When Russian Eurasianists say they are defending the true West, they're really arguing for a return to the obscurantism of Ivan IV The Terrible. The Renaissance was in full swing in Western Europe during his reign, by comparison.
It is an effort to turn Russian political and social backwardness into a virtue, sending them deeper into the hole they're in.
Czechs and Slovaks are a far better examples of successful Slavic peoples.
I often feel like Russia is culturally and morally closer to the Mongol Golden Horde that ran their lands, or the Turks than Byzantium or Europe. They are anti-modern, anti-technology, and more or less anti-Western in the deepest sense, unlike China where they want modernity and technology.
Interesting article on Russia and how they perceive the West. I think one reason why they perceive themselves separately from the West is because they 1. Behind in industrializng. 2. They took influence from the Greeks of Byzantium instead of the modern west.
One more thing, I’m not a Russia-shill, though I like learning about Russian history. I do share one thing with them: Their rejection of Rousseau. Any Westerner who takes Rousseau seriously should not be taken seriously themselves.
I do not think they took much in cultural influence from Byzantium (and the Greeks called themselves Romans). Russia learned much from the Mongolians and the Turks. Their civilization is much closer to Turkish and Mongolia than to Greece. This is why they were duped by Marxism along with other backward societies such as China, Mongolia and Cuba. Only peasant-dominated states took to communism.
That’s fair. Russia, Muscovy specifically did take much from the Mongols and Turks. And they sadly subdued other Russias like Novgorod, Belarus, and Ukraine.
Moscow is the Third Rome. Rome fell to the barbarians; Constantinople to the Turks. Only Moscow still holds the true Christian spirit, and there shall not be another. This is an old Russian truth.
Not that I believe it, but they have considered themselves the Third Rome for 500 years. It is an underlying element of their cultural idea , that keeps manifesting in different ways.
The Turks though that they were the Third Rome as well, and they had a greater claim to it. That said, the Turks and the Russians are much closer in culture and sophistication. The Romans were European.
Russia's historic delusions very well may be a major part of why they have never been able to create a modern society (as opposed to South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Poland, Estonia, ...).
Moscow is closer to Turkish or Mongol civilization. Rome was a land of technology, modernity and sophistication. No one would ever see anything like that in Russia.
The Golden Horde had a far greater influence than Byzantium. As much as we wanted Russia to join the modern world, Putin cannot stand sophisticated modernity. He does not understand technology.
Hopefully Russia can find its way back to the civilized world after Putin dies, but for now they are like their allies in Iran in culture and sophistication. There is a reason the West is full of educated Russian immigrants and Russia is full of Turkic migrant laborers.
A great explanation of Moscow's obsession with the "Anglo".
When Russian Eurasianists say they are defending the true West, they're really arguing for a return to the obscurantism of Ivan IV The Terrible. The Renaissance was in full swing in Western Europe during his reign, by comparison.
It is an effort to turn Russian political and social backwardness into a virtue, sending them deeper into the hole they're in.
Czechs and Slovaks are a far better examples of successful Slavic peoples.
I often feel like Russia is culturally and morally closer to the Mongol Golden Horde that ran their lands, or the Turks than Byzantium or Europe. They are anti-modern, anti-technology, and more or less anti-Western in the deepest sense, unlike China where they want modernity and technology.
Interesting article on Russia and how they perceive the West. I think one reason why they perceive themselves separately from the West is because they 1. Behind in industrializng. 2. They took influence from the Greeks of Byzantium instead of the modern west.
One more thing, I’m not a Russia-shill, though I like learning about Russian history. I do share one thing with them: Their rejection of Rousseau. Any Westerner who takes Rousseau seriously should not be taken seriously themselves.
I do not think they took much in cultural influence from Byzantium (and the Greeks called themselves Romans). Russia learned much from the Mongolians and the Turks. Their civilization is much closer to Turkish and Mongolia than to Greece. This is why they were duped by Marxism along with other backward societies such as China, Mongolia and Cuba. Only peasant-dominated states took to communism.
That’s fair. Russia, Muscovy specifically did take much from the Mongols and Turks. And they sadly subdued other Russias like Novgorod, Belarus, and Ukraine.
Why did the aristocrats speak in French and suffer of such anglophilia, then?
Moscow is the Third Rome. Rome fell to the barbarians; Constantinople to the Turks. Only Moscow still holds the true Christian spirit, and there shall not be another. This is an old Russian truth.
I wouldn't take the Russians' word for it that they are "Rome" and others the are barbarians. Or that they defend Christianity.
"Russians are Torturing Ukrainian Christians"
https://stevenmoore.substack.com/p/russians-are-torturing-ukrainian
"Russian State v Religion"
https://beefeaterresearch.substack.com/p/russian-state-v-religion-026
"The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and Disinformation Campaigns: A Tool of modern Hybrid Warfare"
https://enlightentheday.substack.com/p/the-russian-orthodox-church-roc-and
"Moscow Church Losing Ground Throughout Post-Soviet Space, Including in Russia"
https://jamestown.substack.com/p/moscow-church-losing-ground-throughout
Not that I believe it, but they have considered themselves the Third Rome for 500 years. It is an underlying element of their cultural idea , that keeps manifesting in different ways.
The Turks though that they were the Third Rome as well, and they had a greater claim to it. That said, the Turks and the Russians are much closer in culture and sophistication. The Romans were European.
Russia's historic delusions very well may be a major part of why they have never been able to create a modern society (as opposed to South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Poland, Estonia, ...).
Moscow is closer to Turkish or Mongol civilization. Rome was a land of technology, modernity and sophistication. No one would ever see anything like that in Russia.
The Golden Horde had a far greater influence than Byzantium. As much as we wanted Russia to join the modern world, Putin cannot stand sophisticated modernity. He does not understand technology.
Hopefully Russia can find its way back to the civilized world after Putin dies, but for now they are like their allies in Iran in culture and sophistication. There is a reason the West is full of educated Russian immigrants and Russia is full of Turkic migrant laborers.
Aleksey Khomyakov was an unabashed Anglophile