From Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin, Russia has been portrayed as a ‘savage and barbaric’ nation. But where does the image come from? The documentary explores the creation of the anti-Russian narrative in the West and how it spread to the media and popular culture. Researchers, historians and writers in the documentary claim Russia became a convenient target after the Great Schism. Throughout history, European rulers and philosophers constructed the image of an uncivilised nation, unfit for talks. The mythical and ferocious Russian bear and the tale of bad Russia still feature in the media and contribute to modern Russophobia. The documentary traces the origins of the anti-Russian narrative in the West and explores who benefits from it.
