Information Agency – Opinions | Why does the West inactive not realize Russia, even though it has been described repeatedly by historians, sovetologists and the Russians themselves? Where does force in Russian power and society come from? And why is the Kremlin's war present not a novelty, but a classical imperial war? This question was answered by editor Piotr Gursztyn during the debate on the book "Russian Mir" in the Light of Liberty entitled "The fact of War, Prisoners and the Russian Soul".
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Piotr Gursztyn: The West has no request to realize Russia
In the West there are and there were a immense number of people who have excellent cognition of Russia and have no illusions about it. The problem is that at the same time there are a very broad group of people – decision makers, people crucial in public opinion, writers, intellectuals – who simply have no request to know about Russia.
We have this request due to the fact that we are close. The West is gone. Even Germany, apart from 2 historical exceptions, did not gotta take peculiar interest in Russia, due to the fact that they are a large state and Russia is incapable to origin them existential harm. From their perspective, the fact that Poles or Ukrainians get hurt is simply a sad but peripheral matter. This is 1 of the main sources of Western ignorance about Russia.
Piotr Gursztyn: It's not indoctrination. It's socialization.
As far as Russia itself is concerned, it must be made clear: It's not a question of indoctrination, it's a question of socialization.. The Russians are not “indoctrinate” in the classical sense. They've been raised this way since they were young. These are social norms, these behaviour patterns are observed in families, in school, in the backyard.
In Russian society, there is an omnipresent consent to force – even a cult of force – present at all levels, from the top to the bottom. Power in Russia is not separated from society. She's his emanation. If this model didn't fit, he'd be rejected.
The Genesis of the Russian Model of Power: 15th Century and Violence
This strategy wasn't created yesterday. In my opinion, it was formed in the late 15th century, behind Ivan III and his successors. Then there was a model of a country based on violence, which is highly hard to get out of due to the fact that people don't know any another way to function.
Everyone's counting on him to succeed, that he's not the victim. This mechanics has been working continuously for centuries.
Piotr Gursztyn: Russia as an intergenerational transmission of violence
Russia is indeed a large intergenerational transmission of violence. That's the concept of social psychology. As early as the 16th century, we have reports of how the Moscowites treat each other: husbands beat wives, gentlemen bully servants, servants carry force on, to their own families.
Life is brutal everywhere, but in Russia this dimension is extreme. It's not a average scale. It's a scale. XXL.
Russian Army: quantity alternatively of quality
The same model is seen in the Russian army. It is an army that won many wars, but erstwhile it comes to individual composition, it was never a qualitative army. It was always about quantity, not quality.
As early as planet War I, statistic showed that there were respective 100 Russian soldiers who had been taken prisoner in 1 100 dead. It was an army of musicians and it remains mostly so to this day. Yes, there are elite units, but the average mass of soldiers is cannon meat and is treated that way.
Ideological War and Imperial War at the same time
The war Russia is conducting present is at the same time ideological war and classical imperial war. Ideological, due to the fact that about 10 years ago Vladimir Putin and his surroundings felt that society could get out of control. So, ideology was invented – not Marxism or laziness, but a mixture of nationalism, Orthodoxy and pseudo-tradition.
Putin believed it. He truly believes he's leading a war on civilization of good and evil.
At the same time it is simply a completely classical war. We in the West have learned to think in terms of imperial wars, but Russia never. The goal is simple and unchanging: to get territory, subdue the population and regulation it with violence.
Russian Authority does not work without violence. If there is no violence, there is no Russian power.
Peter Gursztynduring the debate around the book ‘Russian Mir’
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AI Reviews / KOB / Source: XBW Foundation / photograph by Piotr Gursztyn during a debate around the book "Russian Mir" – YT December 17th, 2025
