Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 reposted
olexander scherba🇺🇦
@olex_scherba
Russia’s obsession with WWII is stunning. It can’t be explained solely by historic trauma. Ukrainians lost in that war more per capita than Russians. Ukraine’s whole territory was burnt down. Even according to Russian statistics at least 16% of the fallen Soviet soldiers were Ukrainians (with Ukrainians constituting 10% of the USSR population). Ukraine’s trauma was no less - yet modern Ukraine has never been as WWII-obsessed as Russia. So, what is the nature of this phenomenon?
First, it has to do with Russia’s craving for “greatness”. An average Russian looks at the map, sees how large Russia is, and automatically thinks: because it is large, it must be great. The problem is: there’s very little great about today’s Russia. No great ideas, no great industry, no global inspiration. Russia is a pariah, not a leader. Even their acclaimed culture isn’t that great anymore. Tchaikovsky, Tolstoy - it’s all in the past.
So, to satisfy the craving for greatness, a Russian turns to the past. And finds the next best thing: we won the World War Two. The fact that “we” included other peoples of former Soviet Union, let alone Americans and Brits, is ignored. Just like the inhumane, botched-up price the Soviet people had to pay for the victory due to the inhumane, botched-up character of Stalin’s regime. Just like the atrocities incurred by the Red Army on other nations in the process of Europe’s “liberation”.
What remains is a half-truth: 80 years ago, Russia (in reality, USSR) gave the world something great - defeated fascism. Hence - hurray! - today’s Russia is great. It’s a nation idolizing the past. Which, as we all know from Umberto Eco, is one of the key elements of fascism. Which, in turn, brings us to the crazy paradox: a nation that claims to be “anti-fascist”, conducts a deeply fascist, colonial war on its neighbor.
Second, the idea that they “defeated fascism” gives them the sense of imperial superiority. And the right to declare whoever they want fascist and kill them on the spot. For instance, anybody in Ukraine. Even if it’s millions of people. They view anyone who opposes their occupation a Nazi. Which means, absolute majority of Ukrainian population.
I know, it’s common in the West to view the Putin-Hitler parallels as faux pas. I understand the logic, unless… Unless your nation can actually draw these parallels - because it had direct experience with both. Like in Ukraine’s case.
Ukraine, 80 years ago burnt to the ground by Hitler, is now getting burnt to the ground by Putin. The entire backdrop of this war - with Putin’s constant security demands, with western leaders traveling to Putin and begging him not to do it, with Russia’s arrogant ultimatums in response - is one big uncanny reminder that history rhymes. Let alone the barbarity of what Russians did and do in Ukraine.
So, in case you plan to congratulate Russians on the “Great Victory Day” this year, keep in mind: it won’t be some harmless, apolitical gesture. You will encourage a fascist power amid a fascist war to do more fascist things, disguised as anti-fascism. You won’t be building bridges. You’ll encourage Russia to burn more of them in its insane, fanatical frenzy.
https://x.com/olex_scherba/status/1918288666796908770
