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62-533: Gru is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Despicable Me film series. GRU or Gru may also refer to: Gru Felonious Gru Sr. , alternatively spelled as Felonius Gru and typically referred to simply as Gru , is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Despicable Me franchise. Voiced by American actor Steve Carell , he has appeared in all six films in

124-507: A February 2013 poll a majority of 63% said Russia is Georgia's biggest political and economic threat as opposed to 35% of those who looked at Russia as the most important partner for Georgia. In November 2023, 11% preferred closer ties with Russia, while abandoning western ties, and 25% wanted to deepen ties with Russia. The root of the Georgian anti-Russian sentiment lies in the history of Russian colonialism of Transcaucasia. For Georgians,

186-407: A Russian poet, diplomat and member of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery , introduced the actual term of "russophobia" in a letter to his daughter Anna Aksakova on 20 September 1867, where he applied it to a number of pro-Western Russian liberals who, pretending that they were merely following their liberal principles, developed a negative attitude towards their own country and always stood on

248-570: A Western-style democracy. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the collapse of Communism, anti-Russian sentiment in the United States was at an all-time low. However, it has experienced a resurgence during the late 1990s due to Russia's opposition to the enlargement of NATO. According to a Gallup poll, 59% of surveyed Americans viewed Russia negatively in 1999, compared to 25% in 1991. Anatol Lieven considered

310-647: A document from a Polish general, Michał Sokolnicki , entitled "Aperçu sur la Russie". This forgery is known as the so-called " The Will of Peter the Great " and was first published in October 1812, during the Napoleonic wars , in Charles Louis-Lesur's much-read Des progrès de la puissance russe : this was at the behest of Napoleon I , who ordered a series of articles to be published showing that "Europe

372-549: A flattering narrative that the Russo-Ukrainian War is a restaging of the Great Patriotic War . Kathryn Stoner and Michael McFaul explained the turn to radical nationalism as a strategy to preserve the regime within domestic economical and political pressures, claiming that "To maintain his argument for legitimacy at home, Putin needs... constant confrontation that supports the narrative that Russia

434-726: A humiliating manner after 2014, primarily because it was inherently flawed as it focused exclusively on the fantastic motivations behind anti-Russian sentiment in Western Europe, while entirely disregarding the precisely specified reasons of negative views of Russia in Central and Eastern Europe which stem in turn from real experience and knowledge. In October 2004, the International Gallup Organization announced that according to its poll, anti-Russia sentiment remained fairly strong throughout Europe and

496-521: A parent and bravery were part of his Super-ego . Gru has also been interpreted as a Russian stereotype, with a 2017 study stating that elements of his characterisation had been designed to support supposed American political agendas that label Russians as backwards and violent. Anti-Russian sentiment#United States Historically, Russophobia has included state-sponsored and grassroots mistreatment and discrimination, as well as propaganda containing anti-Russian sentiment. In Europe, Russophobia

558-566: A pro-Western and anti-Russian position, regardless of any changes in the Russian society and having a blind eye on any violations of these principles in the West, "violations in the sphere of justice, morality, and even civilization". He put the emphasis on the irrationality of this sentiment. Tyutchev saw Western anti-Russian sentiment as the result of misunderstanding caused by civilizational differences between East and West . Adolf Hitler and

620-585: A variety of popular culture clichés and negative stereotypes about Russians still exist, notably in the Western world . Some individuals may have prejudice or hatred against Russians due to history, racism, propaganda, or ingrained stereotypes. Negative views of Russia are widespread, but most prevalent in Western liberal democracies. Some analysts have argued that official Western rhetoric and journalism about Russian actions abroad have contributed to

682-471: Is Russian state-owned media and administration who attempt to discredit the "neutral" criticism by generalizing it into indiscriminate accusations of the whole Russian population – or Russophobia. In 2006, poet and essayist Lev Rubinstein wrote that similarly to the term " fascism ", the term "Russophobia" has become a political sticker slapped onto people who disagree with words or actions of people or organizations who position themselves as "Russian ones" in

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744-437: Is an ambitious supervillain who constantly seeks approval from his mother, until the adoption of his daughters convinces him that their happiness is the most important thing. In the second film , Gru leaves his villainous past behind to care for his adoptive daughters, but then soon joins forces —unwillingly— with secret agent Lucy Wilde, whom he later marries. In the third film , after he and Lucy are fired from their jobs at

806-469: Is indicative of the fear shared by some U.S. and European politicians that their grand plans to control the world's most precious resources and geostrategic sites may not succeed if Russia's economic and political recovery continues." In contrast, Krystyna Kurczab-Redlich and some other reporters active in Chechnya alarmed already in early 2000s that Putin's true nature and intentions have been exposed by

868-539: Is inevitably in the process of becoming booty for Russia". Subsequent to the Napoleonic wars, propaganda against Russia was continued by Napoleon's former confessor, Dominique Georges-Frédéric de Pradt , who in a series of books portrayed Russia as a power-grasping "barbaric" power hungry to conquer Europe. With reference to Russia's new constitutional laws in 1811 the Savoyard philosopher Joseph de Maistre wrote

930-700: Is not just towards Russian people; it has also been seen directed towards businesses as well. A "pervasive climate of distrust" towards Russian passport holders in Europe and rejections of bank account applications because of nationality were reported. United Kingdom limited how much Russian nationals are allowed to save on bank accounts. The banking industry considered the restriction to violate UK equality laws, which forbid discrimination by nationality. Leonid Gozman called European restrictions discriminatory and said that they harmed dissidents who were forced to leave Russia, leaving them without means to survive. Outrage

992-518: Is the old battle of the Germanic against the Slavic people, of the defense of European culture against Muscovite-Asiatic inundation and the repulse of Jewish Bolshevism . The objective of this battle must be the demolition of present-day Russia and must, therefore, be conducted with unprecedented severity. Every military action must be guided in planning and execution by an iron resolution to exterminate

1054-631: Is under siege from the West, that Russia is at war with the United States." A Russian political scientist and a senior visiting fellow at the George Washington University Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies Maria Lipman said that this narrative was made more convincing by imposing sanctions on Russia and supporting Ukraine with weapons, as well as by statements about weakening Russia made by American establishment, amplified on Russian television. The Washington Post reported effectiveness of using

1116-592: The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the September 2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan clashes , as well as due to statements perceived to be anti-Armenian made by figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This has resulted in anti-Russian sentiment rising sharply in the country. The 1990 Black January massacre prior to Azerbaijani independence and Russia's complicated role in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia increased

1178-421: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Russian-speaking immigrants experienced harassment, open hostility and discrimination. Some researchers have described use of "Russophobia" narratives to be a tactic used by Vladimir Putin . These narratives emphasizes the belief that Russia faces an existential threat from the Western powers and must take drastic measures to ensure domestic stability including support for

1240-748: The Abkhaz–Georgian conflict , the Georgian–Ossetian conflict and later the war with Russia in 2008. It was also followed by Georgian sympathy to the Chechens during the Chechen–Russian conflict of the 1990s. In a 2012 survey, the percentage of Russian immigrants in the EU that indicated that they had experienced racially motivated hate crimes was 5%, which is less than the average of 10% reported by several groups of immigrants and ethnic minorities in

1302-765: The Johnson's Russia List , said in interview to the Moscow News : "I am sympathetic to the view that these days Putin and Russia are perhaps getting too dark a portrayal in most Western media. Or at least that critical views need to be supplemented with other kinds of information and analysis. An openness to different views is still warranted." California -based international relations scholar Andrei Tsygankov has remarked that anti-Russian political rhetoric coming from Washington circles has received wide echo in American mainstream media, asserting that "Russophobia's revival

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1364-624: The Kremlin could meddle in German campaigns as well, resulting in growth of anti-Russian sentiment in Germany after 2016. By the summer of 2020, majority of Western nations had unfavorable views of Russia, with an exception of Italy, which was attributed by Pew Research Center to a delivery of medical aid by Moscow early during the pandemic . 85% of Americans polled by Gallup between 1 and 17 February 2022 had unfavorable view of Russia. There

1426-587: The Marquis de Custine published his hugely successful 1800-page, four-volume travelogue La Russie en 1839 . Custine's scathing narrative reran what were by now clichés which presented Russia as a place where "the veneer of European civilization was too thin to be credible". Such was its huge success that several official and pirated editions quickly followed, as well as condensed versions and translations in German, Dutch, and English. By 1846 approximately 200 thousand copies had been sold. In 1867, Fyodor Tyutchev ,

1488-520: The Nazi Party regarded Slavic peoples (especially Poles and East Slavs ) as non-Aryan Untermenschen (subhumans). As early as 1925, Hitler suggested in Mein Kampf that the German people needed Lebensraum ("living space") to achieve German expansion eastwards ( Drang nach Osten ) at the expense of the inferior Slavs. Hitler believed that "the organization of a Russian state formation

1550-595: The Ottoman Empire 's massacres against Armenians , anti-Russian sentiment among Armenian nationalist groups rose. After the Russian government confiscated Armenian Church lands in 1903, this led to attacks on Russian authorities and Armenians who cooperated with them by Armenians mobilised by the ARF party. In July 1988, during the Karabakh movement , the killing of an Armenian man and the injury of tens of others by

1612-459: The Siege of Leningrad . According to Snyder, Hitler intended eventually to exterminate up to 45 million Slavs by planned famine as part of Generalplan Ost . Influenced by the guidelines, in a directive sent out to the troops under his command, General Erich Hoepner of the 4th Panzer Army stated: The war against Russia is an important chapter in the German nation's struggle for existence. It

1674-400: The 15th century during the period of Russian expansion into non-Russian lands under Ivan III . Russia's campaigns against Poland-Lithuania, Livonian cities, and Swedish-held Finland marked the beginning of a perception of Russia as a threat. During this era, Russia was often portrayed as a barbaric, un-Christian, and imperialistic nation by its European adversaries. Michael C. Paul argued that

1736-551: The 17th and 18th centuries, with Western observers continuing to highlight aspects like superstition, drunkenness, and barbaric practices in Russian society. Notable figures like Captain John Perry and French travelers Jacques Margeret and Jean Chappe d'Auteroche contributed to these perceptions, often comparing Russian society unfavorably with Western standards. On 19 October 1797, the French Directory received

1798-583: The Anti-Villain League, Gru learns that he has a twin brother, Dru, whom he never met due to their divorced parents raising each child separately. Along with Lucy and the girls, Gru meets Dru at his mansion in Freedonia, and they form a brotherly relationship over the course of the film. In the fourth film , Gru has a blood-related son called Felonious Gru Jr., who he must protect from his rival Maxime Le Mal. The character that would become Gru

1860-590: The Atlantic", noting that most Americans and Europeans, as well as many Russians, said that they were not confident that the election results expressed the will of voters. Attitudes towards Russia in most countries worsened considerably following Russia's annexation of Crimea , the subsequent fomenting of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and its intervention in the resulting War in Donbas . From 2013 to 2014,

1922-713: The Baltic states of being "the leaders of the Russophobic minority" in NATO and the European Union . A poll conducted by Gallup International suggested that 34% Estonians have a positive attitude towards Russia, but it is supposed that survey results were likely impacted by a large ethnic Russian minority in the country. However, in a 2012 poll only 3% of the Russian minority in Estonia reported that they had experienced

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1984-514: The EU. 17% of Russian immigrants in the EU said that they had been victims of crimes in the preceding 12 months, as compared to an average of 24% among several groups of immigrants and ethnic minorities. In 2015, the chairman of the Russian State Duma 's Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov alleged that Russophobia had become the state policy in the Baltic states and in 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov accused

2046-505: The Russian atrocities during the Second Chechen War as by no means resembling those of a Western democrat. It was, however, convenient for the Western elites to brand these reports as Russophobic and disregard them, in spite of such reports being delivered also by Anna Politkovskaya , a Russian journalist and human rights activist , later assassinated. The first among these views has ultimately suffered utter discreditation in

2108-584: The Soviet army in a violent clash at Zvartnots Airport near Yerevan sparked anti-Russian and anti-Soviet demonstrations. In 2015, relations between Armenia and Russia were strained after the massacre of an Armenian family of 7 in Gyumri by a Russian serviceman, stationed at the Russian base there. Relations between Armenia and Russia have worsened in recent years, due to Russia's refusal to help Armenia in

2170-625: The West in general. It found that Russia was the least popular G-8 country globally. Overall, the percentage of respondents with a positive view of Russia was only 31%. Anti-Russian sentiment in the United States and Western European countries decreased during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev , with about half of respondents in US, UK, Germany, Spain and France having positive views of Russia in 2011. It began to increase again after 2012. The Transatlantic Trends 2012 Report indicated that "views of Russia turned from favorable to unfavorable on both sides of

2232-570: The Western commentary on the Second Chechen War and a Russian reaction to eastward NATO enlargement to be the main cause of growing Russophobia in the 90s. Condemning the brutality of the Russian army and an exaggerated fear of NATO, he argued that the influence of the § Cold War elites and ethnic lobbies, coupled with 19th century stereotypes about Russian expansionism led Western journalists and intellectuals to drop professional standards and engage in propaganda, spreading Russophobia and national hatred. In April 2007, David Johnson, founder of

2294-408: The accusations. Contemporaries described Tsardom of Russia and early Russian Empire as a barbaric enemy of Christianity. Accounts by Western travelers like Austrian Ambassador Sigismund von Herberstein and English Ambassador Giles Fletcher in the 16th century portrayed Russia in a negative light, focusing on aspects like superstition, brutality, and backwardness. Negative views persisted into

2356-558: The country was twice occupied and annexed by Russia. First in 1801 under the Tsarist regime, and then, after a short interlude of independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921), a 70-year period of forceful Soviet occupation. This sentiment was further fed by the events of the 1990s, when Russia supported the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia , two historically inalienable parts of Georgia, causing

2418-709: The crusades of the 13th century against Russian Christian cities like Novgorod and Pskov may highlight even more deeply rooted religious and cultural animosity. During the Livonian War (1558–83), European powers, particularly Poland-Lithuania and the Livonian German cities, intensified their negative perception of Russia. They imposed embargoes on war supplies to Russia, fearing the possibility of it receiving military supplies from England, which had an active trade mission in Russia . Queen Elizabeth denied

2480-562: The enemy remorselessly and totally. In particular, no adherents of the contemporary Russian Bolshevik system are to be spared. Russophobic stereotypes of an illiberal tradition were also favored by Cold War historiographers, even as scholars of early Russia debunked such essentialist notions. Widely criticized for being antisemitic and extremist nationalistic, Igor Shafarevich's 1981 work Russophobia blamed "Jews seeking world rule" for alleged "vast conspiracy against Russia and all mankind" and seeking destruction of Russia through adoption of

2542-477: The epidemic disease of Russo-phobia". However, Russophobia in Britain for the rest of the 19th century was primarily related to British fears that the Russian conquest of Central Asia was a precursor to an attack on British-colonized India . These fears led to the " Great Game ", a series of political and diplomatic confrontations between Britain and Russia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1843

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2604-505: The failure of the post-Soviet liberal economic reforms, which are perceived to have been influenced by the US Treasury. A mismatch between U.S. rhetoric about promoting democratic reforms in Russia and actual U.S. actions and policy has been said to cause deep resentment among Russians, helping Russian propaganda to construct a narrative of U.S. malign interference. Since the 2014 annexation of Crimea and subsequent sanctions , there

2666-508: The famous Bassiani nightclub banning anyone with a Russian passport, and an online petition signed by thousands of locals demanding tougher immigration rules for Russians. Accordingly, in March 2022 a strong majority of 84% of respondents to a Georgian poll said Russia is the enemy of Georgia, a sharp uptick compared with a decade earlier. According to a 2012 poll, 35% of Georgians perceived Russia as Georgia's biggest enemy. Furthermore, in

2728-423: The ideological, rather than an ethnic or geographical sense. Russian responses to outside anti-Russian criticism has intensified the growth of contemporary Russian nationalist ideology, which in many ways mirrors its predecessor, Soviet nationalism . Sociologist Anatoly Khazanov states that there's a national-patriotic movement which believes that there's a " clash of civilizations , a global struggle between

2790-520: The label of "Russophobia" by Russian propaganda to sustain support for the invasion of Ukraine by presenting it as an existential confrontation with the West. According to an independent polling agency, "people explain that a significant part of the world is against us and it's only Putin who hopes to hold onto Russia, otherwise we would be eaten up completely. To them it is Russia that is defending itself". After Nicholas II intensified russification policies and did not provide significant opposition to

2852-525: The local inhabitants and civilizing them, goes straight off into a concentration camp! Plans to eliminate Russians and other Slavs from Soviet territory to allow German settlement included starvation. American historian Timothy D. Snyder maintains that there were 4.2 million victims of the German Hunger Plan in the Soviet Union, "largely Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians," including 3.1 million Soviet POWs and 1.0 million civilian deaths in

2914-470: The materialistic, individualistic, consumerist, cosmopolitan, corrupt, and decadent West  [ ru ] led by the United States and the idealist, collectivist, morally and spiritually superior Eurasia led by Russia ." In their view, the United States wants to break up Russia and turn it into a source of raw materials. The West being accused of Russophobia is a major part of their beliefs. Joseph Stiglitz wrote that these attitudes are reinforced by

2976-560: The median negative attitudes in Europe rose from 54% to 75%, and from 43% to 72% in the United States. Negative attitudes also rose compared to 2013 throughout the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa. According to political scientist Peter Schulze, the accusations of collusion with Trump campaign, coupled with the criminal case of Lisa F. , which was reported in Germany as an instance of Russia's hybrid war , sparked fears that

3038-417: The most negative perception of Russia was in Ukraine (net negative 79%), followed by Portugal with 69%, Japan with 68%, and Poland with 68%, according to the 2023 Democracy Perception Index. The Kremlin and its supporters are sometimes criticised for using allegations of "Russophobia" as a form of propaganda to counter criticism of government policy. Sources critical of the Russian government claim that it

3100-643: The negative perception of Russia. Under Abulfaz Elchibey 's presidency in 1992–93, relations between Russia and Azerbaijan were damaged due to his anti-Russian policies, however under Ilham Aliyev , relations instead improved. There has been increased animosity towards Russians in Tbilisi after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , which has also been directed towards exiled Russians who recently fled their home country. It has included signs from businesses and posts from Airbnb hosts declaring “Russians not welcome”, anti-Russian graffiti found on many central streets,

3162-411: The now famous statement: "Every nation gets the government it deserves" ("Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite"). Beginning from 1815 and lasting roughly until 1840, British commentators began criticizing the perceived conservatism of the Russian state and its resistance to reform efforts. In 1836, The Westminster Review attributed growth of British navy to "Ministers [that] are smitten with

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3224-509: The ongoing war in Ukraine . Such narratives have been described as Russian imperialism . Anti-Russian sentiment in Europe has a long history, dating back several centuries. Initially, it was largely driven by religious and cultural differences, as well as Russia's expansionist policies. This sentiment has evolved over time, but the underlying themes of perceived barbarism, imperialism, and cultural inferiority have remained constant. Negative views of Russia in Europe began to take shape in

3286-510: The pre- Crisis version of Lex Luthor . Gru's distinctive accent, described as "quasi-Russian" by A. O. Scott and "halfway between a Russian mafioso and a crazed Nazi " by Roger Ebert , was largely a product of his voice actor Steve Carell 's experimentation. According to Despicable Me producer Chris Meledandri , the voice Carell eventually settled on was conceived as "halfway between Ricardo Montalbán and Bela Lugosi ". The use of flashbacks to characterise Gru in Despicable Me

3348-427: The resurgence of anti-Russian sentiment, besides disapproval of the Second Chechen War , Russian reaction to NATO enlargement , the 2008 Russo-Georgian war and Russian interference in the 2016 United States election . Anti-Russian sentiment rose considerably after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine in 2014. By the summer of 2020, majority of Western nations had unfavorable views of Russia. Following

3410-531: The series. Gru is a grouchy, quick-witted, and cynical former supervillain , who serves as a secret agent in order to fight other supervillains. Gru is the son of Marlena and the Bald Terror (real name Robert), twin brother of Dru, the adoptive father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes as well as the biological father of Gru Jr., husband of Lucy, and boss of the Minions . At the beginning of the first film , Gru

3472-508: Was a rapid growth of charges of Russophobia in the official discourse. Use of the term on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website rose dramatically during the period between 2014 and 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin compared Russophobia to antisemitism . Academic Jade McGlynn considered conflation of modern Russophobia and Nazi antisemitism to be a part of propaganda strategy that uses historical framing to create

3534-438: Was a sharp uptick in manifestations of anti-Russian sentiment after the beginning of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine ; following the start of the invasion, anti-Russian sentiment soared across the Western world. Since the invasion commenced, ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking immigrants from post-Soviet states are globally reporting rising instances of open hostility and discrimination towards them. This hostility

3596-618: Was based on various more or less fantastic fears of Russian conquest of Europe, such as those based on The Will of Peter the Great forgery documented in France in the 19th century and later resurfacing in Britain as a result of fears of a Russian attack on British-colonized India in relation to the Great Game . Pre-existing anti-Russian sentiment in Germany is considered to be one of the factors influencing treatment of Russian population under German occupation during World War II. Nowadays,

3658-562: Was caused by pro-war demonstrations held in Athens, Berlin, Dublin, Hanover, Frankfurt and Limassol, consisting of "vehicles emblazoned with the pro-war Z symbol and marches attended by hundreds of flag-waving nationalists". Experts surveyed by The Times said that the rallies were likely coordinated by the Kremlin via the soft power Rossotrudnichestvo agency, stressing that a "bottom-up element" of support for Russia also exists. By 2023,

3720-714: Was compared by Variety to those used in Pixar 's 2007 film Ratatouille to characterise Anton Ego . Gru was cited by Katy Marriner, writing in Screen Education , as one of the premier examples of a protagonist in an animated film who reforms themself, in contrast to the traditional animated film protagonist who remains heroic throughout. Gru was psychologically analysed by Nofika Dewi of Universitas Pamulang  [ id ] , who found that his rude and ambitious qualities represented his Id ; his villainy and tenaciousness represented his Ego , while his competence as

3782-415: Was conceived by animator Sergio Pablos , who envisioned him as a Dracula -like character, but the directors of the first film, Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin , later opted for a more sleek character that would echo "the world of James Bond ", with Auric Goldfinger being cited as a particular influence. Gru also bears some design similarities with British comic-book character Grimly Feendish and with

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3844-557: Was not the result of the political abilities of the Slavs in Russia, but only a wonderful example of the state-forming efficacity of the German element in an inferior race." After the invasion of the Soviet Union , Hitler expressed his plans for the Slavs: As for the ridiculous hundred million Slavs, we will mold the best of them as we see fit, and we will isolate the rest of them in their pig-styes; and anyone who talks about cherishing

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