Russian thing happening in my neighbourhood today.

[leeholsen]

I've known more than a few Russians, speak it, my current neighbors are from St. Petersburg.

The Russians are a proud bunch, even if their history has all sorts of black marks over the past 100 years. Many of them think its Russia that defeated hitler and the yanks just helped.

If you read about the history of Russia, it's got a great history on how it came together and thru most of the tzars. Didn't really start going off the rails until Lenin. Sure, many of its early years had brutality but so did many other developing countries.

[workathome]

The Soviet Empire represented strength and power (along with lots of other stuff). Lots of heroic-type propaganda. Not much of that around anymore for modern Russia, which has been sort of mired in depression, low birth rates, corruption, and other problems. People like to feel strong and latch onto historical points as golden memories.

The Confederate flag use definitely has some of it, though I mostly see it used by young-ish people because it offends and appears rebellious.

[Jean]

Many of them think its Russia that defeated hitler and the yanks just helped.

Looking at the facts, this is a more accurate description of the truth than the opposite.

[Egg]

Many of them think its Russia that defeated hitler and the yanks just helped.

Looking at the facts, this is a more accurate description of the truth than the opposite.

The yanks may have sat around till 1941 waiting to get stuck in but at least they don't have the scandalous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact etc. to answer for. Besides, everyone knows it was the Brits wot won it

[NPV]

German losses on Eastern Front as a share of total 1939-1945:

Dead, missing, POW: 54%
Wounded, sick: 79%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cas ... _War_Diary