Between yesterday and today : Russian motives

Abstract

Russia became a kind of fantastical geography for the West. It was the source of great works of art, scientific discoveries and a history whose milestones, above all the October Revolution, had fuelled the imagination of the whole world. But it is also the source of disturbing stories: Eastern cruelty, the violence of its autocracies. Based on a book by historian and Slavicist Martín Baña, this article discusses some images of Russia, particularly those that have the greatest impact on our lives today. Baña focuses on a characterisation of the country's current situation and its system of government. He is also interested in Russia's international role and, of course, offers an interpretation of the conflict with Ukraine. This point opens up a debate here. Among the issues open to debate are questions such as: Is Russia carrying out an imperialist aggression with expansionist aims in Ukraine, or is it responding, in its role as a great power, to a provocation by a proxy actor located in what it considers its sphere of influence?