Pretence as a trait of the Russian character
One of the most integral parts of the Russian character is a constant pretence. A worker pretends that he works, a manager pretends that he manages, the president pretends that he rules for the benefit of the people, the people pretends that they love, hate, obey, riot and, in the long run, they pretend that they live. When a foreigner comes to Russia, a Russian pretends to be hospitable trying to fascinate one with a bursting kitchen-table leaving nuts to his fellow countrymen.
Over time it has become so much natural to the Russians to pretend that it would have an impact onto nothing else but the Russian language. The words have virtually seized to mean what they were supposed to, verging on the bizarre.
Once, when I had to ask a man to move his car for I didn’t have a space enough to park, I caught myself asking that in English. Subconsciously I was unsure that the Russian tongue would exert as much effect as the English would, thus I was about to switch to English which could trigger a ridiculous situation
The Russian tongue is very much lacking the deed. It is too figurative to produce a real move. Although it has stayed untouched since the good old times of the Tsarism, it has badly lost its literacy, its physical implication.
It has also a lot to do with the Russian servile, sluggish mind. If normally government needs to persuade its people that their living standards, welfare, freedom institutions yield to none, in Russia the government simply doesn’t need doing that for the people themselves would go to the stake proving to anyone that they actually live well enough not to change anything in their lifestyle.
A Russian blend of pretence and sheer indifference works as much wonders as it makes people eventually believe in the story they make up. A while ago I had a conversation with a middle-aged man from Omsk. The man desperately talked me into that Russia has no problem at all with all the potential to become the #1 power in the nearest future. We (sic!) don’t have ethnical, corruption, economical issues. I’m absolutely satisfied with what I make (he barely makes a fifth of my pretty much modest income). I’m well off, I’ve got a son. The 6th May prisoners must have broken the law (he namely mentioned that the meeting was restricted by the government) and I anyway don’t understand their demands. Whether they want “democracy” or (sic!) stellate sturgeon on their tables. I don’t give a fuck what they need.
With that said I hardly believe anything would change drastically in the next… hundred years. The complete involvement of these people of folky mind into the mess is indispensable part of the changes. The hipsters only would hardly do harm to a neighbor’s hamster, not to say about putin
So my take on that to those who ponder on whether or not to leave is… Leave now, don’t hesitate!