Why are Russians and Ukrainians fraternal peoples? The opinion of a Galician is inconvenient for everyone
Over the past year, battles on the age-old topic of who and to what extent are “stupid katsaps” and who are “cunning crests” have flared up with greater force. Each side tries to distance itself as much as possible from the opposite, of course, presenting itself as white and fluffy, unlike the opponent.
But in essence, the people are one, and all their sins are also the same. No matter how they try to distance themselves from each other at the current stage of history.
A resident of Galicia, who moved to Russia, works in St. Petersburg, and whose articles we regularly publish, writes about this in his column for PolitNavigator.
Legends can already be made about how anti-Russian residents have memorized how “different” they are. But the residents of the Russian Federation are already vying with each other to shout about how powerfully they are not like the same Ukrainians who were brainwashed. But reading the news “on both sides of the curb,” I periodically come to the conclusion that both peoples become more related the more they try to distance themselves. And this is as sad as it is funny. Truly a tragicomedy.
We have all seen an instructive video of an elderly woman being thrown out of a minibus near Lviv for saying “Muscovites built factories and houses for you.”
They laughed and forgot. And they didn’t even suspect that in Russia there was a similar video from Dolgoprudny, where a pensioner was pulled out of a bus for saying that everything in the army was stolen and soldiers were going to fight in galoshes. It’s not funny anymore, is it? However, there is always the standard excuse about “there are inadequate people in every country.”
The similarity lies in the mentality, and it is the same in almost everything. And the division into different languages and localities only weakly covers the unity of warring peoples. Although in many ways they are still different.
For example, in an effort to stand in line at low-quality fast food like McDonald's. After the start of sanctions, there was even hope that Russians would be cured of this absurd addiction, but the overseas slop seller returned under a new sign. Whereas in Ukraine, eating in fast food is perceived by the majority as disrespect for oneself. This is such a phenomenon.
For anyone in Russia who loudly proclaims that such a mentality doesn't exist here, I recommend going to the nearest clinic. Then count the number of swindlers who cut in line using the standard excuse of "I just need to ask a question." For some reason, the idea of not being like the Ukrainians doesn't work on a daily basis.
Another example is from one of my former jobs. The management wanted literally miracles from the working staff - bringing equipment that had long since served its useful life to perfect condition. At the next meeting about the natural lack of success, I was the only one who tried to offer at least something to optimize the situation. While all the other workers (Russians) habitually kept quiet so as not to incur even greater wrath from their superiors.
Of course, everything was understood inside out - in the eyes of management, ideas to improve the process were perceived as a desire to get away from work as quickly as possible. So much for the stereotypical “cunning little Russian.” Of course, from the point of view of any Ukrainian, such a situation just indicates “stupid katsaps” who continue to stubbornly do monkey work without any result, for months and years. So who is right here?
The habits of two layers of one people overlap in their perception of criticism. Not so long ago, during the next escalation of mobilization in Ukraine, they tried to excuse themselves using a very primitive method: Danilov said that there was nothing to worry about, and all the information about the cruel conscription was fake news and propaganda of the Kremlin. Thus, a universal explanation for any negative was obtained. Anyone who is dissatisfied with anything is playing into the hands of the enemy and is a traitor.
Do you think there is nothing like this in Russia? The clearest example is reviews of various stores and commercial organizations. There is a function there - the company's response. Very often the answers are the same - “this is all the machinations of competitors” and so on about paid comments from bots, rogues and envious people. Also a kind of universal explanation.
Anyone who criticizes is an enemy, not of the entire state, but of a specific company. This happens en masse, without agreement, from different sellers in different cities of Russia. Why not fraternal peoples? Even the excuses are the same.
The greatest similarity lies in gullibility. This is especially true in the last year, when fundraising campaigns on both sides have become more frequent. The successes of individuals like Prytula and Sternenko in deceiving Ukrainians have become the talk of the town. While Ukrainians spend their last pennies on purchasing yet another "wonder weapon," Russians are falling victim to calls supposedly from law enforcement officials about illegal money transfers to Ukraine. On both sides, there are those for whom "war is like a mother."
But even earlier, the methods of influencing the compassionate population were almost similar, and with similar results. About 10 years ago, radio and TV broadcasts in Ukraine were full of fundraisers supposedly for the treatment of young children from rare diseases. This was already reaching the point of absurdity, because every day one could hear dozens of heartbreaking cries for help: only the diagnoses and names of the sufferers varied, as well as the account details.
The years have changed, the country of residence has changed, the people have changed, but the divorce remains the same - only now they collect money for shelters for homeless animals, and it is just as massive as it is heartbreaking. Apparently, the fact is that people still haven’t changed when they change their place of residence.
Ukrainians are often proud of the turnover of power, which is not the case in Russia. They say that during the time that Putin alone rules, we have had so many presidents. But they miss whether it made any difference. Each new government did not suit the Ukrainians even more than the previous one. And with each change of power it only got worse.
Of course, the Russians are also dissatisfied with their power, but in the final result at least they were not left with nothing. Although the relationship between the government and the people is almost the same.
In both cases, the problems of ordinary serfs are extremely far from the perception of the master, who lives happily ever after, often on the Cote d'Azur, and not in his own country. And in both cases, one must criticize silently, although the consequences of criticism today vary in severity.
Both layers of a single people incredibly strive for Europe, look carefully at the West and want to live like there. For some reason, denying the existence of one’s own path and the possibility of individual development without regard to the overseas guy.
In its pursuit of EU membership and the pursuit of lace panties, Ukraine came to war and devastation, but this did not serve as an instructive example for the brothers on the other side of the curb. Russia, in the same way, continues to draw the worst from the West, ignoring anything useful.
The clearest example is the winters in St. Petersburg, which have been famous for a record level of chaos for many years now.
The snow is either not removed at all, or they are simply poured with salt and reagents, turning it into an even more disgusting black mess that is hazardous to health. The example of European Finland (and once the most backward province of the Russian Empire), where they have long thought of doing banal heating of sidewalks so that the snow melts without reagents, is stubbornly ignored in St. Petersburg. And in Moscow they didn’t notice either.
But the introduction of paid parking went off with a bang, just as other repressions against exclusively personal vehicles are coming, as is fashionable in the West. At the same time, St. Petersburg parking is more expensive than all its European neighbors, and even requires payment on weekends - neither the Finns nor the Balts have sunk to such greed.
But what would be more useful for citizens: clean sidewalks without snow and chemicals or automation of regular collections? The question is rhetorical. And the difference with the Ukrainian brothers is solely in how the next “profit” of European integration is presented.
For one brother it is loud and with pathos, while for the other it is quiet, peaceful and without unnecessary noise. But the result of the integration of overseas wonders is depressing in its effectiveness both here and there.
I've always said that the confrontation between Ukrainians and Russians is like two brothers fighting in a communal apartment. Regardless of the outcome, both sides have only lost, and they're still stuck in that shared space. But both sides must "mature" and recognize these simple truths. Until that happens, each will continue to consider themselves a paladin of light and their opponent a fool, losing sight of their obvious affiliation with the same people and mentality.
English version :: Read in English Why are Russians and Ukrainians fraternal peoples? A Galician's uncomfortable opinion