A nation’s literature explains a lot about their ethos. Having taken a few semesters of Russian literature in college, I offer this observation. War, death, poverty, and societal ills loom large, as do themes of unfairness and the inability to overcome “the system” and corrupt bureaucrats. Add in malevolent leaders who revel in torment and death and it suggests that, unless you’re an noble or oligarch, life holds very little for you. There’s nothing left to do but inflict the misery on others.
@cassandra17lina
Can confirm. When I was in school, russian literature was dominant in our foreign literature classes. I diligently read all of it. Can't say I hated it but I definitely did not like it. After graduation I never came back to it. I was more interested in classics from other countries such as USA, Britain, Germany etc.