The author writes that an October 2018 survey by the Levada Center on torture and mistreatment in detention centers "suggests that Russians are highly tolerant of violence and cruelty.” While a majority of survey participants said they "believe that intimidation and force should never be used against prisoners," a Levada official said they "represent a powerless majority." Twenty-eight percent of respondents said "hat beating and intimidation were acceptable ‘in some cases,’ while seven percent said they believed that prisoners have no right to expect normal treatment in general.” The author argues that such responses are a reflection of growing tolerance for violence in Russia and is evident across other surveys. “This is partly the result of the state’s promotion of so-called ‘traditional values’ and the patriarchal and rigidly disciplined nature of family life. It also reflects a culture of violence as a means of establishing order in society and the world—an approach that Russian leadership considers effective.”

Read the full article at The Moscow Times.

Painting by Pieter Brueghel II shared in the public domain.