ABSTRACT
Premodern historical background led the modern Russian elite to view Russia’s place in the world in the context of the dyad of Russia and the West. Because Russia was often defeated in a comparison with the West on the basis of usual criteria, the Russian elite since the nineteenth century tended to resort to strategies of ressentiment (or overturning the ordinary value scale) to maintain Russia’s self-esteem. Moreover, while emphasizing Russia’s distinctiveness, Russian elite typically sought to show that Russia is a “superior West.” The rise of Leninism in Russia reflected these characteristic features of modern Russia’s national identity.
