Russia has produced some of the finest artists, writers and scientists in the modern history of the world. Does this mean that the spiritual world of the Russians is probably more complex and profound than that is being realized by most outsiders?
Modern Russia has produced many outstanding artists, writers, and scientists in human history. Does this mean that the spiritual world of Russians is more profound and complex than ordinary outsiders can understand?
Author: GUDORDI | 2024-09-25
Russia. (Shutterstock)
If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.
──John F. Kennedy
Earlier, the author mentioned that human history over the past few hundred years can be understood as a story about how different cultures faced and adapted to modern society, and the experiences of Russia and the Slavic peoples are of great reference value. Basically, Russia is a very special case on this issue, and the Slavic people have been entangled in this issue for more than a hundred years, but it can be said that it has been hundreds of years or even longer. time.
Religious, social and various factors make the situation in Russia very complicated
Although from an Asian perspective, Russia is obviously a part of Europe, from a European perspective, there is room for debate as to whether Russia is a part of it. On the other hand, it is also a question whether the Russians identify themselves with Western Europe. One of the fundamental reasons is probably religion. One of the consequences of the decline of the Roman Empire is the split between political power and religious authority. The political and religious center of the Western Roman Empire was in Rome, but the Eastern Roman Empire was in Constantinople, and the Orthodox Church in Constantinople always considered itself to be more orthodox than that in Rome. More importantly, after Constantinople later fell to the Ottoman Empire, the Tsar was the one who declared Moscow to the world as the center of Orthodox Christianity. Therefore, at least on the religious level, Moscow and Rome have always believed that they are the most orthodox.
The above-mentioned religious differences may be an important reason why Russia has not been able to integrate with Europe. In fact, even though Russia’s national policy in the era of Peter the Great was “Look West,” its real investment was not necessarily much higher than that of the Qing Dynasty’s Westernization Movement. However, as a result, Russia’s social structure has always been somewhat different. . To a certain extent, it followed the development trajectory of Western Europe, but it did not develop a large-scale middle class, business class, or industrial base. On the other hand, the entire country still retains many characteristics of feudal society, such as landlords, nobles, serfs, illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment. Basically, Russian society in the tsarist era was full of all kinds of contradictions, but under the tsar’s high-pressure rule, these contradictions were not or could not be resolved. However, the consequence of World War I was to severely damage the Russian imperial power. Once the high pressure of the Tsar could no longer be effectively implemented, many hidden social problems gradually broke out. It was under this environment that the October Revolution broke out in Russia in 1917.
What are the results of a 100-year social experiment without hesitation?
It is worth noting that, like the Revolution of 1911 in China, the outbreak of the October Revolution in Russia was unexpected. When the Revolution of 1911 broke out, Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing were not in China. When the October Revolution broke out, Lenin was in Switzerland; Tonosky was in North America. However, due to the overwhelming defeat of the imperial power, the October Revolution successfully overthrew the Tsar. Ruled and established a new regime, followed by a huge social experiment.
Looking back suddenly, this social experiment with a certain sense of urgency has been carried out in different countries around the world for more than 100 years. What are the results? Generation after generation of Russians have paid so much for the country’s industrialization, social construction, the battle for the survival of the country and the nation, various social movements, etc., but what have they gained? These questions are a bit puzzling, and can easily cause people to feel “all kinds of feelings in their hearts”. There are many things that perhaps only the Russians themselves can understand and understand. From this perspective, the works of modern Russian artists and writers can be regarded as a reference and worth pondering.
But regardless of our evaluation of Russia as a nation, we have to admit that modern Russia has produced many outstanding artists, writers, and scientists in human history. Does this mean that the spiritual world of Russians is more profound and complex than ordinary outsiders can understand?
President Kennedy’s Peace Speech is Thought-Provoking
Perhaps, after understanding this, we will be more convinced that Kennedy was a very special American president. His vision, mind and knowledge are obviously beyond ordinary politicians, and he is one of the few people who can be called a politician. The text quoted at the beginning of this article comes from a speech delivered by Kennedy at an American university in June 1963 called “Strategy for Peace”, which discussed how to get along with the Soviet Union. This speech was delivered about a few months after the end of the Cuban crisis, which is believed to be the closest that mankind has come to nuclear war and destruction. It is said that this speech is the most ambitious American presidential speech in the entire 20th century. What Gary talked about was the strategy of pursuing world peace. However, in addition to its far-sighted vision, another very important aspect of this speech is Kennedy’s attitude towards the Soviet Union. I will talk about it again.
