Anti-Russian sentiment

Anti-Russian sentiment or Russophobia is the dislike or fear of <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a>, <a href="/facts/Russians/RBG9H1Rj">Russian people</a>, or <a href="/facts/Culture_of_Russia/yyNgyMKe">Russian culture</a>. The opposite of Russophobia is <a href="/facts/Russophilia/FYbJ82w4">Russophilia</a>.
Historically, Russophobia has included state-sponsored and grassroots mistreatment and discrimination, as well as <a href="/facts/Propaganda/nGeaIHVJ">propaganda</a> containing anti-Russian sentiment. In Europe, Russophobia was based on various more or less fantastic fears of Russian conquest of Europe, such as those based on <a href="/facts/The_Will_of_Peter_the_Great/NTN5pdUf">The Will of Peter the Great</a> forgery documented in France in the 19th century and later resurfacing in Britain as a result of fears of a Russian attack on <a href="/facts/British_Raj/hBe6wvPS">British-colonized India</a> in relation to the <a href="/facts/Great_Game/xs5hg8JD">Great Game</a>. Pre-existing anti-Russian sentiment in Germany is considered to be one of the factors influencing treatment of Russian population under <a href="/facts/Operation_Barbarossa/YKjYBQWn">German occupation</a> during World War II.
A variety of popular culture <a href="/facts/Clich%25C3%25A9/G1HJa9k1">clichés</a> and negative <a href="/facts/Stereotypes_about_Russians/9r5uckDG">stereotypes about Russians</a> still exist, notably in the <a href="/facts/Western_world/UQl4e7du">Western world</a>. Some individuals may have prejudice or hatred against Russians due to history, racism, propaganda, or ingrained stereotypes.
Negative views of Russia are widespread, but most prevalent in Western liberal democracies.
Some analysts have argued that official Western rhetoric and journalism about Russian actions abroad, such as the <a href="/facts/Second_Chechen_War/yYtF25ST">Second Chechen War</a>, the 2008 <a href="/facts/Russo-Georgian_war/mbQ1VVjM">Russo-Georgian war</a> and <a href="/facts/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_election/joyqKPf7">Russian interference in the 2016 United States election</a>, have contributed to the resurgence of anti-Russian sentiment.
Anti-Russian sentiment rose considerably after the start of the <a href="/facts/Russo-Ukrainian_war/kE7cHvoQ">Russian war against Ukraine</a> in 2014.
By the summer of 2020, the majority of Western nations had unfavorable views of Russia.
Following the <a href="/facts/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine/TTeQCgSl">2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>, Russian-speaking immigrants experienced harassment, open hostility and discrimination.
Some researchers have described use of "Russophobia" narratives to be a tactic used by <a href="/facts/Vladimir_Putin/DcQdxqbj">Vladimir Putin</a>. These narratives emphasize the belief that Russia faces an existential threat from the Western powers and must take drastic measures to ensure domestic stability including support for the ongoing <a href="/facts/Russo-Ukrainian_War/kE7cHvoQ">war in Ukraine</a>. Such narratives have been described as <a href="/facts/Russian_imperialism/9fX3DgVq">Russian imperialism</a>.

Anti-Russian sentiment open-in-new

Anti-Russian sentiment