Russia has always been a country located between the East and the West. The Russian man has repeatedly wondered if he is a man of the West or, after all, of a more elemental East. Philosophers solved this question in their own way. Many of them even began to talk about the unique position of the country, which has its own unique path. The Russian mentality is difficult to compare with the mentality of neighboring countries, both western and eastern. Of course, in it one can find something common from each of the powers, however, there is something in the Russian soul that does not lend itself to simple classification.
The mentality of the Russian people has been formed for centuries. It was influenced by the geographical coordinates of the country and the new religion (Orthodox Christianity). Moreover, Russian people are mostly Orthodox, because they reflect the dogmas of their faith. Features of the Russian mentality can be found not only in the way of thinking, but also in the very way of life. The Western world is extremely simple, there is a threefold division of the universe: the divine world, the demonic world and the world of people. Therefore, people living in the West tend to do something in this world. In the Russian person, the universe is binary: either divine or demonic. This world is considered a dark kingdom, given to the prince of darkness. Every day, people see injustice and imperfection.
The Russian mentality has always strived for maximalism. And this desire results either in the creation of an ideal world here and now (revolution), or in complete self-elimination and asceticism. Russian people are mostly apolitical. Nevertheless, he acutely senses dissatisfaction with the authorities. Justice in Russian means equality and fraternity. And since ideals are not feasible, the world is dominated by evil forces. Instead of doing something (as is customary in all capitalist countries), the Russian is better hit by asceticism.
The Russian mentality formed by the Orthodox religion is not prepared to follow the path of a market economy. Only a few were able to accept the fact that self-removal would not lead to anything good. Russia is an abundant country. And at the same time, Russians continue to live worse than European nations. This is a paradox over which experts puzzle over the years. The Russian mentality was greatly influenced by the neighborhood of Turkic tribes. The Slavs themselves were a peaceful people, hospitable and meek. The mixture of the Slavs with the Turks gave rise to a tendency to melancholy, depression, cruelty and absenteeism. That is how the contradictory temperament of Russians was born, in which extremes coexist. The most eastern feature in the mentality of the Russian people is manifested in its collectivism and attitude to power.
The power for the Russian is sacred, it is given from above. The authorities need to obey. However, as soon as rebellion is born in the soul, the Russian person is ready to destroy everything. From ancient times, history has brought to our days cases of riots and uprisings. Once a Russian man sees in the image of the tsar the prince of darkness, the holy revolution begins. However, strong sovereigns could always pacify their subjects. The collectivism of the Russians is manifested not so much in peacetime as in the period of wars and disasters. Here you can find not only a striking mutual assistance among people, but also stamina. There are cases when residents of Russian cities held the defenses to the last without any control by military officials. This is an amazing fact, which shows not only the high foundations of collectivism, but also patriotism and citizenship. By the way, Russian nationalism is not inherent in the form in which it manifested itself in a number of Western countries. The citizenship of this people has a completely different basis.