Russophobia is what? Struggle against Russophobia

In recent years, in connection with the general tense political situation in the world, especially against the backdrop of all sorts of insinuations of the West towards Russia, in different media, politicians, cultural figures and ordinary citizens are increasingly hearing the word "Russophobia". In order to understand whether it really is so massive, it is first necessary to answer the question of what is Russophobia, the definition and meaning of this term also need to be deciphered.

What is Russophobia and what is it?

The word itself comes from "Russo" (referring to Russian) and Greek "phobos" (fear) and denotes rejection, bias, suspicion, and often hatred and aggression against all Russian and Russia in particular. Russophobia - this is one of the directions of ethnophobia (Greek "ethnos" - "people"). And also it is one of the manifestations of xenophobia (Greek "xenos" - "alien"). However, it is Russophobia - this is a whole ideology with its structure, concept, history of development and other characteristic manifestations. It should be divided into grass-roots and elite. The first is of a massive nature, this means that it is the people of this or that country that in most cases fear and despise everything Russian. The second is political, comes from the highest echelons of power, which govern the country and form the state's position on the world stage.

Background

The roots of the problem go back to the deep past, at least in the 16th century, when Europeans began to open Russia for themselves. To many of them, Russia seemed wild, unacceptable, they were horrified by the mores, way of life and way of the Russian people, Russian people were incomprehensible and mysterious. Russia was not like Europe they used to be, and people are often frightened by what they can not understand. These were only rudiments of Russophobia, which have an unsystematic character. Owing to active propaganda, Russophobia began to spread by the Polish and Lithuanian states, since an active struggle was waged between them and the Moscow State for the lands of Russia. Also one of the reasons was religious disagreement. The end of the XVIII - the beginning of the XIX century is the time of the formation of Russophobia as a system. The very concept was first introduced by Fedor Ivanovich Tyutchev as an opposition to pan-Slavism.

The West as the founder of the problem

As for Europe, for example, in France Russophobia is a consequence of the failure of the Napoleonic campaign. It was in 1815 that Russophobic sentiments began to spread actively there, as European countries are accustomed to the fact that their culture and development are standard. France managed to conquer more than half of Europe, but here it was defeated by some wild and dense Russians. Germany under Hitler's rule was massively engulfed by Russophobia, and not only. "The Russian must die" - that was the slogan of the Nazis. And although many years have passed, but Russophobia, once settled in society, with great difficulty yields to eradication, especially since the US continues to cultivate it, both on its own continent and spreading its influence over Europe. It's no secret to anyone that for the States, Russophobia is not a misunderstanding of the Russian soul, but a well-thought-out tactic to blacken Russia in the eyes of the world community, since it is the direct threat to that unipolar world order that they have established and to which they are accustomed. At the moment, the US actively imposes political Russophobia around the world, but they are doing it most actively in Europe and the countries of the former USSR.

The Near Abroad and the Post-Soviet Space

Quite clearly Russophobic sentiments are expressed in the Czech Republic. It is believed that this is a consequence of the very aggressive suppression of the so-called "Prague Spring" by the USSR in the late 1960s. Now many direct participants of those events came to power. In Georgia, after the color revolution of 2003 and the coming of pro-American oppositionists to power, Russophobia also took place, which already took place for two centuries. In Poland, for many centuries Russophobia is an integral part of politics and society. Perhaps, Poland is one of the few countries where Russophobic tendencies prevail in both manifestations - both in the mass and in the political. After the collapse of the Union, the official authorities of the Baltic states began to pursue a very tough Russophobic policy. Russian people in these countries began to be perceived as a second class. The complete ousting of the Russian language, all the condemnation of Russia's actions and even support and sympathy for terrorists during the Chechen war are just some of the vivid examples of the often endemic policies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Russophobia in Ukraine

In all the post-Soviet republics, after the collapse of the Union, the national consciousness was actively revived and cultivated. Almost all former republics tried to distance themselves from Russia. But it was in Ukraine that this process was very active, especially when it accelerated after Viktor Yushchenko came to power. Again, as in the case of Georgia, this happened after the Orange Revolution, and in the same way, oppositionists aimed at the States and opponents of Russia came to power. History corresponded, beginning with the Moscow Principality, Ukraine was oppressed by the terrible Russians. A whole generation of Russophobes grew up on the altered history and changed values. A consequence of this was the Maidan and a bloody coup in early 2014. In this connection, a historic event occurred - the return of the Crimea to Russia. And the two regions of the Donbass demanded federalization from Kiev and proclaimed themselves republics. Since that time in Ukraine, the attitude towards Russians has not only been spoiled, they have been hated, Russia has been accused of attacking an independent country. In a country that defeated fascism, it revived. Russophobia ascended to the level of national pride. And this despite the fact that more than half of the country speaks Russian, and about 25% of citizens consider themselves Russians. A huge influence on the consciousness of the people is provided by the media, who expose Russia as an aggressor, propagandize hatred for everything Russian.

The enemy within the country

Unfortunately, the problem takes place in Russia itself, and its roots are still in pre-revolutionary times. Back in the XIX century a considerable number of Russian public figures and the Russian intelligentsia were distinguished by Russophobic attitudes, were oriented toward Europe and hated all the truly Russian. In modern realities, the so-called Russian Russophobe elite was nicknamed the "fifth column". Unfortunately, this "fifth column" has taken deep roots in the society, both in the political and cultural life of the country.

How to fight

Against the backdrop of a nationwide patriotic upsurge, the fight against Russophobia has become a very important aspect in recent times. And at all levels: inside the country and in the world space. A very harsh information war is now fought against Russia. Due to the fact that Russian people, their way of life and customs are still a mystery to foreigners, intercultural interaction is important. It is necessary not to close from other countries and cultures, but to conduct educational activities, informing ordinary people of other countries about the essence of Russians and their country. As a result of the crisis in Ukraine, it is especially urgent to report the truth about what is happening, which breaks the lies of Western media about Russia's aggression. In view of the hardened Western racism, it is believed that it is almost impossible to completely overcome Russophobia, but it is worth studying its dynamics and developing forms of influence on its manifestations.