Vladimir Putin once famously said “Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain (Weiss, 2012).” This sentiment speaks directly to the comparison of the “old” Russia and the new. The boundaries are not always as clear as one would expect and the experience is clearly cultural.
Consider the longevity of the Soviet Union. From 1918 until its collapse in 1992, untold millions were born, lived long lives and died under the sickle and hammer. Paired with ubiquitous nature of communist government, this most certainly has a lingering cultural effect that will likely shape the region and its people for generations to come. As an example, in 2000 the newly “democratic” Russian Federation re-adopted the Soviet national anthem from 1944 after a few minor edits with the approval of two-thirds of the population (Eremenko, 2015). Though long gone, the Soviet Union lives on in Russian culture.
Understanding how cultural considerations effect interactions is critical in the region. “In general, it would be much wiser to develop a strategy to lead in this region based on the cultural factors of eastern Europe… (OLEAD 410, n.d.)” and that is impossible without also considering the legacy of the Soviet Union. “To acculturate the peoples of former communist countries to real democracy and a market economy is a massive reeducation challenge that will take many decades (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014).”
Though European in many respects, Russia is not “the West.” Understanding the unique cultural bridge between Asia and Europe requires an understanding of the complex sociobiology of the regions inhabitants, the connection among Slavic peoples across international borders and the legacy of communism and the Soviet Union.
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Eremenko, A. (2015). Back in the U.S.S.R.? How Today’s Russia Is Like the Soviet Era. Retrieved from nbcnews.com: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/back-u-s-s-r-how-todays-russia-soviet-era-n453536
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. New York: Routledge.
OLEAD 410. (n.d.). Demonstrating the Connection Between Eastern Europe and Russia. Retrieved from psu.edu: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075490/modules/items/29697222
Weiss, A. (2012). Five myths about Vladimir Putin. Retrieved from washingtonpost.com: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-vladimir-putin/2012/02/29/gIQAchg8mR_story.html