Russia= Western Civ?

[TCPeppyTc]

I was wondering about this, but found incunclusive internet results. Just in your opinions do you think Russia is a western country or part of " Western Civilization?" Or is it its own thing neither Asian nor Europen/ western?

[unoservix]

yes. and no. the dividing line is conventionally drawn at the Ural mountains. west of the Urals is "European Russia" (to the extent that that section of Russia has more in common with Europe politically, socially, culturally, historically, linguistically, religiously, etc) and east of the Urals is "Asian Russia" (to the extent that that section of Russia has more in common with Asia politically, socially, culturally, historically, linguistically, religiously, etc)

all of which is true only to the extent that you can generalize at all about so massive and diverse a country as Russia

next?

[Thu'um]

yes. and no. the dividing line is conventionally drawn at the Ural mountains. west of the Urals is "European Russia" (to the extent that that section of Russia has more in common with Europe politically, socially, culturally, historically, linguistically, religiously, etc) and east of the Urals is "Asian Russia" (to the extent that that section of Russia has more in common with Asia politically, socially, culturally, historically, linguistically, religiously, etc)

all of which is true only to the extent that you can generalize at all about so massive and diverse a country as Russia

next?

this is truely the best answer, but if i had to choose either western or eastern, definetaly western. i beilive 4/5's of the population riside west of the urals, and its popitcal and industial centers are there.

[TCPeppyTc]

Maybe, yet Russia has never gone through the Renaissance or Enlightenment the way the rest of western civ has. It seemed sort of stuck in middle ages until bolshevik revolution

[Robert Monroe]

Pidgeonholing Russia as any single "western" or "eastern" is ignorance in and of itself.

First off: Russia as we know it today was not the Russia we know historically. Historically, the "eastern" half of Russia has fallen under control under things such as Mongols, Tatars, Turks, and plenty more. "Western" Russia too has had various masters and conflicts, which is what gives Russia its unique flavor.

Second of all: Russia as we know today is both of these various cultures coming together. Politically, it is one place, but culturally, Russia maintains its diversity. To this end, Russia is both "eastern" and "western" in terms of global history.

Lastly, this bugs me:

Maybe, yet Russia has never gone through the Renaissance or Enlightenment the way the rest of western civ has. It seemed sort of stuck in middle ages until bolshevik revolution

Son have you not even heard of 19th century Russia? Master of ballet, music, literature and philosophy? Ok yeah, they were copy-catting the French, but they sure as shit weren't in the middle ages.

[TCPeppyTc]

@ Monroe. The upper middle class perhaps wasnt ( which was only 10-20 percent of the people) But the rest of the country sure was. In 1900 the Jews had it the worst in Russia over any other european country

[Robert Monroe]

The lower class were living in the asshole of the world in every culture in the west, Russia was no exception. Lrn2Metternich ect.