The Slave Soul of Russia: Moral Masochism and the Cult of Suffering

by Daniel Rancour-Laferriere

Why, asks Daniel Rancour-Laferriere in this controversial book, has Russia been a country of suffering? Russian history, religion, folklore, and literature are rife with suffering. The plight of Anna Karenina, the submissiveness of serfs in the 16th and 17th centuries, ancient religious tracts emphasizing humility as the mother of virtues, the trauma of the Bolshevik revolution, the current economic upheavals wracking the country-- these are only a few of the symptoms of what The Slave Soul of Russia identifies as a veritable cult of suffering that has been centuries in the making.
Bringing to light dozens of examples of self-defeating activities and behaviors that have become an integral component of the Russian psyche, Rancour-Laferriere convincingly illustrates how masochism has become a fact of everyday life in Russia. Until now, much attention has been paid to the psychology of Russia's leaders and their impact on the country's condition. Here, for the first time, is a compelling portrait of the Russian people's psychology.

Genres: Russia, History, Psychology, Nonfiction, Gender, Russian Literature

344 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Lisa Hayden Espenschade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that's worth reading if you're interested in Russian history, culture, or literature. There should be something to interest and irritate anyone.

Here's a excerpt of what I wrote about the book on my blog:

"This scholarly book is entertaining, enlightening, and fully accessible to readers without degrees in Freudian analysis or Russian studies. It can also be frustrating, but take off that hair shirt, toss out the hemlock, and settle into a comfortable chair. Rancour-Laferriere’s monograph has lots of relevance to literature, and he includes evidence from folk tales, religion, novels, philosophy, and history to show how and why Russians find ways to abuse themselves, physically and emotionally."

[Akvile · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my this was no easy read, however, I did enjoy it a lot, it is a hidden germ. The book is a mix of history and psychoanalysis which makes great sense when talking about such a complicated issue as russian mentality. Also, I think it is a must read in the context of Ukraine war to understand russians better (aka, know your enemy). Being from Baltics myself and having a complicated history with russia, I found many stuff familiar, but analysed in a systematic way through many new aspects. It is also a quite depressive read in a sense that such a broken mentality barely gives any hope of a proper fix anytime soon - the regime change most likely would change nothing or expecting that russians would somehow “wake up” being different one day is such a naive thing to believe in.

[Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an insightful psychoanalytic analysis of the sadomasochistic aspects of Russian culture. These insights apply more broadly, of course. I think it could have used a better title, though.

[Dav · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very academic. I’d have enjoyed a long article in The Atlantic version more I suppose.