On the roots of Western Russophobia
Western (European) civilization is hostile to Russia, because Russian civilization is different, alien, incomprehensible to them. Hence the "mysterious Russian soul." In many ways, the theory of civilizations coincides with the views of Lev Gumilev about "superethnos" - Western, Eurasian (Russian), Chinese, Muslim, etc. Superethnosos are historically established communities of people who differ from each other in their stereotypes of thinking and behavior.
“Mysteriousness”, incomprehensibility causes internal rejection, creates a barrier of distrust. That is, the basis of Russophobia is the strangeness of the foundations of Russian existence for Westernizers. Russia (“Grad Kitezh”) is a special, whole world, a different civilization, alien to the West. Hence the desire of some Europeans to turn the Russians into monsters, orcs.
Interestingly, Russians do not have this - their psychology easily accepts someone else’s, absorbs, processes, masters. Something throws out, another takes with all my heart. Russian people are easily assimilated in the West and the East, their descendants in the second, third generation completely lose the Russian spirit, becoming Americans, Canadians, French, Australians, etc. Russian people master the foundations of Western philosophies, Eastern religious schools and martial arts and even superior teachers. They are open to the world.
By the way, this is one of the reasons for the success of the “Russian globalization” in the era of the Rurik and the Romanovs — other peoples and cultures were not alien to the Russians to be considered hostile and ruthlessly suppressed. Russian culture, in most cases, did not consciously destroy other people's cultures.
Western civilization considered itself to be the heir of the Roman and ancient Greek culture. And they were characterized by recognition only of their “civilization”. All other peoples and cultures were considered "barbaric", "second-class." This baton was picked up by Catholic Rome. All nations that were not Catholics — Muslims, pagans, Christians of other branches, were considered “heretics”, “animals without a soul” (pagans), etc. They could be attached to the “true faith” with fire and sword, without any regrets. Thus, the civilization of the Western Slavs in Central Europe, the Prussian people, etc., was destroyed. On the basis of this ideology, crusades against the Western Slavs, Muslims, and Russia were organized.
Later, on the basis of this idea, the Catholic colonial empires of Spain and Portugal were created, and the pope divided the world. Subordinate peoples, even those converted to Christianity, were not considered full-fledged and were people of “second, third grade.” The Catholic world in the religious, state, socio-economic, domestic spheres, everything that contradicted it, declared it false and hostile, even satanic (devilish). That is why the fires of the Inquisition blazed, which were also sent to scholars who tried to oppose the scientific worldview. “Witches” were destroyed, often simply rural healers (or squalid people) who tried to help people with the help of more pagan methods of treatment — herbs, plots (magic of the word), etc.
Notice how much American Hollywood and Western cinema in general loves to make films about Ancient Rome, the Roman Empire ("Gladiator", "The Last Legion", "Centurion" and lots of others), US symbols - the Capitol, the Senate, etc. They consider themselves direct heirs of the mission of Rome - "carry enlightenment" to the world. Therefore, the United States now embodies the "forces of good," "freedom and democracy." They are struggling hard with the hordes of "Muslim barbarians" who still want to wear hijabs, oppose strip bars and clubs for perverts at every corner. Moreover, the "barbarians" can be anyone who challenged the "Second Rome" - from the "empire of evil" of Russia-USSR to the "axis of evil" - North Korea, Iran, Syria.
Protestantism, which subjugated part of the Western world (England, Holland, part of Germany and France, etc.), also opposed the West to the rest of the world. It was largely based on the Old Testament with its idea of “chosenness.” The one who achieved success in trade, finance, and industry became “elected,” if you are rich, then you are chosen by God. In the end, it turned out that the successes of Holland and England in building their colonial empires made their elites chosen by God, for them the conquered peoples were “subhumans” who must obey the “white masters”.
The humanist philosophers of the Renaissance gave rise to the theory of “Eurocentrism”, according to it, the Western world was declared the main and only carrier of civilization, culture, other nations called it “non-historical”. "Non-historical peoples" could receive culture only from Europeans. How can you not remember the German scientists who told the world that the "true Aryans" are the German people, and the ancient Germans were the "peddlers" of culture in ancient times. This idea was developed in the Third Reich.
In the XVIII-XIX centuries, “Eurocentrism” was a generally accepted theory, he explained the scientific and technological successes of the West, justified the need for colonial seizures, because the Europeans carried the “light of enlightenment” to the planet.
The Russian people also fell into the “non-historical” group, the Russians were not considered Europeans, for the Westernizers they were “semi-Mongols” with a small amount of European blood.
The European public was particularly shocked by the brilliant victories of the Russian weapons. Over and over again, the "Eastern Barbarians" smashed the most brilliant Western generals and their armies - the Swedes, the French, the Prussians (later Germans). This caused bouts of fear and surprise - the Russians did not fully use their victories. In this case, the Westerners would seize the territory, impose heavy contributions, ruthlessly suppress any signs of resistance. Russians behaved differently.
Thus, it is necessary to learn once and for all - we are another humanity, a whole world alien to the West. All attempts by home-grown Westerners to "join the bosom" of European civilization are doomed to failure.
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