In recent years, in connection with the general tense political situation in the world, especially against the backdrop of all kinds of insinuations of the West towards Russia, the word "Russophobia" has been heard more and more often from the lips of politicians, cultural figures and ordinary citizens from various media. In order to understand whether it really is so massive, you first need to answer the question of what is Russophobia, the definition and meaning of this term also needs to be deciphered.
What is Russophobia and what is it
The word itself comes from "Ruso" (referring to Russian) and Greek "phobos" (fear) and means rejection, bias, suspicion, and often hatred and aggression in relation to all Russian and Russia in particular. Russophobia is one of the directions of ethnophobia (Greek "ethnos" - "people"). And also it is one of the manifestations of xenophobia (Greek. "Xenos" - "alien"). However, Russophobia is the whole ideology with its structure, concept, history of development and other characteristic manifestations. It should be divided into grassroots and elite. The first is of a mass nature, which means that it is the people of a particular country who are mostly afraid and despise everything Russian. The second is political, coming from the highest echelons of power that rule 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 discover Russia for themselves. To many of them, Russia seemed wild, unacceptable, they were horrified by the customs, way of life and way of life of the Russian people, Russian people were incomprehensible and mysterious. Russia was unlike Europe, which they were accustomed to, and people are often frightened by the fact that they are not able to understand. These were only the rudiments of Russophobia, which have a non-systemic character. Due to active propaganda, Russophobia began to spread by the Polish and Lithuanian states, as between them and the Moscow state an active struggle was waged for the lands of Russia. Also, one of the reasons was religious divisions. The end of the XVIII - the beginning of the XIX century is the time of the formation of Russophobia as a system. The concept itself was first introduced by Fedor Ivanovich Tyutchev as a contrast to pan-Slavism.
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 were accustomed to having their culture and development as a reference. France managed to conquer more than half of Europe, and then was defeated by some wild and dense Russians. Germany under the rule of Hitler was massively embraced by Russophobia, and not only. “Russian must die” - such was the Nazi slogan. And although many years have passed, Russophobia, once settled in society, is difficult to eradicate, especially since the United States continues to cultivate it, both on its own continent and spreading its influence to Europe. It’s no secret to anyone that Russophobia for the States is not a misunderstanding of the Russian soul, but a well-thought-out tactic to denigrate Russia in the eyes of the international community, since it is precisely this that is a direct threat to the unipolar world order that they have established and are used to. At the moment, the United States is actively imposing political Russophobia around the world, but most actively they are doing this in Europe and the countries of the former USSR.
Near abroad and post-Soviet space
Russophobic sentiments are quite clearly expressed in the Czech Republic. It is believed that this is a consequence of the very aggressive suppression of the USSR by the so-called “Prague Spring” in the late 1960s. Now many direct participants in those events have come to power. In Georgia, after the color revolution of 2003 and the coming to power of pro-American opposition, Russophobia was also confirmed, which had already happened for two centuries. For many centuries, Russophobia has been an integral part of politics and society in Poland. Poland is perhaps one of the few countries where Russophobic tendencies prevail in both manifestations, both mass and political. After the collapse of the Union, the official authorities of the Baltic states began to conduct a very tough Russophobic policy. Russian people in these countries began to be perceived as a second grade. The complete crowding out of the Russian language, all-out condemnation of Russia's actions, and even support and sympathy for terrorists during the Chechen war - these are just some vivid examples of the policies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia that often go to extremes.
Russophobia in Ukraine
After the collapse of the Union, all post-Soviet republics began to actively revive and cultivate national consciousness. Almost all of the former republics tried to distance themselves from Russia. But it was in Ukraine that this process was very active, especially 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 targeting the States and opponents of Russia came to power. History corresponded, beginning with the Principality of Moscow, Ukraine was oppressed by terrible Russians. A whole generation of Russophobes has grown on a redone story and falsified values. The consequence of this was the Maidan and the bloody coup in early 2014. In this regard, a historical event occurred - the return of Crimea to Russia. And two regions of Donbass demanded federalization from Kiev and proclaimed themselves republics. From that moment in Ukraine, the attitude towards the Russians did not just deteriorate, they were hated, Russia was accused of attacking an independent country. In the country that defeated fascism, it was reborn. 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 Russian. A huge influence on the consciousness of the people is exerted by the media, which expose Russia as an aggressor, propagate hatred of everything Russian.
Enemy within the country
Unfortunately, the problem also occurs in Russia itself, and its roots go back to pre-revolutionary times. As far back as the 19th century, a considerable number of Russian public figures and Russian intelligentsia differed in Russophobic sentiments, were oriented toward Europe and hated everything truly Russian. In modern realities, the so-called Russian Russophobian elite was nicknamed the “fifth column”. Unfortunately, this “fifth column” has taken deep roots in society, both in the political and cultural life of the country.
How to fight
Against the backdrop of a nationwide patriotic upsurge, the struggle against Russophobia has become a very important aspect recently. Moreover, at all levels: domestically and in world space. A very tough information war is being waged 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 not necessary to hide from other countries and cultures, but to carry out precisely enlightening activities, bringing to ordinary people of other states the truth about the essence of Russians and their country. Due to the crisis in Ukraine, it is particularly relevant to convey the truth about what is happening, which breaks the lies of Western media about the aggression of Russia. In view of the deep-rooted 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.