When the British former prime minister Boris Johnson called Russian president Vladimir Putin an “example of toxic masculinity”, Johnson missed part of the point – the model of masculinity in Russia and the model of masculinity in the UK, whether toxic or not, are different. The Russian masculinity model, especially the one the government is promoting in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, is unique.
Russian masculinity model does not have analogies in the Western culture. Still, it is essential to understand this model for anyone who intends to find out how Russians perceive the war and react to political changes.
Gender roles and gender relationships form an essential part of our everyday life. Without Russian toxic masculinity models, the war in Ukraine would be unlikely, and people in Russia would have a completely different mentality and attitude towards the war and the government.
So, this report aims to show the gender issues in Russian society and how Russia is spreading them around on territories under Russian control.
From routine harassment and sexism of Russian women, who are expected to follow this Russian model of submission, to the elimination of non-binary identities, violence against those who identify as gender non-conforming, and, of course, the militarization and brutalization of Russian men in the context of the war
