Russia Is Wrought With Inconsistencies And Discord

The history of Russia is wrought with inconsistencies and discord. Flawed with unjust social constructs and plagued constantly by the dichotomous relationship between authority and the people, Russia, since it’s upbringing, had always been one step behind it’s eastern neighbors. And in this rat race to stand among the Europeans, the identity and essence of Russia was always in a state of question. As a result, Russia was constantly struggling to find it’s place within a global narrative. It was Russian philosopher Petr Chaadaev, who in 1829, wrote, â€Å"We do not belong to any of the great families of the human race. We are neither of the West nor of the East, and we have the traditions of neither.† It is a wonder that Chaadaev, in the years of such turbulent changes, was able to identify such metaphysical traits of the nation. But while Chaadaev highlights the indisputable â€Å"sui generis nature of Russia in context with the European nations, perhaps it was too presumptuous to say that this uniqueness resulted in the lack of culture and tradition from both East and West. As the three momentous periods of Russia, the formation, the imperial, and the formation of the soviet, may suggest, rather than a nation outside of East or West, Russia is an amalgamation of elements from both, existing between the dichotomous East and West. Russia before the â€Å"Russians† was a complex mix of people and culture. To the knowledge of historians, the lands were mostly comprised of disjointed clans