Russian values—(1) patriotism, (2) that the state should play a role in world affairs,
and (3)“state-centeredness.”The latter refers to the belief that the state should be a
central influence in Russian society. According to Putin,“It is a fact in Russia the
tendency toward collective forms of activity have always dominated over individual-
ism. It is also a fact that in Russian society paternalistic sentiments are deeply
embedded.”^38 This perception helps explain Putin’s movement away from a liberal
democratic form of governance in favor of returning to a more authoritarian central
government, a structure that has long characterized Russia’s history. This has moved
Russia toward“state capitalism”and brought about a diminution of political and indi-
vidual freedoms.^39
Russia’s recent actions in relation to Ukraine and the Crimea can also be
explained, at least in part, through the lens of history. As brought out earlier, Russian
east–west topography has facilitated numerous invasions, and a large part of Ukraine
consists of relatively flat steppes. Over the course of recent history, this has been the
route used by Napoleonic French, Imperial German, and Nazi German armies to
strike at Russia. Thus, loss of Ukraine as a buffer state against Western European
influence and military might be seen as a threat from Moscow’s perspective.^40Contemporary Social Issues
The Russian Federation is presently grappling with numerous social issues, some of
which are common throughout globalized society and others that are uniquely
Russian. The most enervating social problem is endemic corruption, which permeates
all segments of contemporary Russian society and has become a normative practice.^41
The pervasiveness of corruption has eroded people’s ability to trust government
institutions and leaders and inhibited overall social cohesiveness.^42 Rampant drug
(heroin) and alcohol abuse also plague Russia. One report indicated that 25 percent
of Russian men die before 55 years of age, and alcohol intemperance causes most of
those deaths. Intravenous use of heroin has resulted in an epidemic of HIV/AIDS due
to addicts sharing dirty needles and the stigma attached to homosexuality.^43 Russia is
also beset with a declining population due to high mortality rates and low birthrate.
To counter this trend, the government introduced a twelve-year program to provide
bonuses, better healthcare, housing, and education for families who have more than
two children. Other, more authoritarian measures have been implemented that
include taxing divorce and placing limits on abortion.^44 The government has recently
become increasingly intolerant of social dissent and now exercises control over key
public media outlets. The government’s use of historical memory to promote
identity-based nationalism by glorifying Imperial Russia’s past carries the risk of
domestic divisiveness, particularly in relation to Russian ethnic minorities and immi-
grants from the former Soviet states.^45
Daniel Triesman’s commentary on Russia’s socioeconomic plight remains as valid
today as when he made it in 2011:
[Russia is] a country struggling with a combinationof challenges, governed under a system that is
part democratic, part authoritarian; informed by a press that is only partly free; powered by an
economy cued to world commodity cycles; inhabited by citizens who judge their leaders on the
basis of economic performance; where alcoholism, encouraged by the extremely low cost of vodka,
is taking an extraordinary toll on lifeexpectancy and aggravating crime.^46Contemporary Social Issues 171Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).