The fight took place on the same day at evening tea. Pavel Petrovich went down into the drawing room, already ready for battle, irritated and resolute. He waited only for an excuse to pounce on the enemy; but the proposal was not presented for a long time. Bazarov generally spoke little in the presence of the "old Kirsanovs" (as he called both brothers), but that evening he felt out of sorts and silently drank cup after cup. Pavel Petrovich was all burning with impatience; his wishes came true at last.
We were talking about one of the neighboring landowners. "Rubbish, aristocratic," remarked Bazarov indifferently, who met him in St. Petersburg.
"Allow me to ask you," began Pavel Petrovich, and his lips trembled, "according to your concepts, do the words 'rubbish' and 'aristocrat' mean the same thing?"
"I said 'aristocratic,'" Bazarov said, lazily taking a sip of his tea.
“Exactly so, sir: but I suppose you have the same opinion about aristocrats as you do about aristocrats. I consider it my duty to tell you that I do not share this opinion. I dare to say that everyone knows me for a liberal and progress-loving person; but that's why I respect aristocrats - real ones. Remember, dear sir (at these words Bazarov raised his eyes to Pavel Petrovich), remember, dear sir, he repeated bitterly, the English aristocrats. They do not yield an iota from their rights, and therefore they respect the rights of others; they demand the fulfillment of duties in relation to them, and therefore they themselves fulfill their duties. The aristocracy gave freedom to England and supports it.
“We have heard this song many times,” objected Bazarov, “but what do you want to prove by this?
- I want to prove eftim, my dear sir (Pavel Petrovich, when angry, said with intent: “eftim” and “efto”, although he knew very well that grammar does not allow such words. This quirk reflected the rest of the legends of the Alexander time. aces, in rare cases, when they spoke their native language, they used one - efto, others - ehto: we are, they say, native Russians, and at the same time we are nobles who are allowed to disregard school rules), I want to prove eftim that without self-esteem, without respect for oneself - and in an aristocrat these feelings are developed - there is no solid foundation for public ... bien public (public good (French).), a public building. Personality, dear sir, is the main thing: the human personality must be strong as a rock, for everything is built on it. I know very well, for example, that you deign to find my habits, my toilet, my cleanliness ridiculous, but all this stems from a sense of self-respect, from a sense of duty, yes, yes, yes, duty. I live in a village, in the wilderness, but I do not drop myself, I respect a person in myself.
“Excuse me, Pavel Petrovich,” said Bazarov, “you respect yourself and sit with folded hands; what is the use of this for the bien public? You would not respect yourself and you would do the same.
Pavel Petrovich turned pale.
-- That's a completely different question. I don't have to explain to you now why I sit with folded hands, as you like to express yourself. I only want to say that aristocracy is a principle, and without principles only immoral or empty people can live in our time. I said this to Arkady on the second day of his arrival, and now I repeat it to you. Isn't that right, Nicholas?
Nikolai Petrovich nodded his head.
“Aristocratism, liberalism, progress, principles,” Bazarov was saying meanwhile, “just think how many foreign ... and useless words! Russian people do not need them for nothing.
What do you think he needs? Listen to you, so we are outside of humanity, outside of its laws. Have mercy - the logic of history requires ...
Why do we need this logic? We do without it.
- How so?
- Yes, just the same. You don't need logic, I hope, to put a piece of bread in your mouth when you're hungry. Where are we before these abstractions!
Pavel Petrovich waved his hands.
“I don't understand you after that. You insult the Russian people. I don't understand how it is possible not to recognize principles, rules! What are you acting on?
"I already told you, uncle, that we don't recognize authorities," intervened Arkady.
“We act by virtue of what we recognize as useful,” said Bazarov. “At the present time, negation is most useful—we deny.
-- All?
-- All.
-- How? not only art, poetry... but also... it's scary to say...
"Everything," Bazarov repeated with inexpressible calmness.
Pavel Petrovich stared at him. He did not expect this, and Arkady even blushed with pleasure.
"But if you'll allow me," Nikolai Petrovich began. “You deny everything, or, to be more precise, you destroy everything... Why, you must build.
- It's none of our business... First we need to clear the place.
-- Current state This is what the people require,” added Arkady with gravity, “we must fulfill these demands, we have no right to indulge in the satisfaction of personal egoism.
This last phrase apparently did not please Bazarov; from her breathed philosophy, that is, romanticism, for Bazarov also called philosophy romanticism; but he did not consider it necessary to refute his young pupil.
-- No no! Pavel Petrovich exclaimed with a sudden impulse, “I don’t want to believe that you, gentlemen, know the Russian people exactly, that you are representatives of their needs, their aspirations! No, the Russian people are not what you imagine them to be. He reveres traditions, he is patriarchal, he cannot live without faith...
“I won’t argue against that,” interrupted Bazarov, “I’m even ready to agree that you are right about that.
- And if I'm right...
“Still, that doesn’t prove anything.
"It proves nothing," Arkady repeated with the confidence of an experienced chess player who foresaw the opponent's apparently dangerous move and therefore was not in the least embarrassed.
How does it prove nothing? muttered the astonished Pavel Petrovich. "So you're going against your people?"
- And even so? exclaimed Bazarov. - The people believe that when the thunder rumbles, it is Elijah the prophet in a chariot driving around the sky. Well? Should I agree with him? And besides, he is Russian, but am I not Russian myself.
- No, you are not Russian after everything you just said! I can't recognize you as a Russian.
"My grandfather plowed the land," answered Bazarov with haughty pride. - Ask any of your own peasants, in which of us - in you or in me - he would rather recognize a compatriot. You don't even know how to talk to him.
“And you talk to him and despise him at the same time.
- Well, if he deserves contempt! You blame my direction, but who told you that it is in me by accident, that it is not caused by the same folk spirit in whose name you advocate so?
-- How! We really need nihilists!
Whether they are needed or not is not for us to decide. After all, you do not consider yourself useless.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please, no personalities!" exclaimed Nikolai Petrovich, and got up.
Pavel Petrovich smiled and, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder, made him sit down again.
“Don't worry,” he said. “I shall not be forgotten precisely because of that sense of dignity over which the lord ... lord doctor so cruelly mocks. Excuse me,” he continued, turning again to Bazarov, “perhaps you think that your teaching is new? You are right to imagine it. The materialism you preach has been in vogue more than once and has always proved untenable...
- Another foreign word! interrupted Bazarov. He began to get angry, and his face took on a kind of coppery and rough color. “Firstly, we don’t preach anything; it's not our habit...
-- What are you doing?
- Here's what we're doing. Formerly, in recent times, we used to say that our officials take bribes, that we have neither roads, nor trade, nor proper justice...
“Well, yes, yes, you are accusers—that’s what they call it, I think. I agree with many of your accusations, but...
- And then we figured out that chatting, just chatting about our ulcers is not worth the trouble, that this only leads to vulgarity and doctrinairism; we saw that our wise men, the so-called progressive people and accusers, are no good, that we are engaged in nonsense, talking about some kind of art, unconscious creativity, about parliamentarism, about advocacy, and the devil knows what, when it comes to daily bread when the grossest superstition suffocates us, when all our joint-stock companies go bust solely because there is a shortage of honest people, when the very freedom that the government is fussing about is hardly good for us, because our peasant is happy to rob himself just to get drunk dope in a pub.
“So,” interrupted Pavel Petrovich, “so: you have convinced yourself of all this and have decided yourself not to take anything seriously.
"And they made up their minds not to undertake anything," repeated Bazarov sullenly.
He suddenly felt annoyed with himself, why he had spread himself so much in front of this gentleman.
- And only to swear?
- And swear.
"And this is called nihilism?"
"And that's called nihilism," Bazarov repeated again, this time with particular boldness.
Pavel Petrovich narrowed his eyes slightly.
-- So that's how! he said in a strangely calm voice. “Nihilism must help all grief, and you, you are our deliverers and heroes. But why do you honor others, at least the same accusers? Don't you just talk like everyone else?
“What else, but this sin is not sinful,” Bazarov said through gritted teeth.
- So what? you act, don't you? Are you going to take action?
Bazarov did not answer. Pavel Petrovich trembled, but immediately mastered himself.
"Hm!.. To act, to break..." he continued. “But how can you break it without even knowing why?”
"We break because we are strong," remarked Arkady.
Pavel Petrovich looked at his nephew and grinned.
"Yes, strength - it never gives an account," said Arkady, and straightened up.
- Unfortunate! cried Pavel Petrovich; he was decidedly not in a position to hold on any longer—even if you thought that in Russia you were supporting yourself with your vulgar maxim! No, this can lead an angel out of patience! Strength! Both in the wild Kalmyk and in the Mongol there is strength - but what do we need it for? Civilization is dear to us, yes, sir, yes, sir, its fruits are dear to us. And don't tell me that these fruits are worthless: the last scribbler, un barbouilleur, the pianist who gets five kopecks a night, and those are more useful than you, because they are representatives of civilization, and not of brute Mongol power! You imagine yourself to be progressive people, and all you have to do is sit in a Kalmyk wagon! Strength! Finally, remember, strong gentlemen, that there are only four and a half of you, and there are millions of those who will not allow you to trample underfoot your most sacred beliefs, who will crush you!
“If they crush it, that’s where the road is,” said Bazarov. - Only the grandmother said in two. We are not as few as you think.
-- How? Do you not jokingly think to get along, get along with the whole people?
- From a penny candle, you know, Moscow burned down, - answered Bazarov.
-- Well well. At first almost satanic pride, then mockery. This is what the youth is fond of, this is what the inexperienced hearts of the boys submit to! Here, look, one of them is sitting next to you, because he almost prays for you, admire it. (Arkady turned away and frowned.) And this infection has already spread far. I was told that in Rome our artists never set foot in the Vatican. Rafael is considered almost a fool, because this, they say, is authority; but they themselves are powerless and fruitless to the point of disgust, and they themselves lack fantasy beyond "The Girl at the Fountain", no matter what you think! And the girl is badly written. You think they are great, don't they?
"In my opinion," objected Bazarov. “Rafael is not worth a penny, and they are no better than him.
-- Bravo! Bravo! Listen, Arkady ... that's how modern young people should express themselves! And how, you think, they can't follow you! Formerly young people had to learn; they did not want to pass for ignoramuses, so they involuntarily worked. And now they should say: everything in the world is nonsense! -- and it's in the hat. The young people rejoiced. And in fact, before they were just blockheads, and now they have suddenly become nihilists.
“That’s what your vaunted self-esteem has betrayed you,” Bazarov remarked phlegmatically, while Arkady flushed all over and flashed his eyes. “Our argument has gone too far... It seems to be better to end it. And then I will be ready to agree with you,” he added, getting up, “when you present me at least one decision in our modern life, in family or public life, which would not cause complete and merciless denial.
“I will present you millions of such resolutions,” exclaimed Pavel Petrovich, “millions!” Yes, at least the community, for example.
A cold smile twisted Bazarov's lips.
“Well, about the community,” he said, “you'd better talk to your brother. He now seems to have experienced in practice what a community, mutual responsibility, sobriety and the like are.
“A family, finally, a family, as it exists among our peasants!” cried Pavel Petrovich.
- And this question, I believe, is better for you not to analyze in detail. Have you, tea, heard of daughters-in-law? Listen to me, Pavel Petrovich, give yourself a day or two, you will hardly find anything right away. Go through all our estates and think carefully about each, and for now we will be with Arkady ...
“Everyone should be mocked,” put in Pavel Petrovich.
- No, frogs cut. Let's go, Arkady; goodbye gentlemen.
Both friends left. The brothers were left alone and at first only looked at each other.
“Here,” Pavel Petrovich began at last, “here is the youth of today! Here they are - our heirs!
"Heirs," repeated Nikolai Petrovich with a despondent sigh. During the entire argument he sat as if on coals and only furtively glanced painfully at Arkady. “Do you know what I remember, brother? Once I quarreled with the deceased mother: she screamed, did not want to listen to me ... I finally told her that you, they say, cannot understand me; we supposedly belong to two different generations. She was terribly offended, and I thought: what should I do? The pill is bitter - but it must be swallowed. Now our turn has come, and our heirs can tell us: they say, you are not of our generation, swallow the pill.
“You are already too complacent and modest,” objected Pavel Petrovich, “on the contrary, I am sure that you and I are much more right than these gentlemen, although we may express ourselves in somewhat outdated language, vieilh, and do not have that impudent arrogance ... And this current youth is so inflated! Ask another: what kind of wine do you want, red or white? "I have a habit of preferring red!" he answers in a bass voice and with such an important face, as if the whole universe was looking at him at that moment ...
"Do you want more tea?" said Fenechka, sticking her head in the door; she did not dare to enter the drawing-room while the voices of those arguing could be heard in it.
"No, you can order the samovar to be taken," answered Nikolai Petrovich, and went up to meet her. Pavel Petrovich abruptly said to him: bon soir (good evening (French).) and went to his office.

Disagreements in the views on life of the liberal P.P. Kirsanov and the nihilist E. Bazarov lead to constant clashes between them. They argue about many topical issues of the time. As a result, we see their attitude to the social system, the nobility, the people, religion, and art.Pavel Petrovich is forced to admit that not everything is in order in society. Bazarov, on the other hand, is not enough petty accusation if the foundations are rotten. "Fix society" - only in this he sees the benefit. Kirsanov's answer: “Civilization is dear to us. We cherish its fruits ... ". So this person is not going to change anything. Unlike aristocrats, whose main occupation is "doing nothing", nihilists are not inclined to engage in empty talk. Activity is their main goal. But what kind of activity? The youth came to destroy and denounce, but someone else must take care of the building. “First you need to clear the place,” says Bazarov.No less fundamental is the dispute between the heroes about the Russian people.Pavel Petrovich is touched by his religiosity and patriarchy, backwardness and traditionalism. Bazarov, on the contrary, despises the peasant for his ignorance, believes that "the grossest superstition is strangling the country." At the same time, Kirsanov is dismissive of ordinary people: talking to the peasants, he "grimaces and sniffs cologne." Bazarov, on the other hand, is proud of the fact that he knows how to speak with the people, and his "grandfather plowed the land."Serious differences between "fathers" and "children" are also found in relation to art, to nature.Pavel Petrovich does not shy away from spiritual life and culture. He is annoyed by Bazarov's denial of everything that has no practical meaning. For Bazarov, "reading Pushkin is a waste of time, making music is ridiculous, enjoying nature is ridiculous." He believes that art softens the soul, distracts from work.Kirsanov, realizing that he cannot defeat a nihilist in an argument, resorts to the last way to solve the problem - a duel. Ironically depicting the fight, Turgenev emphasizes the absurdity of Pavel Petrovich's behavior, the inconsistency of his conviction that by force it is possible to force the generation of "children" to think the same way as the generation of "fathers". Kirsanov and Bazarov each have their own opinion.There was no winner in this confrontation between the nihilist and the aristocrat. The finale of the novel emphasizes the lifelessness of the ideas of both characters. Pavel Petrovich leaves for Dresden, where he continues to lead an aristocratic lifestyle, realizing that a completely different time is coming in Russia. Bazarov goes to the village to his parents, recognizing the inconsistency of his views.Thus, in the novel "Fathers and Sons" I.S. Turgenev showed the ideological struggle of two generations, the struggle of the old world that is becoming obsolete and the new world that is being born. We see that the principles and ideals of the "fathers" are becoming a thing of the past, but the younger generation, armed with the ideas of nihilism, is not able to ensure the future of Russia, because before destroying, you need to know what to build. In no case should you discard the experience of predecessors. A strong thread must connect one generation with another, only then is it possible to move forward.

Which of the heroes wins this "duel"?

Pavel Petrovich was all burning with impatience; his wishes came true at last. We were talking about one of the neighboring landowners. "Rubbish, aristocratic," remarked Bazarov indifferently, who met him in St. Petersburg. “Allow me to ask you,” began Pavel Petrovich, and his lips trembled, “according to your concepts, do the words “rubbish” and “aristocrat” mean the same thing? "I said: 'Aristocratic,'" said Bazarov, lazily taking a sip of tea. - Exactly so, sir; but I suppose you have the same opinion of aristocrats as of aristocrats. “I consider it my duty to tell you that I do not share this opinion. I dare to say that everyone knows me for a liberal and progress-loving person; but that's why I respect aristocrats - real ones. Remember, gracious sir (at these words Bazarov raised his eyes to Pavel Petrovich), remember, gracious sir, he repeated bitterly, the English aristocrats. They do not yield an iota from their rights, and therefore they respect the rights of others; they demand the fulfillment of duties in relation to them, and therefore they themselves fulfill their duties. The aristocracy gave freedom to England and supports it. “We have heard this song many times,” objected Bazarov, “but what do you want to prove by this? - I want to prove eftim, dear sir (Pavel Petrovich, when angry, said with intent: “eftim” and “efto”, although he knew very well that grammar does not allow such words. This quirk reflected the rest of the legends of the Alexander time. , in rare cases, when they spoke their native language, they used, some - efto, others - echto: we are, they say, native Russians, and at the same time we are nobles who are allowed to disregard school rules), I eftim want to prove that without feelings of self-respect, without respect for oneself - and in an aristocrat these feelings are developed - there is no solid foundation for the social. The rest of the legends of Alexander's time affected this quirk. The aces of that time, in rare cases, when they spoke their native language, used some - efto, others - echto: we are, they say, native Russians, and at the same time we are nobles who are allowed to neglect school rules), I want to prove eftim that without self-respect, without respect for oneself - and in an aristocrat these feelings are developed - there is no solid foundation for a public ... bien public (public good (French.).), A public building. Personality, dear sir, is the main thing; the human personality must be as strong as a rock, for everything is built on it. I know very well, for example, that you deign to find my habits, my toilet, my cleanliness ridiculous, but all this stems from a sense of self-respect, from a sense of duty, yes, yes, yes, duty. I live in a village, in the wilderness, but I do not drop myself, I respect a person in myself. “Excuse me, Pavel Petrovich,” said Bazarov, “you respect yourself and sit with folded hands; what is the use of this for the bien public? You would not respect yourself and you would do the same. Pavel Petrovich turned pale. - That's a completely different question. I don't have to explain to you now why I sit with folded hands, as you like to express yourself. I only want to say that aristocracy is a principle, and without principles only immoral or empty people can live in our time. I said this to Arkady on the second day of his arrival, and now I repeat it to you. Isn't that right, Nicholas? Nikolai Petrovich nodded his head. “Aristocratism, liberalism, progress, principles,” Bazarov was saying meanwhile, “just think how many foreign ... and useless words! Russian people do not need them for nothing. What do you think he needs? Listen to you, so we are outside of humanity, outside of its laws. Excuse me - the logic of history requires ... - Yes, what do we need this logic for? We do without it. - How so? - Yes, the same. You don't need logic, I hope, to put a piece of bread in your mouth when you're hungry. Where are we before these abstractions! Pavel Petrovich waved his hands. - I don't understand you after that. You insult the Russian people. I don't understand how it is possible not to recognize principles, rules! What are you acting on? “I already told you, uncle, that we do not recognize authorities,” Arkady intervened. “We act by virtue of what we recognize as useful,” said Bazarov. “At the present time, denial is most useful - we deny it. - All? - All.

Posters offensive to Russians appeared on the London Underground

“Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles...useless words! The Russians don't need them," the advertisement on English language photographed and posted online. These words are a quote from the novel Fathers and Sons, published in 1862 by the classic of Russian literature Ivan Turgenev.

However, firstly, the quote, borrowed from Turgenev and torn from the text, sounds completely different in the original: “Aristocratism, liberalism, progress, principles,” Bazarov said meanwhile, “just think how many foreign ... and useless words! Russian people do not need them for nothing. That is, the meaning of the quote is actually different. Bazarov does not say that a Russian person does not need progress and principles, but that everything foreign is not needed, which under these labels was then imposed on Russia by liberals and Westerners, against which the hero of the novel protested. English propagandists, as usual, distort.

Secondly, Yevgeny Bazarov is a character in the novel "Fathers and Sons", brought out in it as a nihilist student who denies almost all the values ​​\u200b\u200band accepted in society and traditional foundations. Bazarov protests against the liberal ideas of the Kirsanov nobles and the conservative views of his parents. He was a kind of forerunner of the Bolsheviks, who later seized power in Russia. Thus, it turns out that the British, without thinking about it, propagate the ideas not of Russian society, but of the Bolsheviks, who, as you know, borrowed their ideas and principles from European thinkers. In a word, they wanted to humiliate and insult the Russians, but in fact, another embarrassment and stupidity came out.

Russians behave differently

It would not be superfluous to recall that in Russia, in relation to England, they behave in a completely different way. So, despite the ridiculous and unfair sanctions against Russia, in the St. Petersburg metro, for example, posters with lyrical poems by English poets - Keats and Shelley hang today. In Russia, in general, great English literature is loved and highly valued, and it would never occur to anyone to hang posters that are offensive to the British with quotes that are unpleasant for them in public places.

Although, if you dig, then the Anglo-Saxon classics have plenty of such quotes, where the inhabitants of foggy Albion look far from being in the best light.

“We are Anglo-Saxons,” Mark Twain wrote, for example, “and when an Anglo-Saxon needs something, he goes and takes it.<...>If we translate this outstanding declaration (and the feelings expressed in it) into simple human language, it will sound something like this: "We, the British and Americans, are thieves, robbers and pirates, which we are proud of."

But we do not hang such quotes in our subway! And we are shooting, for example, a film about Sherlock Holmes. Let's remember what a wonderful image of a shrewd British detective is created in this film by the Russian actor Livanov. Even the English queen could not resist and elevated the actor to knighthood. So the appearance of offensive posters in the London Underground is evidence that modern Englishmen are not quite familiar today with the noble principles of aristocracy, which they themselves once created.

Part of the Russophobic campaign

But the main thing in this story is different. The appearance in a public place of the capital of England of a quote humiliating for Russians, frankly, a racist inscription, in Britain boasting of its tolerance, is not at all accidental. This is just part of a planned active Russophobic campaign by the West aimed at weakening and isolating Russia. Like, what kind of country is this, where no one needs progress and principles!

“There is Russophobia in the UK, which is based on the fact that many Russians are allegedly closely connected with the underworld,” Russian Ambassador to the UK Yuri Fedotov said in an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times. In his opinion, this is due to the fact that the British are forced to believe that many Russians are allegedly closely connected with the underworld. The ambassador said he knew several cases where Russians were attacked, and the British police did not react to this.

“I can give examples when Russians in London were beaten by teenagers. Tourists, businessmen, those who came to visit. They were all severely beaten, and the police did not open an investigation into these specific incidents, ”the BBC quoted the diplomat as saying.

However, according to his observations, if Russians commit offenses, then the police act very harshly. “I have an example when a woman violated traffic rules. The police placed her under arrest. Many cars arrived and handcuffed her,” Fedotov said.

Against this background, the British do not disdain the fabrication of major political provocations directed against our country. Suffice it to recall the sensational scandal with polonium poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, who fled to England, who, according to the British, was allegedly poisoned by Russian special services.

Although the Russians in relation to England behave differently there. According to The Sunday Times, about 400,000 Russians now live in the UK. Every year more than 170 thousand tourists come from Russia, and about 2 thousand Russian students enter local universities. Russian-British trade is over £7bn a year, and Russians have spent £2.2bn on property in the UK since 2000, more than US and Middle Easterners combined. Thus, the Russians of England bring nothing but income to the British treasury and in no way and nowhere do they threaten the interests of Britain.

Roots of Russophobia

For the first time the term "Russophobia" was used by the great Russian poet Fyodor Tyutchev in connection with the appearance of hostility towards Russia in Europe after the suppression of the Hungarian revolution of 1848-1849 by the tsarist troops in Austrian Empire, then Russian empire became known as the "gendarme of Europe".

However, according to historians, Russophobia began as early as the time of Charlemagne, who created his empire 1200 years ago and laid the foundations of what came out of the religious schism in 1054. Charles created his empire when the center of the civilized world at that time was in Byzantium. At the same time, it is believed that the schismatics were from the Eastern Church, which broke away from the united Christian. But in fact, the Catholic Church broke away. And the East remained Orthodox - orthodox.

In order to remove the blame for this schism, Western theologians, theologians began a campaign of intellectual processing and substantiation of the idea of ​​how to shift the blame for the schism to the Eastern Church. They began to talk about the Greek world, that is, about Byzantium, as a "territory of despotism, barbarism", in order to relieve themselves of responsibility for the split.

And when Constantinople fell, Byzantium collapsed, against which all this ideological campaign was directed, and Russia took the place of Byzantium, like the Third Rome, all this lies were immediately transferred to Russia. The French Marquis de Custine especially distinguished himself in this field with his Russophobic book Journey to Russia, which has become a textbook for Western politicians. These fabrications and violent attacks on Russia intensified markedly after the reforms of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, when Russia began to grow stronger.

As a result, by the end of the 18th century, the theory of Russophobia was formed. It was used after a short period of time by Napoleon, because this theory of Russophobia justified hostility towards Russia, which then stood in the way of the expansionist policy of France. A fabricated "testament of Peter I" appeared, which allegedly outlined the "aggressive plans of Russia." The fake was used by Napoleon as an argument for his invasion of Russia in 1812.

And in England, Russophobia appeared around 1815, when Great Britain, in alliance with Russia, was able to defeat Napoleon. The common enemy was defeated, and immediately England made Russia an enemy. And later London used it to whitewash its own expansionist plans in the Mediterranean, Egypt, India and China.

Nowadays, when Russia began to rise after the pogrom of the 1990s, Russophobia in the West has revived again. History is falsified, victory in the war with Hitler is attributed to the United States, and the contribution of the USSR to the defeat of fascism is downplayed. Russia is depicted by all the forces of the Western media as a country where dictatorship allegedly reigns and democracy is suppressed, as an aggressor, allegedly striving to seize other states. For this purpose, the will of the people of Crimea, who wished to reunite with Russia, and the events in Ukraine were actively used.

In a word, history is repeating itself today: in order to promote their own interests, to carry out their expansionist intentions in the West, which surrounds our country with military bases, they constantly talk about the “threat” that allegedly comes from Russia.

Russia is demonized in order, for example, to deploy NATO missiles in Poland and Romania, using exactly the same arguments as Napoleon 200 years ago.

Europe, and especially England, and in recent decades the United States, are accustomed to dominating the world. But today the situation is completely different, and Europe feels especially uncomfortable: not only has the role of world leader passed to the United States, but new difficult problems have arisen within Europe related to emigrants, rising unemployment, the European Union is on the verge of collapse, etc. To do this, they find nothing else but to blame all these troubles on Russia - supposedly, this huge "Russian bear" is to blame. Hence the new flowering of Russophobia.

Special for the Centenary

Although only the naive doubted that Russia has always been discredited precisely for this. that she is Russia. But in order to remain in the eyes of the world and their own "civilized people", the Anglo-Saxons had to hide behind criticism of the ideology that existed in Russia at the moment.

Overton's windows in the house of the "avant-garde of mankind" open one by one, now even underground. Official Russophobia is becoming part of "Western democracy" and a national idea...

«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ««««««««««««««««««««

Posters posted on the London Underground with a quote from Turgenev - that Russians do not need liberalism and progress

« Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles...useless words! The Russians don't need them.", the ad says.

At the same time, in the original, the quote looks like this: “Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles,” Bazarov said meanwhile, “just think how many foreign ... and useless words! Russian people do not need them for nothing.

Yevgeny Bazarov is a character in Ivan Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons. Being a nihilist student, he denies almost all the values ​​and traditional foundations accepted in the then society. Bazarov protests against the liberal ideas of the Kirsanov nobles and the conservative views of his parents. Fathers and Sons was published in 1862.

That one can find a bunch of negative statements about the English, and very often from the lips of the English themselves, does not raise a single doubt. Moreover, the statements are not processed, not distorted and not taken out of context.

But aren't they, these Englishmen, a big fry, in order to occupy the area of ​​the Moscow metro for their sake, and even more so to divert the precious attention of passengers to them? For those who have a different opinion, the manual is below.

The English write the words "I" and "God" with a capital letter, but "I" - with a slightly larger letter than "God". Pierre Daninos

I love the English. They have developed the most stringent code of immorality in the world. Malcolm Bradbury

In an English court, a defendant is presumed innocent until he can prove that he is Irish. Ted Whitehead

England is the birthplace of hypocrites. Oscar Wilde

British prisons are the best in the world... That's why they are overcrowded. Benny Hill

"We are Anglo-Saxons, and when an Anglo-Saxon needs something, he goes and takes it."<...>If we translate this outstanding declaration (and the feelings expressed in it) into simple human language, it will sound something like this: "We, the British and Americans, are thieves, robbers and pirates, which we are proud of." Mark Twain

The main thing is hypocrisy. Restraint, stiffness, secretiveness, shyness, embarrassment, evasiveness, hypocrisy, politeness through clenched teeth - all this is very English.Kate Fox

It is often said that we treat our animals like people, but this is not true. Have you never seen how we treat people? Such an unfriendly and unfriendly attitude towards animals would be unthinkable. Kate Fox

Generally speaking, the English hate it if a person insists that he is right, but they love it very much if he repents of his mistakes. Oscar Wilde

I can't stand the English manner of talking nasty things about people in a deafening whisper. Francis Scott Fitzgerald

England is not Shakespeare's emerald island and not the underworld, as Dr. Goebbels depicts it, but ... a Victorian-style house, where all cabinets are filled to the top with skeletons. George Orwell

An Englishman thinks about morality only when he feels uneasy. George Bernard Shaw