Is Russia a part of "Western Civilization"?

[TDAS04]

This is debatable. 

[dead0man]

I'll take the heat from whichever person or people that is sure to (excessively) offended by my answer.


no

[Supersonic]

No it isn't.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Isn't the term 'Western Civilisation' just outdated Cold War claptrap?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Anyways, the extent and nature of Russian contributions to various 'Western' forms of art - be it literature, music, painting, theatre, cinema, dance - is hard to avoid. To the extent that it makes a bit of a mockery of the 'Western' label; Russia clearly isn't 'Western' anything, and yet it is equally clearly part of the same cultural landscape as places regarded as 'Western'. This is before we even consider history - including the fact that Russia was every bit as much of a colonising empire as Britain or France, except that it could reach its targets by land - or human geography, language or religion.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It depends on whether or not you consider a history of Catholicism and the Latin alphabet to be hallmarks of Western Civilization.  By that standard, no.  But it you lump everything into a duality of Western or Eastern, they're clearly in the Western camp.

[dead0man]

To clarify my poisoning of the well post, I think they are probably more western than eastern, I just don't think they should be/would be included in what most people would consider "western"...but my Cold War biases are probably coloring my perceptions.

[Lief 🗽]

I don't really think Orthodox Slavic (and a good percentage of Russia is Asiatic, Turkic and/or Muslim as well) peoples count as "Western" civilization, at least as I understand the term. If it just means rich white countries, then sure, I guess so.

[bedstuy]

Russia in 1300: Not part of Western Civilization.

Russia in 1800: Part of Western civilization.  

Basically, at a certain point Russia began to adopt some of the customs, style of governance and culture of Western Europe.  Perhaps the biggest leap in the Westernization direction was under Catherine the Great.  But, I would say by virtue of Russia's involvement, trade and commerce with Europe in that 1700s-1900s period, they became part of Western civilization.  But, in many ways, Russia is its own entity because of its immense size and unique history. 

[Stranger in a strange land]

While it's more Western than, say, China or India, it's still not really part of the West, either culturally or politically.

[TDAS04]

I voted no, but it is a little iffy.

For the others who voted no, was Eastern Orthodox Christianity a major reason?  If so, would you also exclude Bulgaria, Serbia, or even Greece?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Yes, since it became a major European player under Peter the Great and continues to be the most influential country in Europe (excepting possibly Germany). While I wouldn't lump the vast expanses of Siberia in with the rest of Europe, the places where people actually live are every bit as Westernized as Paris or Rome (if not as wealthy per capita).

Of course, the concept of "western civilization" has held little meaning since decolonization and even less since the close of the Cold War.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Of course.

[RogueBeaver]

Anyways, the extent and nature of Russian contributions to various 'Western' forms of art - be it literature, music, painting, theatre, cinema, dance - is hard to avoid. To the extent that it makes a bit of a mockery of the 'Western' label; Russia clearly isn't 'Western' anything, and yet it is equally clearly part of the same cultural landscape as places regarded as 'Western'. This is before we even consider history - including the fact that Russia was every bit as much of a colonising empire as Britain or France, except that it could reach its targets by land - or human geography, language or religion.

Yes, since it became a major European player under Peter the Great and continues to be the most influential country in Europe (excepting possibly Germany). While I wouldn't lump the vast expanses of Siberia in with the rest of Europe, the places where people actually live are every bit as Westernized as Paris or Rome (if not as wealthy per capita).

Of course, the concept of "western civilization" has held little meaning since decolonization and even less since the close of the Cold War.

[Franknburger]

Take a Sarah Palin point of view and look west from Alaska - what do you see?

That only leaves the "civilization" part in question, but that part has already been addressed excellently by Sibboleth.

[Vosem]

The yellow areas are. The red are not.

EDIT: Except Karelia and Birobidzhan, those are Western too.

[ag]

Looking at that map, Komi, Mari El, Udmurtia, Mordovia Permyakia all have Finnic-speaking native populations. Khanty and Mansi are the closest extant relatives of Hungarians. Nenets (both in Nenetsia and Yamalia, and, to some extent Taymyria) are cousins to the rest as well ' ok, they are a bit more distant and "native", but there are few of them, anyway.

Culturally, at least the Finnic peoples are not much different from native Russians at this point (there is a bit of paganism still surviving only in Mari-El, the rest have been religious indistinguishably from the Russians for a long time). Most Chavash, though distant linguistic cousins of Turks, would be Christian as well. Why are these areas any different from the Rest of Russia?

[ag]

Russia is somewhat peripheral to the "West". Historically, somewhat similar to the US in that respect.

Obviously, it hasn't been a part of any Western political grouping recently - and that is the main difference from the US.

[GMantis]

Unless Western civilization is defined in such a way as to exclude Ancient Greece - excluding thus most of the foundation of Western civilization - the answer is yes.
Also, what else would Russia be part of? The cultural differences between Russia and Western Europe are insignificant compared with the cultural differences with the other civilizations Russia borders.

I don't really think Orthodox Slavic (and a good percentage of Russia is Asiatic, Turkic and/or Muslim as well) peoples count as "Western" civilization, at least as I understand the term. If it just means rich white countries, then sure, I guess so.

Why would speaking Slavic make a country non-Western? Also, if large populations of people of non-European ancestry disqualifies a country from being Western, then the US is even less Western than Russia.

Russia in 1300: Not part of Western Civilization.

Russia in 1800: Part of Western civilization. 

Basically, at a certain point Russia began to adopt some of the customs, style of governance and culture of Western Europe.  Perhaps the biggest leap in the Westernization direction was under Catherine the Great.  But, I would say by virtue of Russia's involvement, trade and commerce with Europe in that 1700s-1900s period, they became part of Western civilization.  But, in many ways, Russia is its own entity because of its immense size and unique history. 

Russia was probably closer to most Western European countries in 1300 than in 1800, though perhaps a bit more progressive as the feudal system was not completely established in Russia yet.

[Velasco]

Not sure if "Western" (it depends on the interpretation that you give to the word) but for sure Orthodox Slavic peoples are European. If the latter condition implies being a part of the "Western Civilization", Russia must be included. Does anybody know the Harold Bloom's "Western Canon"? Because Bloom includes Tolstoy in his list of writers central to that canon. The very concept of Western canon is controversial

[LastVoter]

Regrettably.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Russia is somewhat peripheral to the "West". Historically, somewhat similar to the US in that respect.

Obviously, it hasn't been a part of any Western political grouping recently - and that is the main difference from the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact

(unless you don't count that as recent)

[patrick1]

This all assumes that Russia is civilized in any way. I'm sure it is all part of my view being tinged by the sheer lunacy I see out of Russia on youtube videos. I think of it as the place of crazy car accidents and mob of people viciously/drunkenly beating the daylights out of each other. I am a huge fan of classic Russian literature. Strangely, I  think I understand czarist Russia more than present day society.

[ag]

Russia is somewhat peripheral to the "West". Historically, somewhat similar to the US in that respect.

Obviously, it hasn't been a part of any Western political grouping recently - and that is the main difference from the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact

(unless you don't count that as recent)

I do not count it as Western

[ag]

Strangely, I  think I understand czarist Russia more than present day society.

You do not