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The Pole, as an example of a perfect Russophobe, in a spherical vacuum [42]
I don't think you have to be biased against Poles to be able to state that they are generally dismissive of all things Russian.
A knee-jerk defensive reaction, after the trauma of partitions, uprisings and 45 years of forced "friendship". The reaction towards Russian
state is quite understandable.
When it comes to attitude towards Russian
people, you won't see much hostility or dismissiveness. Russian people are indeed Slavic, like we are, but they belong to a different civilisation (Byzantine with elements of Turanic, in contrast to Latin civilisation in Poland), so we are simply closer socially and culturally not only to Czechs or Slovaks (obviously) but also to Italians or the French - the same civilisation. So, what you see as dismissiveness is simply a realistic reception of a nation that is culturally, socially and politically very different from ours.
Mafketis is also quite right in his remarks about countries that tasted Russian "friendship" and don't really want to have anything more to do with the Russian state. It's not dismisiveness or hostility, but merely a political realism acquired during the long history of mutual contacts.
Surely, there is much to be admired about Russia - beautiful nature, great literature, brave and resilient people to name just a few things. But we prefer to admire these things from a safe distance.
