Russians are pragmatics same way as anybody else. If some enterprise bring pfofits then russians stick to it.
I could also be the biggest pragmatic- if conquering others is good for business i'll stick to it. Both imperialist and pragmatic.:)
Red power was non-russian at core since it is internationalists (proclaims no favor to no ethnicity).
Let's talk about practical things. For one, I noticed that while you grew up in an 'internationalist' regime, you had no idea who Ukrainian Communists like Scrypnyk or Khvylovyy were. Also while I can remember a passage from "Borodino" or Pushkin, you couldn't do so with Shevchenko. That's not very internationalist from the Soviet education. I think it was Dziuba (you of course as a Russian wouldn't know this Ukrainian) who wrote an essay in 60's "Internationalism or Russification"- subject is clear from title. He got in huge trouble with Comm.Party.
Also for some unknown reason, as a result of the Soviet era, HALF of the Ukrainians call Russian language as their primary language. Interesting that it's Russian langauge, not Latvian, Georgian or Hebrew. Prior to the revolution, the only language that the Ukrainian peasant knew was Ukrainian.
Also for some unknown reason, as a result of the Soviet era, HALF of the Ukrainians call Russian language as their primary language. Interesting that it's Russian langauge, not Latvian, Georgian or Hebrew. Prior to the revolution, the only language that the Ukrainian peasant knew was Ukrainian.==
I red reminicences of Vladimir Shulgin. Who was ethnic ukranian deputy of Russian DUMA BEFORE October Revolt.
He wrote that those ukranians who was under rule of Austria and Poland of cause didn't know russian language.
But those who lived in Empire knew it. Because thier ukranian was different and very near russian then from Austrian and Poland territories.
Why bolshevicks kept russian language?
I think just because the biggest ehthical group spoke that languge and in same time russian was the language for inter-ethnical dialogs in Empire.
So soviets simply couldn't interchange it for hebrew or lathvian or ukranian. Or experanto for example.
Accualy bolshevicks has that idea to make the official languge of USSR the experanto. But they dropped that idea.
Before 1917, there was Russian Empire the state with no minority regions at all. Which was run by russian czar administration with russians at frist roles.
And that was a crime which earned Russians the resentment from the minorities. Do you regret what happened since? Don't tell me you're like Zhirinovsky who also wants to restore the Russian Empire. ===
Yes I regret what happened. At same time I know that all minorities and russians too are guilty that they couldn't find agreement and went to Civil war. But I have to emphasize that the majority of russian forces was on side of White Movement AGAINST majority of united minorities who were on side of international reds.
Sametime I admit that some smaller russian group fought on side of Reds and in same time some of minorities group fought on one side with White Movement.
So I don't blame minorities of Russian Empire for communism alone. I think that russians are guilty too.
But I completely against some of former minorities of RE today try to put all blames for commies on russians and to embelish themselves sumultaniously.
When they try to ignore the commie past of thier own people and thier own participation in soviet power. I think it is just manipulative dishonesty and fraud of history.
So we ALL guilty for commies won. Minorities and russians and vise versa.
Russians - for they fought not strong enough against them. But minorities - for they succumb Red propaganda about national independences and supported bolshevicks to get power and to accquire thier independences form bolshevick hands.
As some of them did. But later bolshevicks took thier word back and baltics for example payed thier price. As we all know - they were "compelled" to join Soviet Union.
But since thier rifles helped to bolshevicks got power in first place, so those grim consequances are on them.
About Zhrinosvkii.
I think Zhirik is just clown who just teases those of foreigners who stuck with old stereotypes of thinking.
I beleive he perfectly understand as majority that today status quo is most profitable for Russia.
Why on earth russians need those bands of alien people in thier neiborhoods? Why Russia needs that burden which Russia will have to feed, to give up her resource for free?
Sametime today just same people pay good money for russian products and everyone around hopes that it will continue forever.
I pray God no more Empire anymore! No more subsidies and preferences. No more free russian resource for any "friend" or "brother" ever.
Just trade relationship with strict payments for delivered goods - that is all what Russia needs.
But Zhirik (Vlad Zhirinovskii) just teases you since you succumb to his teasings:)).
He just teases russophobes:).
I think it is his first intention since I like to do this too:). I like to tease russophobes on this boards:).
So Zhrik by his public stunts keeps all russophobes busy:). Thier brains are boiling and thier all thoughts all dedicated to understand if Zhirik expresses his own opinion or Putin'?:)) And so on and on. If they rest for some times he adds them more clues again:).
But while russophobes spend time to solve Zhrik's clues, they couldn't do dirties to Russia:). That is all about and he good in it:).
Russia sametimes continues to build houses and factories, to sell oil and gas and her weaponry for good money, to research, to design new spaceships and at the end to enrich her people step by step.