This is a beautiful piece, and a sensitive reminder that "Russians" are as diverse a people as we are when it comes to political opinions. This woman speaks for those whose consciences and survival instincts struggle to find a tenable position in an oppressive country.
There are many articles however that paint a picture of ordinary Russ…
This is a beautiful piece, and a sensitive reminder that "Russians" are as diverse a people as we are when it comes to political opinions. This woman speaks for those whose consciences and survival instincts struggle to find a tenable position in an oppressive country.
There are many articles however that paint a picture of ordinary Russians (particularly older folk whose news is delivered primarily or solely by state controlled television) believing the Ukrainians brought the war on themselves by oppressing Russian speakers in their east, electing a Nazi, and (most laughably) having been poised to invade Russia. There are numerous reports from young Russians in Ukraine who called Russian relatives at home only to discover to their astonishment they weren't believed; even their first hand experiences were being denied. They were being told they were delusional and gullible by earnest friends and family.
Here in America, it is popular to profile Republicans as hateful and entitled, with martyr complexes and as either gullible or just not caring about the truth. In far too many cases that's probably accurate.
It's good to remember though that there are enormous information deserts where the local radio stations' and papers' content is controlled by far right owners, and the vast majority of the folks on the street, in one's church or living next door are red as the stripes on the flag. It is awfully difficult to listen to opinions and sentiments one "knows for a fact" to be untrue - even outrageously untrue. Consider how difficult it is for someone raised from birth in those places not to change the channel from NPR if they can even "pull" it, or to subscribe to a more liberal paper.
We have our own state controlled media, even if the state is the state of being obscenely wealthy. All I'm really saying is "Russians" don't seem much more monolithic than we are and there sound like there are plenty of parallels. This depiction of one Russian's efforts to live an acceptable, survivable life within what she sees as the current Russian emotional landscape is a valuable reminder it's a mosaic.
So well said. "Information deserts" indeed. Here we are with all the technology to easily provide any human on the planet a full range of information and opinion. But we don't.
The idea that a rural "MAGA" fool is as limited as a rural Russian should set off loud alarm bells. There is some small hope in the expansion of broadband in the US. For Russians...?
There is the fact that younger Russians demand technology. They can seek more information accordingly. But the truth is that Russians will only rise up when the suffering is worse. Much worse.
I have a friend from Russia who has naturalized here. One day she said: "You need to understand the Russian mentality. When I lived there, we thought life was terrible, it will always be terrible, it will never get better."
This is a beautiful piece, and a sensitive reminder that "Russians" are as diverse a people as we are when it comes to political opinions. This woman speaks for those whose consciences and survival instincts struggle to find a tenable position in an oppressive country.
There are many articles however that paint a picture of ordinary Russians (particularly older folk whose news is delivered primarily or solely by state controlled television) believing the Ukrainians brought the war on themselves by oppressing Russian speakers in their east, electing a Nazi, and (most laughably) having been poised to invade Russia. There are numerous reports from young Russians in Ukraine who called Russian relatives at home only to discover to their astonishment they weren't believed; even their first hand experiences were being denied. They were being told they were delusional and gullible by earnest friends and family.
Here in America, it is popular to profile Republicans as hateful and entitled, with martyr complexes and as either gullible or just not caring about the truth. In far too many cases that's probably accurate.
It's good to remember though that there are enormous information deserts where the local radio stations' and papers' content is controlled by far right owners, and the vast majority of the folks on the street, in one's church or living next door are red as the stripes on the flag. It is awfully difficult to listen to opinions and sentiments one "knows for a fact" to be untrue - even outrageously untrue. Consider how difficult it is for someone raised from birth in those places not to change the channel from NPR if they can even "pull" it, or to subscribe to a more liberal paper.
We have our own state controlled media, even if the state is the state of being obscenely wealthy. All I'm really saying is "Russians" don't seem much more monolithic than we are and there sound like there are plenty of parallels. This depiction of one Russian's efforts to live an acceptable, survivable life within what she sees as the current Russian emotional landscape is a valuable reminder it's a mosaic.
So well said. "Information deserts" indeed. Here we are with all the technology to easily provide any human on the planet a full range of information and opinion. But we don't.
The idea that a rural "MAGA" fool is as limited as a rural Russian should set off loud alarm bells. There is some small hope in the expansion of broadband in the US. For Russians...?
There is the fact that younger Russians demand technology. They can seek more information accordingly. But the truth is that Russians will only rise up when the suffering is worse. Much worse.
I have a friend from Russia who has naturalized here. One day she said: "You need to understand the Russian mentality. When I lived there, we thought life was terrible, it will always be terrible, it will never get better."
And that's the way it's been in Russia from the beginning.
There is an expression: "Boiling the frog" which I think applies to many human conditions, both individually and severally.