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The Mystery of the Russian Soul
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20573 |
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Section : |
MODERN THOUGHT
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| Issue
Date : |
11 / 1992 |
6,814 Words |
| Author
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Lucy Badalian
Lucy Badalian has a doctorate in mathematics and is a senior
fellow in the Institute of Russian History of the Russian
Academy of Science. She lives and writes in Washington, D.C. |
Late last year, a major American newspaper said, "Some [Westerners] see in Boris Yeltsin a democratic hero; others see an unpredictable authoritarian streak." While this statement sums up the general attitude of Americans and Europeans toward the first Russian president, the images are too simplistic to properly describe a character as complex as Yeltsin.
The Russians chose him at the ballot box, and he became their hero, the symbol of the lost identity they are fiercely searching for. This tough guy, this muzhik, is viewed by the Russian public as the opposite of former President Mikhail Gorbachev, whom they deride as a wimp and "piece of cloth."
At the outset, it should be emphasized that characteristics that Westerns tend to look down on are often admired by Russians. In the West, moral allegations, like those made against Clarence Thomas and Bill Clinton, often substantially damage a candidate's image. But not so in Russia. For ordinary Russians, moral laxness is nothing to be concerned about. If a story's hero drinks too much or bloodies someone to get what he wants, it only shows that he is just like everyone else.
In the Russian view, a leader who does not detach himself from his subjects, who does not stand above them, must be praised, not scorned. The fact that he is like them unites him with the people, making them feel understood and touching their hearts.
But that dynamic alone is not enough for any Russian leader to come to personify people's dreams and desires, as has Yeltsin.
The Russian president proved himself not merely equal with his subjects but undoubtedly first among them. His obvious heroic virtues are much appreciated. His courage and his zeal in taking vengeance on his personal and political enemies seem only proper for a Russian hero. Even the speed with which he seized the properties and offices of the Communist Party is admirable, despite Western expectations of generosity. A Russian hero is not generous toward enemies.
So besides being a Russian hero, Yeltsin also personifies the Russian "national dream". In this article, we will take a millennium-long journey through Russian history and observe the evolution of the Russian national dream and of a system of instilled values and attitudes. The ethnic psychology of the Russians was not born yesterday and cannot be easily changed. A bevy of social and
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