ИСТИНА

National character remains a debatable notion due to manifold influences some of its implementations – most of all, rampant nationalism - played in human history. Thus, the concept of identity, coming from personal psychology seems to be a fitting working signifier for observed stable traits, provided complete analogies are avoided. America influenced Russians in many ways, including the image of America in popular culture. Through literature, America symbolized dynamic development, progress as compared to procrastination and well-known stability of the old ways (Ivan Goncharov, the classic juxtaposition of Schtolts and Oblomov in the novel ‘Oblomov’ 1859). But real Interaction influenced the image of America most of all. Material help during the hunger of 1921 in Russia and during the WWII through Lend-Lease program saved thousands and caused gratefulness towards America among people in Russia. American films with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks served also as envoys of goodwill. Starting with the first American exhibition of 1959 in Moscow, contacts brought us to better understanding the achievements and problems of each other - we followed the fight for civil rights of the black people, signing a proclamation to free Angela Davis, and admired American science fiction by Asimov and Bradbury in the 1970s. Gender studies developed with a big practical help from American women (Newsletter “Vy I My’ published in Russian in 1990s)”.So America was teaching us through practice the importance of genuine democratic principles. Nowadays the image of America is far from uniform in the eyes of the Russians, more due to ideological differences within our countries, than between them. The American way is not going contrary to the hopes of people in Russia (as can be observed on such portals as Change.org and Avaaz.org, civil protest of Pussy Riot group etc.) Scheming of politicians are equally considered in both countries to be going against principles of social justice, and that gives us hope that a new stage could be reached when a common project brings us working side by side for the common goal of saving the planet.