"Little Russians"

I was considering a web poll for which "breed" of "Little Russian" would be most offended by the words of Iggy and the actions of his "Great Russian" forefathers that he so diligently celebrates in his written work. In terms of what Iggy has said himself, obviously the bit on Ukrainian independence is likely the most offensive thing that he has ever written in reminding us how his "Great Russian" ancestors have disdain for all these "Little Russians" running around screaming independence.

"My difficulty in taking Ukraine seriously goes deeper than just my cosmopolitan suspicion of nationalists everywhere. Somewhere inside I'm also what Ukrainians would call a great Russian and there is just a trace of old Russian disdain for these little Russians."

"From my childhood, I remember expatriate Ukrainians nationalists demonstrating in the snow outside performances by the Bolshoi Ballet in Toronto. 'Free the captive nations!' they chanted. In 1960, they seemed strange and pathetic, chanting in the snow, haranguing people who just wanted to see ballet and to hell with politics. They seemed fanatical, too, unreasonable. Hadn't they looked at the map? How did they think that Ukraine could ever be free?"

In an interview Mr. Ignatieff describes Ukrainian culture as "embroidered peasant shirts, the nasal whine of ethnic instruments, phony Cossacks in cloaks and boots."

But then you also have to wonder, wouldn't somebody of Polish descent revile Ignatieff lamenting in the magnificence of his lost Czarist roots? Those "Great Russians" did some very horrific things to the Polish people. The Poles know first hand how it feels to live under the iron fist of the "Great Russians". First under the Czars who invaded Poland in 1792. Napoleon liberated Poland from the merciless Czars some 20 years later, creating an independent Polish state, until the Grand Army froze to death and the Congress of Vienna gave Poland back to the Czar in 1815. It stayed in the hands of the Czar despite several Polish uprisings until the Communist Revolution and World War 1 set them free. Then the Nazi's invaded, and the "Great Russians" came back for another 44 years of oppressive dominance.

I can't imagine Ignatieff and his love of "Great Russian leadership" is terribly popular among Canadian-Poles. How about Hungarians Mike, are they Little Russians too? Are Georgians just Little Russians? Are Fins just Little Russians? Are Serbians Little Russians or Great Russians? I'm certain that Poles and Hungarians don't feel warm and fuzzy inside when they read your "Russian Album".