Author of quotes: Tamara Eidelman

[...] it is even funnier (or sadder) to use the words Russian and Orthodox as synonyms. Thus, not only I am a sinner, but also thousands of Old Believers, and thousands of non-believers are left behind... The Russian government at the end of the XIX century, at the time of Alexander III, so glorified now, emphasized with all its might that the Russian Empire was Orthodox, but this did not lead to anything good, but gave rise to an understandable anger of thousands and thousands of subjects of the Russian tsar, who were explained that they were second-class people.

In our country, the mysterious Soviet word "nationality" is still used, the very notorious fifth point in Soviet passports, which in fact denoted ethnicity. In general, nationality is citizenship, and there are citizens of Russia - one people, which includes Orthodox Christians and Catholics, Jews and Muslims and even (oh horror!) Atheists, but there are citizens of Ukraine - and imagine, it includes the same ones listed above the category, but this does not mean that these two groups of citizens should merge in ecstasy on the territory of a ghostly empire, where Russian-Orthodox people should live.

[...] it is a little ridiculous (or sad) to explain to Russians and Ukrainians (and at the same time Belarusians) that they are one people, because they once lived on the territory of Ancient Russia, where, in fact, Scandinavians, Varangians, and Cumans were also found, and where people considered themselves first glades or Drevlyans, and then those who live on the lands of the Chernigov or Smolensk prince, and not at all Russians, Ukrainians or Belarusians.

To be honest, I am increasingly asking the question, is it necessary to define people through ethnicity at all? Over the past two hundred years, this concept has brought so much grief and disaster ...