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Post by Circe on May 4, 2005 14:03:19 GMT -5
@ nockisalwaysright "It takes a lot of courage to be a coward in the Red Army" - Joseph Stalin ;D You're definitely becoming my favourite poster, henerte ;D On topic instead, I suspect that some harshness in Russian behaviour (if such harshness exists) may depend by the fact that it remained a noblemen-warriors/peasants society (as opposed to borgueois) for longer than Western Europe. This of course would apply to other countries as well. Yes, I think you might have a point there... warrior/peasant was Serbian ideal till the WW2 I think... Milosevic is not he best of examples, considering the mental unaccountability that runs in his family, and the way that he used the nationalist sentiment (and corresponding militant rhetoric) to maintain himself in power. But yes, a kind of bond exists between Russians and Serbs, although it's not as strong today as it was in the past. I think that belligerence and completely irrational attitude towards death, glory and the price worth paying for it is one of Slavic characteristics... a certain melancholy, being maudlin... maybe it has to do with religion, the fact that Renaissance period was nothing like the one in Western Europe or even with the climate in Russia... I've been asked about it before, and I always find it soo difficult to explain to a non-Slavic colocutor I like to paraphrase Tarkovsky, who on being asked to explain the "Slavic soul" to the Westerners replied something like: "When you understand how a lunatic can write a story about a student killing an old lady, and completely move the boundaries of literature, you'll understand the Slavic soul" As for Russians, I think their current xenophobia has roots in the proces of economic transition which isn't going very smoothly there. USSR with all its faults and virtues was one of the big players... it's hard for people to see their country falling apart, nouveaux riches surfacing, economy in shambles... and it's even harder to admit that they themselves are responsible... it's so much easier to blame the "others" and those identified as "others" bear the brunt of the general dissatisfaction and hopelessness... p.s. ...the green eyed Serbian whitch... I'll take this as a compliment ;D nock is always right!
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Post by nockwasright on May 4, 2005 17:42:27 GMT -5
I like to paraphrase Tarkovsky, who on being asked to explain the "Slavic soul" to the Westerners replied something like: "When you understand how a lunatic can write a story about a student killing an old lady, and completely move the boundaries of literature, you'll understand the Slavic soul" Ehi he wasn't a lunatic and the novel was about ethics! Don't touch Fedor ; he is my man, and Mr Nobody Tarkovsky should wash his mouth before talking about him . Fedor is totally Russian, as Russian as can be, but he is also totally European, as he shaped European culture more than many, maybe than all. We can understand him, trust me ... but this is another issue ... P.S. And in this case you're also right
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Post by henerte on May 4, 2005 17:42:49 GMT -5
You're definitely becoming my favourite poster, henerte ;D Nice to hear that It reminds me of an interview with Vladimir Grbic. It was something like this: ...I have lost many games but I never felt like a loser. I don't know this feeling. Even when I win, I feel as if I could make more effort. If it felt different I would be god.....We have rivalization in our blood and were created for sport......the tragedy of my nation mobilizes me twice as much, we are the best, we are the winners and we feel like winners, we give our compatriots the sens of exceptionality.....I love my country above anything else. There is no pain, I would not bear for my motherland...I was quoting from my memory, but it was definitely something to that effect.
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aeon
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Post by aeon on May 5, 2005 8:54:10 GMT -5
Well, you may have a point ... however I was also thinking to the Polish charge on horses against armored troops, this feat often is used as example of the brave but unpractical Slav charachter ... That reminds me of The Charge of the Light Brigade or Alamo as examples of the brave but unpractical Anglo-Saxon character...
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Post by nockwasright on May 5, 2005 10:32:06 GMT -5
That reminds me of The Charge of the Light Brigade or Alamo as examples of the brave but unpractical Anglo-Saxon character... Yawn. I said it was an example not a proof. Anglo Saxons are famous for their practical sense, actually.
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Post by Circe on May 5, 2005 11:48:08 GMT -5
Ehi he wasn't a lunatic and the novel was about ethics! Don't touch Fedor ; he is my man, and Mr Nobody Tarkovsky should wash his mouth before talking about him . Fedor is totally Russian, as Russian as can be, but he is also totally European, as he shaped European culture more than many, maybe than all. We can understand him, trust me ... but this is another issue ... We, Slavs, sometimes use strange endearment terms, but I guess it's something you can't understand... Tell him, henerte, tell him! ;D lol Seriously now, Fedor really is exquisite, one of the immortals, and I don't think Tarkovsky meant any harm when giving this statement I believe he rather wanted to make an effective statement and simultaneously scorn the journalist who posed the question in such an offhand manner... as if all the subtle differences were something that could be explained in 1-2 sentences... and of course to embarrass all those who didn't get the allusion I didn't mean mystify or mythicize "Slavic soul" idea... it's not something incomprehensible, it is just hard to define, being a product of an extremely composite and hard-to-identify array of factors... However, it is MHO that it is perfectly accesible if one's willing to put in some effort and goodwill P.S. And in this case you're also right Thanks
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Post by Circe on May 5, 2005 12:06:52 GMT -5
Nice to hear that It reminds me of an interview with Vladimir Grbic. It was something like this... I must say your memory is rather impressive! And the interview is very illustrative of what I've said, thanks for sharing it
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Post by Circe on May 5, 2005 12:11:25 GMT -5
Yawn. I said it was an example not a proof. Anglo Saxons are famous for their practical sense, actually. ;D lol First Dostoyevsky, now this... I think you have earned the right to be an honorary member of Dodonian Slavic Fellowship
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Post by uygurkazak1988 on May 5, 2005 12:44:34 GMT -5
all slavs should surrender their freedom to turan all slavs are nasty: russians, serbians, um... ok thats the only bad slavs there are. i hate the skinheads in russia. when we reenact turan we will put these people in concentration camps in greece.
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Post by zemelmete on May 6, 2005 2:24:07 GMT -5
all slavs should surrender their freedom to turan all slavs are nasty: russians, serbians, um... ok thats the only bad slavs there are. i hate the skinheads in russia. when we reenact turan we will put these people in concentration camps in greece. LOLOLOLOL You are funny guy, uygurkazak 1988.
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Post by NunzioGuido on May 6, 2005 3:16:13 GMT -5
So I take it that in Russia they don't consider Armenians to be white.So I take that in Russia they won't consider Greeks,Portuguese,Italians,and Spaniards to be white either.
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Post by nockwasright on May 6, 2005 3:21:26 GMT -5
I didn't mean mystify or mythicize "Slavic soul" idea... it's not something incomprehensible, it is just hard to define, being a product of an extremely composite and hard-to-identify array of factors... However, it is MHO that it is perfectly accesible if one's willing to put in some effort and goodwill "Foreigners have souls; the English haven't. On the Continent you find any amount of people who sigh deeply for no conspicuous reason, yearn, suffer and look in the air extremely sadly. This is soul. The worst kind of soul is the great Slav soul. People who suffer from it are usually very deep thinkers. They may say things like this: "Sometimes I am so merry and sometimes I am so sad. Can you explain why? (You cannot, do not try). Or they may say: "I am so mysterious... I somethimes whish I were somewhere else than where I am (do not say "I wish you were"). All this is very deep: and just soul, nothing else." George Mikes (Hungarian/English), How to be a Brit"What could Bertie - just dumped by girlfriend - do? Had he been a charachter in a Russian novel he would have hanged himself in the barn; bein just a plain English fellow he got drunk at the bar" P.G. Whodehouse (in this case the English's lousy couse I'm quoting by memory). "Still we don't know what is more disgusting: Russian unrulyness or the typical German way to accumulate wealth by honestly working ... But I would like best to spend all my life wandering in a Kirgiz tent than to bow to the German Idol ... the Hoppe & C. firm .... see what a wonderful show! Here's the result of the work of one or two hundreds of years of patience, intelligence, honesty, character, firmness, planning and storks on the roof ...I don't care about becoming Hoppe & C. in five generations. I need money for myself, and don't consider my whole self as an attribute of the capital. I know well I said a lot of bullshit, but it's the same. That's my thinking." Fedor Dostoevskij, The Gambler, sorry for the translation, Fedor may forgive me. Hei, superthanks for the membership!
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Post by Circe on May 6, 2005 5:25:19 GMT -5
Adding something to your post would be superfluous
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eee
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Post by eee on May 6, 2005 9:06:41 GMT -5
So I take it that in Russia they don't consider Armenians to be white.So I take that in Russia they won't consider Greeks,Portuguese,Italians,and Spaniards to be white either. Itis funny. How come that Russians with their flat faces think that they are more White than Armenians, Georgians? That's just ignorant.
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eee
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Post by eee on May 6, 2005 9:09:27 GMT -5
"Foreigners have souls; the English haven't. On the Continent you find any amount of people who sigh deeply for no conspicuous reason, yearn, suffer and look in the air extremely sadly. This is soul. The worst kind of soul is the great Slav soul. People who suffer from it are usually very deep thinkers. They may say things like this: "Sometimes I am so merry and sometimes I am so sad. Can you explain why? (You cannot, do not try). Or they may say: "I am so mysterious... I somethimes whish I were somewhere else than where I am (do not say "I wish you were"). All this is very deep: and just soul, nothing else." Well, Russian always like to talk about their SOULS, drinking vodka in their small kitchens. ;D
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