Our Common Enemy
The stubbornness of the patriotism of many Russians is undoubtedly linked with the effects of the propaganda, which albeit in some ways is based off well-founded fears, it is inflated to unprecedented levels in Russia. Speaking to a Russian person, a foreigner may be really taken aback by inconsistencies – Russians blame EVERYONE, often contradictory phenomena and population groups, including Americans, Ukrainians, Poles, Nazis, Jews, Muslims, officials, bureaucrats, liberals, communists, homosexuals… Ask any Russian and they will always show you exactly who is ruining their life.
By having a common enemy it is much easier to unite and survive the hard times, especially if you are not afraid of the consequences. By shifting the responsibility for your own failures to others you stop being responsible for anything and can rely on the big man (in our case, Putin) to solve everything. Your life gets much easier.