Kryachkov 2!indd

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Английский язык для магистратуры
R
ussia: a Part of The W
orld or...
— main features of its political system;
— major factors shaping its foreign and domestic 
policies;
— economic development strategy;
— lofty ideals it espouses both in foreign and 
domestic policies;
— provision of humanitarian aid to developing 
states;
— its involvement in relief operations;
— its stance on global issues such as environmental 
protection, etc.; 
— its human rights and democratic freedoms record; 
— propensity to use force against 
other countries;
— political and diplomatic blunders; 
— economic or political crises in the 
country;
— inability to maintain the well-being 
of the nation at the accepted level; 
— rampant corruption among civil 
servants;
— a high crime rate;
— scandals among the ruling elite; 
G. “Mirror, mirror on the wall…”: Russia’s self-image
a. Taking into account the following national character features coming from an opinion 
poll results
1
, discuss Russians’ perception of their identity.
доброта, искренность, душевность (41%)
взаимовыручка, товарищество (13%)
терпимость, трудолюбие (12%)
безотказность (12%) 
гостеприимность (10)
мужественность (9%)
патриотизм (5%)
щедрость (6%)
ум, талант (3%) 
пристрастие к алкоголю (43%)
надежда на ‘авось’ (23%)
лень, безынициативность (23%)
бескультурье, грубость, наглость (11%)
завистливость (11%) 
безответственность (9%)
неорганизованность (9%)
расхлябанность (6%)
b. According to opinion polls, most Russians are convinced that their country is part of a pe-
culiar Eurasian civilization rather than Europe (45% vs 38%2) and in the future its interests 
will tilt toward the East. Do you share this assessment? 
c. How do (most) Russians see their country? What makes them feel proud/ashamed of 
Russia? 
d. Back in 1990, Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote in ‘Rebuilding Russia’
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that the “awakening 
Russian national self-awareness has to a large extent been unable to free itself of great-
power thinking and of imperial delusions … it has taken over from the communists the 
fraudulent and contrived notion of Soviet patriotism.” To what extent do you think the 
situation is different now? 
Ex. 18. Make a 5–7 min. Power Point presentation on the ups and downs of relations 
between Russia and the country you specialize in.
1 
http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=268&uid=1634
2 
http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=459&uid=4208 
3 
“Как нам обустроить Россию”

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