starkillerfish [she/her]

Russia will collapse any day now, trust me

Pure doomerism.

Interestingly, GDR was getting quite progressive on lgbt issues around 1989. In the USSR, some gay rights groups were formed around the same time. The problem with perestroika and glasnost was that reactionary currents/topics/speech far outweighed any progressive movements.

Maybe a bit of both? I wouldn’t underestimate the reactionary ideology part though. After 1991, “traditional values” have firmly replaced socialism to explain why Russia is better than the west. Since the country was brutally transitioning to capitalism, there had to be an ideological reasoning for the suffering (blaming marginalized people of course). The Orthodox Church had a lot of influence on it, as well as patriarchal criminal gangs that were very prominent in the 90s and very connected to the ruling class. So it’s not like the people on top are disconnected from the reactionary elements, they came to power through them and continue to benefit from it.

Is there a part that doesn’t care? Maybe. There are quite a few oligarchs who have permanent residencies in europe, or send their kids to study there. But to me it is kinda like Republicans sending kids to Ivy League but then saying that they teach Marxism or something. Benefiting from privilege doesn’t necessarily mean than you’re not culturally conservative.

yeah rybar is an ultranationalist. the soviet narratives that he wants to rethink are internationalism and multiculturalism