Freiheit oder imperiale Grösse?

One of the popular stereotypes in the West is the notion of the Russians' belief in authority and their resignation to fate. This cliché has a long tradition. Representatives of various, sometimes opposing political directions have contributed to its spread. The fact that Russia has experienced numerous peasant uprisings and revolts of various kinds since the beginning of the modern era, and four revolutions in the 20th century, hardly shook the clichéd image of Russia. Why are the diverse manifestations of the Russian desire for freedom so undervalued by outsiders? Why is Russia generally perceived in the Western public as an imperial authoritarian state? This is evidently related, not least, to the fact that Russian advocates of freedom are associated with the image of eternal oppression.