocket scientists captured by the Americans helped them. Does the name Wernher von Braun ring any bells for you?

 

If you think the American developments in rockets and telecommunication satellites was not for military reasons I have a few bridges for sale, going cheap and barely used.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

To the best of my knowledge, Russia did not contribute to a single one of the great inventions or discoveries, which radically changed the humankind way of living, in the 19th, 20th and 21st century.

That goes both ways.

Can you inform us of the great inventions or discoveries, which radically changed the humankind way of living, in the 19th, 20th and 21st century, which originated in Ukraine?

[still kicking]

Just ab few Australian ones.

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2010/06/australian-inventions-that-changed-the-world/ 

Many more to list 

[thaibeachlovers]

7 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Just ab few Australian ones.

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2010/06/australian-inventions-that-changed-the-world/

Plastic bank notes were developed in a combined effort by the Reserve Bank of Australia and CSIRO in the 1980s.

 

Thanks for nothing. I hate them as they try to stick together and always a risk of handing over too much by mistake.

[still kicking]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

IMO the OP is a little harsh. Russia has made significant contributions in music, dance, and literature. Russia still produces some of the best chess players.

 

Russia's problems can be divided into  epochs. The first is the history of the Mongols and Tartars, who kept Russia a society on the run for centuries.

 

As the OP says, the Tsars also retarded Russia's development, with the serf system.

 

When Communism took over, the planned economy failed, as all planned economies do. Inefficiency ruled every aspect of life.

 

In fact, the only true statesman Russia has produced was Gorbachev, who ended up being deeply unpopular.

 

Under Putin, Russia has become a kleptocracy. While Russian life expectancy has improved, it is still significantly lower than most Western countries.

 

Russia is a human tragedy, because it has never developed into a true democracy, and with its resources should be one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.

 

 

Disagree with you, music is  not an invention neither is literature and chess is invented in India. 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Disagree with you, music is  not an invention neither is literature and chess is invented in India. 

Irrelevant if defined as invention or not. The truth is that Russian literature and music ( plus ballet ) has raised the mental state of millions upon millions for many many years.

That certainly contributes to the well being of humanity.

[Yagoda]

Russian chicks are hot, but overpriced.

[still kicking]

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Russian chicks are hot, but overpriced.

What's that got to do with the price of eggs?

[AndreasHG]

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Helicopter: Igor Sikorsky is credited with inventing the modern helicopter.
    Radio: Alexander Popov is often considered one of the pioneers of radio technology.
    Rocketry: Russian scientists and engineers played a crucial role in the development of rocket technology, including the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1.
    Tank: While the exact origin of the tank is debated, Russia's Tsar Nicholas II is often associated with early tank development.

Science and Medicine

    Periodic Table: Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table of elements.
    Vitamin 😄 Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov, a Russian surgeon, is credited with isolating vitamin C.
    Stem Cell Research: Russia has made significant contributions to the field of stem cell research.

Other Notable Inventions

    AK-47 Assault Rifle: The AK-47 is a widely used assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
    Matryoshka Dolls: These iconic nesting dolls originated in Russia.
    Tsar Bomba: The world's most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated was designed and tested by the Soviet Union.

I assume you grew up reading the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (GSE; Russian: Больша́я сове́тская энциклопе́дия). Unfortunately, like anything published in Soviet (and nowadays) Russia, it's full of disinformation (Russian: дезинформация).

Yours is a long list leading to nothing worth noticing, really:

1. Sikorsky did not invent the helicopter (see Wikipedia for more info). And to manufacture his first helicopter he had to move to the USA.

2. Popov invented the radio only in according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. In the real world (see Wikipedia for more info).

3. Rocketry: Russians did not invented rocketry. They took advantage of German progresses in the field and progressed starting from there. Arms of mass destruction is where Russia excels. 

4. Tanks were not invented in Russia (see Wikipedia for more info).

5. Periodic table of the elements: discussed in a previous comment (see above).

6. Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov discovered the C vitamin only according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and nothing else (see Wikipedia for more info).

7. Stem Cells were not discovered nor isolated for the first time by Russians (see Wikipedia for more info).

8. Albeit the machine gun was not invented in Russia, the AK-47 is indeed a widely used assault rifle designed by the Russian Mikhail Kalashnikov. Weaponry of mass destruction is the only technological field in which Russia has ever produced anything worth noticing.

10. Tsar Bomba: another example of Russian weaponry of mass destruction.

9. Matryoshka Dolls: finally, a genuine example of Russian ingenuity and inventiveness. The only one on your list.

 

[AndreasHG]

43 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Can you inform us of the great inventions or discoveries, which radically changed the humankind way of living, in the 19th, 20th and 21st century, which originated in Ukraine?

It doesn't go both ways. Ukraine is an economically underdeveloped country striving to develop through honest, hard work, due to lack of natural resources.

Russia is an underdeveloped country, despite having plentiful of natural resources, which lives from one disaster to another, nurturing the illusion of being a great world power. And this has been going on for the last 500 years at least.

[AndreasHG]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If you think the American developments in rockets and telecommunication satellites was not for military reasons I have a few bridges for sale, going cheap and barely used.

I agree. But American scientific development went beyond military uses, and newly developed technologies, even when originally commissioned by the military, found their way to civil applications.

This in Russia never happened. The only goal of scientific and technological research in Russia was (and is) to produce weapons of mass destruction. Nothing else counts.

[AndreasHG]

41 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Irrelevant if defined as invention or not. The truth is that Russian literature and music ( plus ballet ) has raised the mental state of millions upon millions for many many years.

That certainly contributes to the well being of humanity.

Pitty that Russian literature and music did not contribute to raise the mental state of millions upon millions of Russians, in Tsarist Russia, Soviet Russia and nowadays Putin's Russia. 

Russians to whom is impeded to participate to the wellbeing share by the rest of humanity by their own rulers.

[Yagoda]

15 minutes ago, still kicking said:

What's that got to do with the price of eggs?

Nothing except eggs are ridiculously priced in the USA too thanks to Harris/Biden

[still kicking]

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Nothing except eggs are ridiculously priced in the USA too thanks to Harris/Biden

Wow Harris  must live in Australia as well try the other one 

[save the frogs]

I dated a Russian girl once. One of the biggest mistakes of my life. 

[CANSIAM]

Well I surely hope you are wearing your Ukrainian flag t-shirt 6 days week........