The following question and my reply were posted in a gas-related topic, but I think they fit better here, so re-posting:
you're from russia? russians generally, and i'm not implying that everyone is (but it's a trend), harbor a lot of hatred.. it's the nihilistic russian way. how can you explain these russian anti-gay laws? why do you think it's happening now (recently) all of a sudden? sometimes, in order to catalyze people, you need to find a central figure for them to hate on. here is an excerpt from the article linked above
It has also triggered a spike in homophobic violence, the subject of worldwide protests today in support of Russia's LGBT community, and a Dispatches documentary on Channel 4.
You seem to be genuinely questioning, as opposed to derisive, so I'll try to answer you. If I am wrong, then at least my answer will server to enlighten others.
You raise several questions, but they all boil down to one: the perception of Russia through a Russophobe's glasses.
First, regarding Crimea and Putin's popularity, you put the cart in front of the horse. The popularity ratings rose after Putin defended Crimea and Russian interests there. People still remember drunkard Yeltsin's lack of action there, when Crimea voted for independence and asked Russia for support and reunification in 1990's.
Before I answer further, as I said before, I am Russian, but I live in the West and see how Russophobe atmosphere is being imposed. Balthazar is from Ukraine, so though I don't know his nationality, for all intents and purposes, he's Russian.
Now, the question of hatred. If you go to Russia, you'll see little hatred. You'l see friendliness and willingness to help. The concept of hatred is being touted most in the Western media. What you take for hatred, is defensiveness. Historically, each time Russia started to get demonised, when Russophobic ideas were starting to get mainstream in the West, it was a signal preceding an invasion of Russia. The more known cases is 1812, 1914, 1941. So forgive Russians for not forgetting their history.
What happens next is that Russia closes down, takes a defensive stance, seeing Russophobic rhetoric from outside, people unite, expecting a physical attack. This is then further used by the West to show Russians as "barbaric" in Napoleon's and Hitler's terms, a nation that needs to be cleaned out or subjugated for it's own and Europe's good. (People tend to forget afterwards that for example "civilized" Napoleonic army left Moscow in ruins in 1812, while "barbaric" Russians in 1814 behaved cordially and with honour in conquered Paris.)
Russia tries to be open, friendly (Olympics, Eurovision (read the lyrics of the song from Russia - it resonates deeply with how Russians want the world to see them)), but each time they are slammed down, and as a result close up.
Now to the question of gay. As Balthazar said, no one in Russia cares what they do in their private life and that was the state of affairs until the West started "protecting" their rights. All this publicity is doing them a disservice. First the law is not "anti-gay", but "anti-commercial of gay propaganda directed at children", often paid for by Western NGOs. Now, what happens. In the light of what I wrote above, when the West suddenly starts to demonise Russia on yet another front as "anti-gay", people, who previously didn't care what gay did, suddenly see that as yet another attack against Russia. Suddenly the gay guy next door, who is an OK bloke is seen as a hand of the West in its attempt to destabilise Russia. Suddenly people turn on the gay - some verbally, while the more extremist factions, physically. This gets touted in the Western media as further proof of Russia being anti-gay, and generally anti-World, and the vicious cycle get reinforced.
What I wrote above had been said many times before, but patience is a finite resource. I think I have more of it than most, and even my patience is running thin. One can write only so many polite responses refuting the misconceptions, before you take the national way of dealing with external assaults, by becoming passive aggressive and telling the world to shut up and mind its own business, while closing in yourself (and if the word decides to attack, you take to the arms).
The most known saying in Russia, attributed to Aleksandr Nevskij in 1240: "He who comes to Russia with a sword will die by the sword". He allegedly said it in the context of releasing war prisoners, telling them "Go to the foreign part and tell everyone that Russia is alive. Let everyone come as guests to us without fear. Yet anyone who comes to us with a sword will die by the sword. The Russian land has stood on this pillar, and will continue to stand on it." The historical accuracy of this statement of the context can be disputed, however the core meaning is very much valid today.
Having grown in the West I see the need to be more verbal in addressing the problems, in trying to bring forth understanding, so as to prevent conflicts.
