People from the U.S. usually feel that they do not understand Russians much. That is quite normal considering the historical rivalry and fighting between the two great nations.
But, seen from a Danish perspective things might not be so different after all. Please let me explain what the Russians are, and how they ended up being who they are.
Russians or “Rus” came from the Scandinavian peninsula a thousand years ago. At that time it was quite the rave to go to the Byzantine empire to serve as bodyguards of the Byzantine emperor. We Vikings were, rightfully I might add, seen as the best fighters, so the emperor wanted a hird of our good men.
Many came home with very beautiful clothes and a lot of riches.
This was alproximately at the same time as Denmark and England was under the same king, that of Canute.
The route down to the Byzantine empire was along the rivers of Europe. So we sailed in our longboats down the rivers, and we noticed some nice arable land along the route.
Especially in Ukraine, there was a lot of nice land, so we decided to settle there. In the beginning it went quite well, but that all changed at the time of the Hun invasion.
The Huns were extremely savage. They burned down whole peoples and they, more or less, destroyed the Viking cities in Ukraine.
Imagine that. You live happily in your land, as the Americans do now, all of a sudden a vile conqueror decend on all your peaceful cities and burn them to the ground, rapes all your daughters, kill you indescriminately.
This really changed the Russians, in fact the Russians never truly got over that abuse. This is why Russians are so sceptical towards foreign powers who try to impose their will on them and have this deeply ingrained suspicion towards conquerors.
It has served then well many times. Russians single handedly took out Napoleon and Hitler. Imagine that.
Do not wake the Russian bear they say. In other words, Russians always are ready to fight to the bitter end. They know that there is no depth to human depravity, and will fight rather than surrender.
But they still remember where they come from, and the good things we develop here in Europe, they learn from and try to use to the best of their ability.
Like the rise of spirituality that I have been a part of.
So in fact Russians are like Americans. They have had their frontiertime, their longing for their roots. But they are just an older wave of migrants, and they are wiser to the evils of the world.
But deep down Russians are as freedomloving, proud warriors. I might add with a great warm heart.
Mr. Putin is of a generation that look upon Europe for good things, he is not a generation that wants war. In fact he just wants to be left in peace.
G-d bless the peace we CAN find.
