The notion of Eastern European anti-semitism is mainly a product of Western imagination, similar to that of the myth of the vampire.
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Beautifully stated, Woj. This is why when a Russian Jew brings up "anti-Semitism" - when Berezovsky accuses his attackers of targeting him because he's a Jew, when Chubais absurdly accuses Rodina of being National Socialists (they are left and nationalist, but c'mon) - it is usually a sign that he or she is not addressing a Russian, but a Western, audience. Anybody in Russia would laugh at the idea. But they know how to manipulate Western stereotypes to their own advantage.
Chubais was a master of doing this in the 90s. He had Strobe Talbot so suckered with the "support us or it's Fascism in Russia!" load of malarkey it's unbelievable.
Actually, I know a Russian artist who loves having exhibitions in England because, he says, "they expect Russians to be barbarians, so I can get away with all kinds of things I couldn't at home. I play it up -- get stone drunk, grope women, the whole nine yards and nobody cares because they expect that kind of thing from a Slav, especially an artist."
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