title: Preface
abstract: To many Western observers, Russia and the Russians defy logic. Russia appears as a country of incongruity, and the actions and decisions of its leaders can seem irrational, whether they be about providing succour and support for the leaderships of Iran or Syria when it would appear more logical for Russia's development to improve partnership with the West, or holding the Winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
journal: Manchester University Press eBooks