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Russophobia is a phobic attitude towards Russia or Russians.

The term is used in two basic contexts: in ethnic conflicts involving Russians, and in international politics.

Ethnic

Dislike of Russians, which is sometimes described as "Russohobia", in many cases is a backlash of the policy of Russification in times of Imperial Russia an Soviet Union. On the individual level it is dificult to draw a distinction from a casual xenophobia observable for any two peoples living side by side or even intermixed and historically involved in armed conflicts.

Poland and the Baltic States are notable for their Russophobia. As the New York Times recently observed about the Poles, "they talk about Russians the way anti-Semites talk about Jews".

The Red Scare in the United States, the Cold War, and the associated negative portrayal of "Russkies" in cinema and fiction significantly contributed to Russophobia among Americans.

International

"Russophobia" and "Russophobic" are the terms used to denote anti-Russian sentiments in politics and literature.

In modern international politics this term is also used more specifically to describe cliches and outdated attitudes towards modern Russia preserved from the times of the Cold War. Many prejudices, whether justified or simply intoduced as elements of political war against the Soviet Union, are still observed in the discussions of the relations with Russia.

References

• Anatol Lieven, "Against Russophobia", World Policy Journal, Volume XVII, No 4, Winter 2000/01; a review of a modern Russophobia in international politics, available online.

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