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.