I don't think I would call it psychopathology. The majority of the Russian population in the late 1800s was pretty much living in a medieval society with a medieval worldview. They believed in the literal presence of the Devil in daily affairs, witches, the Tsar as the representative of God on Earth, wonder-working icons, and Jewish Blood Libel (not a big step from that to Stalinist show trials). For instance, a Cossack woman who went around with her head uncovered would be considered a witch and probably killed by her fellow villagers. Those were facts to them. And their lives were pretty brutal and short. Pretty much like in Western Europe a couple of hundred years earlier, or much of Africa today. I don't think that makes them psychopathic, unless your benchmark for sanity is a 21st-century Western European. :)
^^^^^ CB; I agree with your basic point that a better term might be culture than psychology, but "much of Africa today " ? Doesn't Europe have a worldhistorically unique history with these specfic culture traits ?