This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Irpen (talk | contribs) at 23:22, 24 August 2005 (rv russophobic rant and added ref to specific NYT article quoted). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 23:22, 24 August 2005 by Irpen (talk | contribs) (rv russophobic rant and added ref to specific NYT article quoted)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Russophobia is a negative 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 "Russophobia", 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 difficult 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In modern international politics this term is also used more specifically to describe cliches and outdated attitudes towards modern Russia preserved from the times of the Cold War.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 introduced as elements of political war against the Soviet Union, are still observed in the discussions of the relations with Russia.
See Also
References
- New York Times After Centuries of Enmity, Relations Between Poland and Russia Are as Bad as Ever, July 3, 2005 (subscription may be required for full text)
- 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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