The Russian Culture

Petr Chaodaev, a great 19th century Russian thinker once wrote, “Russians existed to teach the world what not to do.” His words still resonate with Russians and the western world to this day. The assassination of Alexander Litvinenko has raised many questions about the substance of Russian culture, as their culture has now impeded the west. Litvinenko was poisoned in the United Kingdom, not Russia. He was even a citizen of the United Kingdom, which is why the British authorities are taking an extreme interest in the case. A murder of one of their own on their soil is an outrage and understandably so. The Litvineko case is a reminiscent of a James Bond like spy novel, with twists and turns at every dimension of the plot.

One must understand that Russia has been an isolated nation since it was first incepted in 862, in the region around present day Kiev, Ukraine; known as Muscovy. The Russians have strangely prided themselves on their orthodox ways, as they have staunchly been against any outside interference in their three main periods of history; Imperial, Soviet, and Modern day Russia. Russia is still a nation that is as much different from the west as it was one hundred years ago. You never hear Russians speaking of the atrocities of Stalin, do you? There is a reasonable answer to why the Russians are the way they are, but the Litvinenko case has made many to ponder the Russian’s culture. Did he really know enough to damage the current government and actions in concern to Chechnya?

Modern day Russia is still on edge and paranoid as ever about outsider interference in their “internal affairs.” President Vladimir Putin seems to be steering his nation back towards the Soviet days, as he has consolidated the nation’s power center back to the government and it appears as if he is not going to release the levers of power anytime soon. The private sector is shrinking rapidly as well as people’s opinions on current issues within the country. Russians have been known to possess a “gung-ho” attitude of shooting now and asking questions later. Even if one roams the streets of Moscow today, you are not far from the guise of police or military personnel with their AK-47’s and a variety of other weaponry. Granted, these are not the past days of the KGB bugging your hotel room or “tailing” you around, but those attitudes and perceptions could make an appearance again at anytime.

The Litvinenko case also uncovers what Russian culture really encompasses. Murdering people in Russia is looked at as a common everyday occurrence and the people have sadly accepted these methods. It is no secret that the mob runs a lot of “the show” in Russia, as their contacts have pervaded into every sect of society and the economy. Russia has the most billionaires per capita than any nation in the world, which says a lot about disparities in wealth distribution and how much of the country these “special interests” control. I am sure that someone in Russia had something to do with the death Litvinenko, whether it is Putin, the FSB, or the mob; God only knows who. This culture of shooting now and asking questions later has made its way into the western world, which is unacceptable to many. The west has always been perplexed by the way Russians do business, but now it is an international incident.

Whatever happens in Russia needs to stay in Russia; it is their internal affair how they do business. But as long as the oil (they have the world’s largest oil reserve) and natural gas keeps flowing, the west will remain silent about the status quo in Russia. It should be obvious by now that the west will only speak up to protect their economic interests. The “messy” under world of Russia is a place that no one in the west wants to stick their foot into, as they may come out without a foot or not come out at all. Keep the game where it belongs.