But in most essential ways Russia is closer to China than to Western Europe --- if you measure the proximity by the tolerance to and respect of power; the role assigned to an individual in society vs. that of community; the weight given to one's physical age vs. the extent of knowledge.
Russians love power and have always employed it. The deam there is a good Tzar rather than no tyrant at all. Now we experience yet another wave of idealism about the future of that country. But for a long, long time to come, it will be a shaky democracy, if a democracy at all.
While I too believe with Cornelis that Putin's and the State's embrace of the State Religion is a masterful stroke, there's no denying the faith endured a most diabolical century ... I saw it for myself. It's one of the reasons -- the most desperate, actually -- why I HAD to go when I had the chance.
Though it's true I also saw enough to know the real evil is only beginning in many respects ... as Christ "faces off" with Lenin at Red Square from his strategic spot over the Holy Gate of GUM shopping center ... from whence he'll dispense the "saving graces of Western materialism", no doubt.
You're right about its being Eastern in many respects. I know I'd never quite appreciated before what ancient ties it had with the Middle Eastern kingdoms in particular until viewing the extraordinary collection of gifts in the Kremlin or studying the faces on the Metro.
It's being a crossroads and empire caused it to become every bit the mosaic of humanity that our nation became. But it also is an ancient land of true faith ... true mystics and profoundly holy pilgrims whose devotion to our Lady lives. And passionate people. People who drink and sing and dance and whose souls thrill to soar ... whether behind a troika in poetry or 'round the earth itself on the shoulders of their hero Gagarin.
Beauty so exquisite ... in music, art, architecture and word ... that it takes your breath away. And makes your eyes fill with tears when you see the expanse of oppressive ugliness and dysfunction and inhuman intimidation that's turned faces impassive as a rule. I was glad that I slipped my companions and played "prairie dog" on the Metro so as to get a feel for some of the places that aren't a part of the usual rounds a tourist makes. And I also had to make my way as a stranger ... finding out for myself what sorts of peope they were as I fell upon their good graces to get around or hung out as a I pleased among the baby carriages and lovers and toughs ... having a brown bottle of beer myself as I wrote in my journal a while.
Its proximity to the East affords it understanding we'll probably never have but also a healthy contempt we'll wish we'd had ... instead of playing games beyond our ken and appeasing the yet communist Hegemon who's Confucianist on the outside but Legalist on the inside.
It was a joy and a privilege finally to visit the place and realize my love and admiration (and wonder ... ) had not been misplaced in the least all these years. I believe now more than ever that they, however truly foreign and decidedly different -- more than any other nation and despite their history of oppression from within and assault from without -- have the most in common with Americans as far as spirit, humor and the good sort of gullibility that swells a heart, opens a door or raises a toast for all the right reasons.
It's an affinity I trust will hold us in good stead when all hell breaks loose. We Americans are pretty soft and spoiled. It's not been so very long we -- as a people -- have abandoned our principles, lost respect for the morality de Toqueville knew was our only protection and opened ourselves up to bearing the brunt of -- instead of just dishing out -- many of the evils we've unleashed and only encouraged worldwide.
We have a lot to learn from the Russians. They are dreamers but they're also pretty cynical and keep two sets of books as a rule.