Anytime there is an article or opinion piece about Russia, Russian society and cultural, or Putin, it tends to draw out some very strong opinions from AN members.
I'd like to quantify those reactions with a poll.  Where are you from and what are your feelings about Russia and Russian society and culture?

Feel free to explain your choice.

I don't find a choice close enough to how I feel to vote. 

 

4 minutes ago, connda said:

Anytime there is an article or opinion piece about Russia, Russian society and cultural, or Putin, it tends to draw out some very strong opinions from AN members.
I'd like to quantify those reactions with a poll.  Where are you from and what are your feelings about Russia and Russian society and culture?

Feel free to explain your choice.

 

There have been decades of anti-Russian propganda poisoning the minds of people in the West. So we can't blame Americans and West Europeans for their prejudiced view on Russia.

 

Having said that, there are real issues with Russian society. Whilst the Russian people are intelligent, big hearted and know how to party, they have also eliminated religion for decades, which seems to have affected their moral compass. The propensity of Russians for Mafia crimes, pornography and the like, as well as anti-social behaviour is as real as the English propensity towards hooliganism, we should not kid ourselves.

 

So the correct attitude towards Russia is respect, open minded receptivenss but also caution. They are like us, but they are not like us.

 

 

34 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

There have been decades of anti-Russian propganda poisoning the minds of people in the West. So we can't blame Americans and West Europeans for their prejudiced view on Russia.

 

Having said that, there are real issues with Russian society. Whilst the Russian people are intelligent, big hearted and know how to party, they have also eliminated religion for decades, which seems to have affected their moral compass. The propensity of Russians for Mafia crimes, pornography and the like, as well as anti-social behaviour is as real as the English propensity towards hooliganism, we should not kid ourselves.

 

So the correct attitude towards Russia is respect, open minded receptivenss but also caution. They are like us, but they are not like us.

 

 

I'm a novice to Russia culture . During the cold war as a child ,I remember having to hide under my school desk during air raid drills. Another time was fleeing Miami while on holiday with my family during the Cuban missile crisis.  Summer & Winter Olympics competition between USSR & their communist  proxy countries. Once in Jomtien having to ask  a woman to please lower her voice in a Coffee shop.

 

Russia is a Judeo Christian country, despite the lack of modern Judeo Christian values.

57 minutes ago, connda said:

Anytime there is an article or opinion piece about Russia, Russian society and cultural, or Putin, it tends to draw out some very strong opinions from AN members.
I'd like to quantify those reactions with a poll.  Where are you from and what are your feelings about Russia and Russian society and culture?

Feel free to explain your choice.

Two different issues in the same question One may not dislike Russian culture, but at the same time dislike the current government and policies.

1 minute ago, riclag said:

I'm a novice to Russia culture . During the cold war as a child ,I remember having to hide under my school desk during air raid drills. Another time was fleeing Miami while on holiday with my family during the Cuban missile crisis.  Summer & Winter Olympics competition between USSR & their communist  proxy countries. Once in Jomtien having to ask  a woman to please lower her voice in a Coffee shop.

 

 

I remember the endless Hollwood films with Russians as the bad guys, again and again. And yes, the Olympic competition. I also had an altercatoin with a 60 year old Russian woman over a sun lounger in Phuket.

 

And yet, when I went to Russia, the people were gracious, fun, generous and extremely hospitable and lovely.

 

That's not to say that Russian mafia etc is not a problem, it is of course.

 

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Russia is a Judeo Christian country, despite the lack of modern Judeo Christian values.

 

It is becoming that way again. However, don't you think the full on extirpation of Christianity after the revolution has diluted the moral fibre of Russians?  They seem to be more prone to immoral behaviour than most.

Just now, Yagoda said:

Russia is a Judeo Christian country, despite the lack of modern Judeo Christian values.

I grew up in this   style culture ! Everything else is all Greek(no disrespect) to me,as we use to say .

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

It is becoming that way again. However, don't you think the full on extirpation of Christianity after the revolution has diluted the moral fibre of Russians?  They seem to be more prone to immoral behaviour than most.

Well the Church was never extirpated, but culturally, the utter immorality of Socialism has spawned a nation of immoral theives

54 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

There have been decades of anti-Russian propganda poisoning the minds of people in the West. So we can't blame Americans and West Europeans for their prejudiced view on Russia.

 

Having said that, there are real issues with Russian society. Whilst the Russian people are intelligent, big hearted and know how to party, they have also eliminated religion for decades, which seems to have affected their moral compass. The propensity of Russians for Mafia crimes, pornography and the like, as well as anti-social behaviour is as real as the English propensity towards hooliganism, we should not kid ourselves.

 

So the correct attitude towards Russia is respect, open minded receptivenss but also caution. They are like us, but they are not like us.

 

 

Having many Russian friends through sport and also media work, and also visited Russia, you are right in your aspect of being intelligent and dedicated as well a strong culture you can not just wipe off the map. They also realize how off our way of educating history and the wests own premises. 

 

I also believe they got shocked when they did find out the west was not better than Russia, but still feels betrayed bye their own. Not unlikely most western also feels about their governments.

 

The difference between most Russians and westerns, they haven’t been raised in a dull society, they still have their manhood, respect and dignity to preserve, some will call it toxic masculinity. 

 

"Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times," 

During the 90s I visited Russia twice, two different years. The first year I hired a young head-banger, Nirvana loving young man as a tour guide. Since this guy never saw much of Russia himself, he was fascinated with his country and so was I. The other year I hired a young Russian woman to accompany my wife and I on a tour of Russia. We traveled by train to many remote areas, it was fascinating. I found the Russian people to be delightful once you got to know them. We were welcomed everywhere we went. So I feel sorry for the Russian people as they are under a dictatorship and communism...............and some of their women are beautiful........

1 hour ago, connda said:

How do you feel about Russia and Russian culture and society?

Have no feelings about cultural and societal differences of individuals from other countries, though do have opinions thoughts and understandings from this perspective. Governments and their policies are not the people, of which are diverse in every country, though folks who carry prejudices towards groups of people from afar wouldn’t understand this.

How about Im from Europe and see no difference between Russian or USA, but we are allied with USA for now, and out personal beneficial prosperity, have to chose USA for now. Norway had long good traditions with Russians even throughout the Cold War, solving and sharing borders with natural resources. 

 

For Europe it should had been easier to cooperate with the Russians, but unfortunate they had Stalin when their chance was there, and USA had the package ready with the Marshal help which made USA rich 

21 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Russia is a Judeo Christian country, despite the lack of modern Judeo Christian values.

Yeah and Israel is an outpost if the Rusiian mafia set, 

Never been to, so no experience.  Though heard good things about RU, from person I respect.

 

Probably would be my first choice for a holiday, if I ever hopped on a plane, St. Petersburg maybe.

I have friends who know younger Russians. And they say they are kind, friendly and progressive. I have no idea what percentage of the population these younger people represent, nor how representative they are of the Russian population. Personally, I have met very few friendly Russians. Anywhere in the world. The vast majority of Russians I have met, seem to have very, very few redeeming qualities. It is no wonder.

 

I can only speak from my experience. Have run into alot of Russians both in the US, and on Phuket and Samui, 98% of them seem to be grumpy, unfriendly and gruff. Some of them are downright hostile. Likely a reflection of a very, very rough culture and environment. So, perhaps it is not a coincidence that the world is not standing up to support them and show them kindness? Just an observation.

 

I think it is a reflection of the current culture. It was destroyed over a century of callous and murderous leadership. Stalin, Lenin, Khruschev, now Putin. They have become somewhat savage and crude. No grace, no finesse, no courtesy. Rather uncivilized. My family was from Russia a few generations back. I used to ask my great-grandmother when she was still around, why they didn't teach us anything about the old country. She would give me this look, and tell me "the reason we never teach you about the place we came from, is because the place we came from was the most horrific country on earth, it was the most destitute, horrible, oppressive place and we were thrilled to finally get out of there and leave it behind. That's why we don't teach you about the old country, the old country doesn't exist for us. 

 

There are a multitude of reasons why very few around the world have sympathy for the Russians. Those reasons are not limited to their serial killing, despot, thieving multi billionaire dictator for life. It is more about their nature, their history as ruthless, homicidal Cossack warriors, and their total lack of manners, and class. Not to mention the dignity, class, decency, civility, and social skills decades of Leninism, Stalinism, and now Putinism has stripped them of. 

 

And of course, the utter failure of their leader. This is a clear case of psychological projection: Putin dreamt and failed to create a dollar-free world and establish Russia as an “energy superpower.” He allowed corruption to metastasize through the state’s fabric, undermining its security capabilities. With its mass emigration, skyrocketing divorce rate, and low fertility, Russia, more than the West, demonstrates an immense collapse of family and social values.

 

Russia has nothing but malicious intentions. They are a terrorist state, run by a serial killing desperado. This is a nation so lacking in redeeming qualities. They contributed alot culturally, in past centuries. Now? What are they bringing to the table? How are they of any benefit to mankind? They offer nothing but misery, death, destruction and bad will. 

 

One may ask why has Putin chosen this moment to make his move on Ukraine? As many have pointed out, Russia is an objectively weak state — “Upper Volta with nuclear weapons,” as someone once quipped — with a nominal G.D.P. smaller than that of South Korea. Outside of energy, minerals and second-rate military equipment, it produces almost nothing that outsiders want: no Russian iPhone, Lexus or “Fauda.” If it were not for the minerals, oil and natural gas, I believe Russia would be a highly irrelevant state. Sure, it had alot of culture. Had. What have it's contributions been since the middle of the 20th century? If you exclude the space program. 

 

Putin’s problem with Ukraine, starting with the Maidan uprising of 2014, is that Ukrainians want nothing to do with him. He is despised. And for good reason. If he were a Disney character, he’d be Rapunzel’s mother. But, he is not a Disney character, which makes him a pathetic, aggressive, serial killing despot dictator, who appears to be targeting women and children in his latest escapade, and further walk into the world of darkness.

Pukin is threating to nuke us again today, Sailsbury will never be forgotten so not much to love about Russians is there.

16 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Yeah and Israel is an outpost if the Rusiian mafia set, 

So is NYC. They have lost a lot of their mojo though. Whats your point?

The Soviet era heavily promoted atheism and thus Russians became soulless. 

 

It will take a long time for Russians to recover.  

they hate us cause they ain't us.

Modern Russia is NOT what most people think, especially maga fascists that idealize it as a non-woke, ultra-religious paradise.

 

 

My own view of Russia as I would assume most people's is colored by personal experience.

 

Grandparents spoke Russian but didn't speak it in front of me. They fled the pogroms of Russian Empire Ukraine. The enemy was the Cossacks and they were very literally murderers and rapists.

 

Mother was a red diaper baby. They sung The Internationale in school.  She grew out of that.

 

Family built a bomb shelter in our house during the cold war / Cuban missile crisis.

We did DUCK AND COVER drills in school.

I don't recall that inspiring hatred of Russian people, but it was very scary and contributed to nihilism and pessimism about the future. Didn't really expect a future.

 

 

Later in childhood was involved in a program that paired me up with a Russian boy for play dates. His father was a Russian embassy staffer and I could smell that he didn't use deodorant. Probably a spy.  

 

One of my good friends growing up had Russian Christian immigrant parents. We never discussed politics and I never connect him or his family to the cold war. Looking back there obviously was a political story to his family.

 

Studied Russian novels and plays in high school and college. There is so much to admire there. I don't feel I was ever a Russophile per se, but definitely open to the treasures of Russia and other cultures as well.

 

Didn't really taste any great Russian food until in my 30s and actually finding some of that in Pattaya today. Had a lovely Uzbek/Russian meal last night. Georgian food is incredible, Not Russian but Stalin was Georgian.

 

I hate Putin with a passion. To me, he's today's Hitler and Trump is supporting today's Hitler and that's disgusting. That doesn't translate into hating Russian culture or all Russian people. Obviously, I hate Russian Z fascist Putin supporters. But that's more about politics than culture. I follow anti-Putin youtubers such as NFKRZ (Roman) now exiled in Portugal. kgb detected channel, and the Inside Russia channel exiled in Tashkent. I also follow some western maga fascist types who moved to Russia tracing their weird dream. It's hilarious to watch their videos about western migrants now being subject to the Putin's military conscription. 

 

So anyway, you can see why now that I couldn't vote in this poll.

 

 

 

 

 

i have a hard time making up my mind, on the one hand im swedish so hatred against russians are from birth and is my birthright, otoh i have met russians that are just happy they got out of that <deleted>hole, and i also met russian hookers in pattaya trying to make a living, since they come from an utterly corrupt land

11 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

I remember the endless Hollwood films with Russians as the bad guys, again and again.

"Endless" 
Hard pressed to list 5 HOLLYWOOD films with a Russian baddy. A couple are so seriously BAD most people, normal people, never watched them. Like Afghan Rocky or Red Dawn, puke. Eastern Promise comes to mind but that isn't a Hollywood film. 

Lived with, and still friends with, a couple of the Ushakoff clan. We shared a house way back when. They made it to the US via Siberia, Shanghai and a boat. about a century ago.  Peggy still has her great grandmothers straw suitcase bought in Shanghai for the trip to the US. Immigrants, likely illegal too. Strangely or not that strangely, they have a number of negative things to say about Russian culture. Believe she is still involved with St Spiridon's, an old multi ethnic, Greek/Russian, orthodox church in our city. 

Aside from Dostoyevsky & a number of composers,  not concerned with Russian culture per se. Still would be nice if Mr. Putin would try to improve Russia & the Russian people's lives & not obsess about Empire building. Dreams of Czars or Soviets don't cut it in todays day and age. Didn't take your survey as nothing was a match.

15 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

Hard pressed to list 5 HOLLYWOOD films with a Russian baddy.

 

Well, everyone watched Rocky IV, Golden Eye, John Wick, The Equalizer, Octopussy, A view to a Kill and many others.

 

Indeed, Russians are the most critical of Russia. They know how awful it is.

 

Russian literature is on a par with British and American literature obviously, Tolstoy, Lermontov, and many others, ballet, medicine, technology, aeronautics, Russian culture is a first world culture of the highest order.

2 hours ago, connda said:

Feel free to explain your choice.

 

I see Russian couples walking around in Thailand, often with their child, and they seem like normal, nice people.

 

Like every society and country, 5% of people are criminals maybe.

 

All other negative perceptions of Russians are distorted media perceptions. 

 

The anti-russian brainwashing by Western media was off the charts. Every bond villain was Russian. They wanted us to hate Russians and brainwashing does work. 

 

 

 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Well, everyone watched Rocky IV, Golden Eye, John Wick, The Equalizer, Octopussy, A view to a Kill and many others.

 That is a bumper load a crap, but in your head, everyone watches that excrement.   Ok I see your problem.

BTW Father fought in Korea. The war that Josef's Stalin's gift of up gunned T34 tanks made possible. Without them Kim the elder never would have launched his invasion across the 38th parallel. I'm sure my father would have wanted to Thank  Joe .... Soviets ... Russia. 
Cheers

 

Never been to Russia (still on the list), but I grew up influenced by their culture in East Germany.
Personally, I'm very thankful to Mr. Gorbachev. Thanks to him (and some others), the Wall came down, and I could explore the world instead of living in a big prison.
All the Russians I've met personally or professionally are lovely people—some of them good friends. Most of them far better educated than the average westener. I'm happy and thankful I got to know them!
And yes, the food and the vodka are great too!

 

 

/

6 hours ago, connda said:

Anytime there is an article or opinion piece about Russia, Russian society and cultural, or Putin, it tends to draw out some very strong opinions from AN members.
I'd like to quantify those reactions with a poll.  Where are you from and what are your feelings about Russia and Russian society and culture?

Feel free to explain your choice.

Your category’s are designed to achieve a certain result,so much so that I like jingthing decline to contribute to your lopsided attempt at a poll.In my view Russian culture is incredible their people hard working resilient strong and creative.the country has incredible potential no doubt about it.I wish they had a better form of government and could be allowed to contribute to the world in a positive manner they have lots to offer.