Russian political psyche: history and modernity

[kaur]

Back to the spins of 19th century.

Russophobia in the Kremlin’s strategy. A weapon of mass destruction

2015-11-02

Jolanta DarczewskaPiotr Żochowski

Building up an image of Russophobic countries is currently instrumental in shaping a neo-imperial political identity among the citizens of the Russian Federation, mobilising them in the face of real or alleged threats, and also serves as a form of restoring psychological comfort to them in the face of the failure of the Kremlin’s actions (as in Ukraine, for example). The mythologised stereotype of Russophobic countries also remains a crowning argument and a simple explanation for the ongoing tensions in relations between Russia and the West.

http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/...ss-destruction

[mirhond]

Back to the spins of 19th century.

Blaming Russo/Sovietophobic countries for anything was never out of stile in Russia, actually, except short phase of romantic relations with West in early90-s.

[davidbfpo]

A podcast (55mins) by a retired US diplomat Ambassador Jack Matlock and his service:

During his 35 years in the American Foreign Service (1956-1991), Jack Matlock served as Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for European and Soviet Affairs on the National Security Council Staff from 1983 until 1986, and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1981 to 1983. Before his appointment to Moscow as Ambassador, Mr. Matlock served three tours at the American Embassy in the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1981. His other Foreign Service assignments were in Vienna, Munich, Accra, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, in addition to tours in Washington as Director of Soviet Affairs in the State Department (1971-74) and as Deputy Director of the Foreign Service Institute (1979-80).

Link:http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/...k-matlock.aspx