Can Russians support Russia without supporting Putin? (Learn Russian)

Hi everyone Hello everybody It's Max with you And Julia is here with you And today we would like to have this conversation with you about things such as patriotism and non-patriotism something Russian something anti-Russian Russophobia Russophilia and so on All these things Lately Julia and I have occasionally been hearing phrases like these For instance Yuri Dud and Ekaterina Schulman are anti-Russian propaganda Either the opposition in Russia consists of Russophobes who are against Russia itself or if you oppose the war then you're not a patriot You’ve been given everything by your homeland—free education free healthcare—and yet you’re ungrateful refusing to stand by Russia Julia If you leave Russia now you're a deserter a traitor and a Russophobe Max Yes These kinds of phrases roughly along these lines are appearing now—thank goodness occasionally sometimes And I think these phrases suggest that the person seems not quite clear about exactly what they're trying to express It feels more emotional yes these phrases Like everything 's blurred together—concepts and definitions alike These concepts became confused with one another Indeed it's as if something is missing The logic and structure behind all of this I took the essence of these phrases and divided them into four parts I came up with four such statements or questions Right now I want to go into more detail about each one And I'll say what I think and Yulia will say what she thinks Maybe it'll help someone I don't know but perhaps it'll better Understand yourself your position And for everyone else it will be listening practice In any case yes In any case So the first point Question Can one love Russia without supporting the current government Can one love and support their country Russia without supporting the current government Julia what do you think about this Of course it's possible because Russia is not the same as power No power at all Not the current one nor the previous nor any future one It seems to me that this is a terrible oversimplification To claim that all of Russia reduces solely to wha Power makes the decisions there and how the state is structured That 's why I can love Russia while not supporting its current leadership Someone from the classics once said I love my country but hate the state Yes In other words these things need to be separated The government doesn't always represent the interests of people If your country has neither elections nor freedom of speech nor any opposition and right now ideology itself is completely suppressed That's just it—you have absolutely no room to maneuver Your government can't even reflect the people's opinions It can only impose and promote its own viewpoint Absolutely true Because if you don't choose the government then they naturally don't represent your perspective Yes That's true What do you think about Yuri Dud being for example anti-Russian propaganda Something like that okay I can imagine hearing from older generations in Russia but some people Young people in Russia also utter such phrases How do you think you could comment on that I want to comment on this by saying I completely disagree with it Yury Dud yes journalist and host of the YouTube show VDUD I'd say Yuri Dud is a patriot in the truest sense of the word because his entire e channel's content is about Russia showcasing the amazing people and fascinating stories from the country They create projects showcasing unique corners of Russia like his video about Kamchatka—yes that's his video about socially significant projects It seems to me that he is precisely demonstrating what Russia is diverse and the extent to which it contains so much that is good He certainly does not support the current situation the present state of affairs power yet at the same time he reveals to a wide audience just how much truly great good and uplifting there is in Russia Yes criticizing the government or certain aspects of Russia does not make one a Russophobe engaging in anti-Russian propaganda For some reason this notion has become firmly entrenched in the minds of certain people A portion of the population in Russia is suffering and that saddens me If you don't support the government then you don't support Putin But this is something about the sacredness of power right Yes but we'll discuss that in the next section Let me ask you another question within this context Does it mean that if a person does not support the current Power does that mean a person supports Western policy Western ideology Western values and whatever else Westerners want It sounds very strange to me because criticizing yes not supporting the current power in Russia automatically Supporting the East does not mean opposing the West Can one support the East without opposing it Can one support the West Can you afford to reject the West After all you might still consider something good Russia's policies something good in Western politics but something feels inappropriate yes something that well needs fixing why must we choose really Why only A or only B It seems to me this is just another example of Russian propaganda And in general propaganda— not just Russian— presents you with two perspectives like right and wrong Yes We were at a café buying coffee And they asked us oh where are you from Russia Oh Zelenskyy or Putin That is it suggests that you have Two options: Russia or NATO Zelensky or Putin But that's absurd That's absurd Absurd Okay So we're moving on to the second question the second part If you're against war then you're against Russia Is this true or false It's offensive Because those who say that if you don't suppor So you don't support Russia as if Russia were automatically equated with war—that is Russia equals war And isn't that unpatriotic I think this is genuine Russophobia Because Russia is a vast country full of wonderful people countless fascinating projects and all sorts of diverse things And I can support them but naturally I don't support war I' m against war—any war With Russia with Ukraine and anywhere else So well no for me if you support Russia That doesn't automatically mean you should support the war It's something entirely different Once again we need to reflect on what Russia truly is What does Russia mean to you Because if you say you don't support the war then you're against Russia which means Russia is for you— Russia is the war Or at the very least Russia is those who started this war It seems to me there must be some understanding of what Russia actually is To me Russia is the people For me Russia is a grand culture For me Russia is the potential of its people especially the young people who could and can and I hope will ey'll build some new interesting and wonderful society drawing from both certain traditions and the culture upon which we stand yet never forgetting the modern world Of course Yes Alright third question This is a statement not a question Russia gave you free education and healthcare yet you 're now standing against Russia—you're not a patriot Well first of all yes you're opposing Russia which brings us back to the previous point— that we are not opposing Russia We stand against war Do not equate the concepts of "Russia and war" or "Russia and power " And when we say that the Russian state provided you with free education it almost seems as thoug somewhere the president is sitting and I don't know maybe some deputies are there too pulling money from their own pockets that they somehow obtained They started allocating funds saying "This is for education and this is for healthcare " But that's not how it actually works Free education and free healthcare aren't actually free—they're funded through the budget through taxes Yes we all pay for them That is here this phrase reflects people's attitude o medicine to the state above all to the state as something truly sacred That is something that brings you certain benefits right Although in reality one could recall theory of society e social contract one of theories about the origin of the state People well essentially and very roughly agreed among themselves tha Power will exist and there will be people who wield it while ordinary people paying taxes will fund all these individuals— officials the president members of parliament They earn solely from the budget and in return people will receive security and certain social guarantees That's how it works not some random sprinkling from above It functions this way in certain countries but not in others countries like Russia it seems this legacy still lingers from Byzantine times—Moscow the Third Rome that kind of idea— Monarchy power concentrated in few hands hierarchy Perhaps the Tatar-Mongol yoke is also clearly involved here with its hierarchical structure When one person holds power through force and pressure they control everything and thus everyone views power as something sacred as something sacred Oh you're giving us education so I must do something I don't know my country feeds me and gives me something And I must I owe her a debt I'm going into the army yes Going into the army to repay a debt That means you're born already in debt Think about how close you are to that This concept might be closer than we think Well in my opinion the state should function entirely differently I don't want this to be something I worship something that gives me anything I don't like this kind of hierarchy I don't like it either Max Yes so you need to understand that no one gave you free education and healthcare yes regarding education I mean there Yes my family paid plus the teachers and the ministries of education receive funds from the budget gas oil and and so on What belongs to everyone That's why this is such a strange approach And I'm curious if you're from some other country ere yes in America for example write can you in your In society someone might naturally wonder yes why are you against it America gave you everything—don’t you owe her a debt Yes there is such rhetoric indeed Alright the fourth point: if you've left Russia you've sold your homeland you're a traitor Did he leave now or leave for good Well in the end it doesn't matter It's just that right now this moment has laid bare Everything that exists Meaning it made all the colors more vid Everything that was once dull is now bright What was once unclear black or brown is now clear and vid It's black right now I don't think the issue is with what's currently happening but rather that it's a litmus test revealing The real attitude of many people toward various things So Yulia what do you think about this phrase "if you've left then you've sold out your homeland" Well first of all I believe there are millions of reasons at people live in other countries and overall the phrase " where you were born" has always given me an involuntary shiver That's when it came in handy " Oh wow Just that but even we don't take the departure situation Yes right now there are work-related reasons there are political reasons but before this people were already leaving because they wanted to study in another country see other countries work and gain life experience in a different one Gain experience living in another country I well I'm generally very supportive of various international opportunities yes like Relations International relations so that people can see how people live in other countries because this It greatly broadens your horizons Moreover if you've traveled somewhere lived somewhere and Then you come back carrying that experience with you Well here's a personal example—I worked for several years education abroad particularly in China I had the opportunity to stay there but four years previously I consciously returned to Russia because I realized I've gathered a variety of interesting experiences that I'd love to share and I especially want to share them through education in Russia I think it's actually great to gain a different experience Of course it's wonderful when someone has been to another country and returned to his homeland with full awareness consciously He wasn't just born here—he lives here because he chose to Where you're born there you're useful It kind of reveals your lack of awareness this It reveals well a lack of imagination Many people simply don't have the opportunity to travel abroad at all In Russia many people have never been anywhere which is why there are so many stereotypes about what happens beyond the border You weren't there you didn't see it It feels like this all traces back to the Soviet era because In the USSR it was the best country in the world and anyone who left was surely a traitor And if he left and realized he wasn't in the best place right Yes So how could you leave the best country in the world You're a traitor Yes That is it still lingers in the minds of many to this day People even if they don't realize it I think I think we should also consider what happens when you left o another country you will be the representative of Russia for the people you're with there A representative of Russian culture yes Yes they might never travel to Russia in their lives perhaps knowing little about the country if You'll go far away yes from Russia and they'll judge Russia by you—that is you'll be their representative Just as many renowned Russian writers lived abroad but became celebrated figures in Russian culture Of course Many I don't know there was Nabokov Solzhenitsyn yes a whole bunch of them People who left and built their careers elsewhere could in a way achieve more there than they could have here and became well known right here Yes but at the same time the entire world knows them specifically as representatives of Russian culture Alright let's finish up by saying what this whole thing actually is ypocrisy when the press secretary meaning the president's Dmitry Peskova when his daughter' s studying in America right Many officials have children studying abroad Many officials have everyone in the family studying abroad along with their yachts There are villas somewhere in Italy and then they say "Where you were born there you're useful " So you're saying this here but you've got this safe little spot somewhere in Europe And you spend a lot of time there though it's not really customary to go to Russian resorts and stay with these people They're all flying to Italy too Their homes surely aren't just undergoing a regular renovation but a full-scale euro-renovation That’s kind of strange isn't it This is hypocrisy this is deceit This is hypocrisy and deceit Double standards but taken to the extreme Yes friends in conclusion a few key points I'd like to convey First Love for Russia or patriotism is not the same as love for the authorities or the government Next You must fully understand that Russia exists for you What is Russia to you It is culture it is people it is power You need to articulate this for yourself Criticizing the government's actions does not mean you are anti-Russian Just as maintaining power or war does not mean one is a Russophile A Russophile who supports the war huh Well it's something straight out of the nineteenth or even eighteenth century More importantly it's essential to understand the thoughts ideas and concepts you convey through your language What do you mean when you say Russia What do you mean when you say patriotism No need for these clichés these stereotypes I think there should be something more intentional Agree Yes I agree yes It's a very cold day today Yes so friends that's it for us today Let's go get something else warm to drink See you in the next video Until next time Thank you Bye