Uncountable thesis and antithesis can be drawn about Russian national character and soul. Maybe these contradictions can be understood if see that Russians have always aspired to maximization in ideals and have worked toward "absolute". Russian national consciousness have formed in conditions, when many Russians had to live on the boundary of spiritual strength, leaning against the highest spiritual values; Russians did not doubt about the absolute meaning of these values. Russian ground has always been a motherland; God-orthodoxy; Tsar-nation and unity. Russians have always sought the highest point of fairness and justice. .
Proverbs like: "Who has shame he has conscience", "For conscience and for honor one gives his head", "Soul is everything's measure", "Heart is scale and conscience is measurement", -have become principle for Russians.
By the way, I think, in the western world such understanding of conscience and soul is unthinkable. I have been lucky enough to live with an American family for a year. Conclusions that I drew after my numerous conversations with the Americans have been stunning. The conception of: "Soul is everything's measure"-is foreign for the westerners; in my opinion, an "average" westerner is ashamed of frankness and conscience like "stupidity". Contrary to that, a Russian person first of all expects any individual to be kind, conscious and sincere.
All the phobias and stereotypes about Russia and Russians are more because of lack of knowledge rather than sound reasoning. A Russian person is a slave of false moral, fallacious ideals that made him weak in the struggle with temptations. A true Russian cannot exist without absolute idea: if a Russian is religious he will try to the topest point; a Russian scientist would write with a language impossible to read; Russian social activist would want to start everything from the very beginning.
Looking at the illustrations on can solve the mystery of Russian spirit (soul).