Illustration to the article “How I survived a sex party in New York”, recommended by VK (the biggest Russian social network with more than 100 million active users) as the best article of the week.
The last survey of Levada-center showed that 72% of Russians believe that the US is the country most hostile to Russia. The second place. with the highest ever recorded negative attitude to Russia. is believed to be Ukraine – 48% (back in 2015 the figure was 37%). According to Russian beliefs several weeks ago the third most unfriendly to Russians country was Turkey. In 2015 only 1% of the Russian respondents thought that Turkish people were unfriendly to Russians. Two weeks ago 29% believed it. Now they probably changed their opinion again.
All polls show that Russians are more concerned about international tensions than even about the loss of their jobs.
In the early 1990s, the foreign policy of Boris Yeltsin reflected a broad public demand for reconciliation with the West. But since then Russian sentiments had drastically changed. In 1990 35% of Russians defined the United States primarily as a state with a high standard of living. In 2015 only 12% of Russians show such attitudes. Today 15% of Russians see US first of all as a country of high crime and moral decline, where “there is no human warmth between people.” (Comparing to 1% in 1990)
A quarter of century ago to 13% of Russians America represented a free society; it represented a society with the development of science and technology to 15% of Russians, it was a society, where success depends on personal effort to 20% of Russians. Today the share of the relevant statements went down to 5%, 7% and 7%, respectively.
From reading dialogs on Russian Internet social networks, it is easy to come to the conclusion that most Russians believe:
1 The main interest of the USA is to enslave all the countries in the world;
2 This process involves most violent methods, such as bombing peaceful civilian Serbians in Yugoslavia and peaceful civilian Arabs in Iraq;
3 Americans help Syrian terrorists to overthrow the legitimate Syrian President to enslave Syrians;
4 The foremost dream of Americans is to enslave Russia. With this purpose America paid money to Ukrainians to overthrow their legitimate President and to start the war against Russia.
Here are a couple of the most exotic stories taken from the Internet publications of my Russian acquaintances.
The first story:
While I was waiting for the elevator I was asked by the concierge: “Do you know what Obama said today?”
Before I could answer, and even realize whether I want or do not want to know what Obama had to say, the concierge disclosed the secret:
“Obama said that all Americans who live at the moment in Russia, would be shot on their return to the United States.”
I became anxious that the elevator was so slow.
“Do you know what the Americans who live at the moment in Russia responded to Obama?” – asked the concierge, and immediately answered herself with an intonation of a quiet, noble pathos:
“We’re not going back!”
The second story was published by my friend, a journalist, who likes to provoke and tease people in the Moscow streets. This friend had just visited New York, so she knew what she was talking about:
I was talking to my doctor today, a forty-five years old woman, a Muscovite. Her father is a General. She lived in Europe for a while.
She was trying to sell me a brace for my weak ankle. Nowadays many Russian doctors consult with and represent medical equipment stores, which otherwise are very difficult to find.
Price of the brace seemed to be too high. The doctors began chattering:
“You’ll not be able to buy this anywhere else: a foot rests in it, it’s German …
“I’ll buy American. It’s three times cheaper over there.”
“In America they’ll cheat you! Americans are sneaky people! And they are all extremely stupid!”
I answered:
“ Yeah, they are definitely stupid. Only for some reason most of the Nobel Prize winners are American and there is no hunger over there.
“I have a sister, she lived there, and she told me that they all are stupid.”
“Is your sister a Nobel prize winner?”
The doctor disregarded my offensive remark. She said:
“Nobel prize winners are all from Russia. And all Americans are stupid. They have not even one good writer!”
I was taken aback, and said:
“Faulkner, Salinger, Capote…”
And then the doctor asked:
“Those are just some English names, how do I know where you picked them up? Are they really writers?
“You’re right”, I replied, “I took them from the Yellow Pages telephone directory. The one I’ve stolen from a phone booth, when I was in New York.”
“What did you do that for?”
“To make propaganda about the American way of life. Especially I planned to do that in the medical equipment stores. But you’ve got me. You won.”
She laughed contentedly, she believed me.
Do the polls and such conversations as ones quoted above really reflect attitude of Russians towards America, or they only show that Russians say what they think their rulers want them to say?
A Moscow blogger Lada Shemardina found in the Internet the sentence: “Russians began to treat English-speaking tourists aggressively” and she didn’t trust this statement. She decided to check it personally. Dressed as a typical young American tourist: in loose jeans, t-shirt, a cap, wearing a backpack, she started asking Muscovites in the streets in English how to find a certain address. To her surprise all the people, whom she approached were extremely friendly and cooperative. Even young aggressive looking nationalists, sporting military stylized clothing eagerly tried to help her.
Lada asked opinion of a guide in City Sightseeing office: “Bad attitude to the Americans? Are you kidding?! In this country everybody almost worships Americans! Look at T-shirts: they are covered with American flags and with English language slogans. There are no conflicts. What made you think that they may exist?”
The guy from Bus tours in Moscow said to Lada that the Europeans or Americans had never had any problems in Moscow, but sometimes there are awkward situations with tourists from the East. “The girls in hijabs cause panic among people.”
Lada made another experiment. She put on a long skirt and kerchief and proceeded asking people in the streets in English how to find her way. Indeed most people were trying to avoid her and she was even stopped by police several times.
The question whether the anti-American sentiments is really growing in Russia remains unanswered.
I don’t feel Russia hates us so bad. Sure politicians hate our guts but I’m not a politician.
I have a few Russian friends and have had no troubles. I t’s the small minds of a few folks that destroy image
Interesting story- demonstrates how much better Russians are informed about America than vice-versa.
The Russians would have needed to be Pro American at some point in order to become Anti American . You must understand that we’ve been in competition with them since at least WWII.
It’s not just a Russian problem. My stepson in Spain is finding out that many of his peers have negative views of America (not Americans so much as the state of our country and this pumpkin running for president).
They were amazed when he told them that not only did he not have a gun, but there were non in his home. In their mind our country is more like a Wild West movie than a civilized educated nation.
I’m afraid you have this backwards… Even during the Cold War average Russians considered the US allies… No one hid under school desks, no fear of a domino theory no black lists… In fact this current Russian view stems from recent events.
Most Americans have no clue what’s happening in Ukraine… Quite the contrary in Russia… Just saying…
The thing is that most Americans don’t have much knowledge on Ukraine. The ones that do get information from mainly 3rd party news sources. Russians tend to only get news from domestic sources. This is mainly due to having less market influence and therefore less Russian language versions, whereas English speakers tend to have more market share as a whole so there are many more news agencies speaking to Americans and other English speakers. That leaves Russians far more prone to propaganda.
Do you honestly think Americans are really out to do harm towards Russians? If so you are mistaken. Our countries have long been competitive in the political sphere, but our peoples are only mildly swayed when the propaganda machines start churning out nonsense.
This doesn’t appear to be the case these days. The Russian propaganda machine seems to be going full steam, while the American response has been tepid at best.
… there are always two lines. The one common amongst people….and the politically pushed line. However, the (official pushed line) the US has been Russia’s enemy for quite some time, and not only with recent events.
On Ukraine, of course Russia knows better than the US, for a long time Ukraine was Russia’s front porch. I think once Ukraine was an independent nation, Russia just could not grasp that concept. … If I think really Americans are out to do harms on Russians?????? You might want to re read what I wrote.
The Russian propaganda machine are indeed turning, I am with you on that.
Western news is completely controlled by “Globalists” and turn out mostly nonsense. That goes for papers, radio and TV. Russian propaganda seems to be very very strong on the internet though.
To me it seems like Russia is a lost soul that have been hurt very bad during a century of dictatorial Marxism, and are now desperately screaming for acceptance of “The Russian Way”. It seems to be such an importance on being Russian, and a demand from the world to respect Russia, that the whole culture in Russia right now is about being Russian.
Its okay to be a Russian, live in Russia , the problem is, no one have a problem with it, but Russia seems to believe that being a Russian, have to be defended and constantly stated.
There really are no response needed from America, or anyone else on that issue. Its a …who cares….issue.
Russia have a great culture, long historical track and , I must say…very smart people indeed. However, from an outside view, its a bit like an 8 year old stamping his feet, goes to the middle of the room and demand attention. It will cool down as time goes, I believe.
Right now, the country are recovering emotionally from a century of oppression, and is in a wild swing to the right in the pendulum, and Russians are now proudly displaying their “Right to be a Russian”
It will cool down and normalize as time goes. Ukraine can never win that war with military means, all Ukraine have to do is to keep status quo, and Ukraine will eventually drain that bear dry of blood. Ukraine can do that, because Ukraine have access to the credit market, something Russia is blocked from right now. Also, Ukraine is not going anywhere, but Russia has to go somewhere to continue this conflict.
Russia is right now very psychotic, suspicious about anything that is not originally Russian, and have to register as “foreign agent” for as little as some one doing article editing for Wikipedia.
Its a great culture, great people, and very innovative, but things have to cool down there now. To beat everything on the head, that is not Russian, is not , and will never be an acknowledgement of being Russian.
I love Russian women, only positive experiences when they came over every summer at the beaches and boardwalks. Most of the men couldn’t speak English. We were all one at one point in time in our past.. OneTribe
Gents my comments wasn’t about the people I’m the states. Americans are some of the nicest and most hospitable people on earth unfortunately the same can’t be said about the one who run the country.
The reason Americans don’t know what happening in Ukraine is because the media doesn’t report on it. The US media also don’t reporting on what Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen.
Russia has over 300 TV stations and only 3 are govt owed. CNN is everywhere and no one buys what it’s selling. I’m afraid the propaganda and war mongering is coming from the States not Russia….