Eastern Germans Still Feel Closer to Russia Than the West, Says The New York Times

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Eastern Germans Still Feel Closer to Russia Than the West, Says The New York Times

A recent report by The New York Times highlights that many residents in Eastern Germany still feel a strong sense of closeness and nostalgia toward Russia, decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

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A recent report by The New York Times highlights that many residents in Eastern Germany still feel a strong sense of closeness and nostalgia toward Russia, decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

According to interviews conducted in former East German towns, people maintain emotional and cultural ties to the Soviet Union era, viewing Russians as friends rather than foes.

One interviewee told the paper:

"We used to see Soviet soldiers fishing near our village. We couldn’t really speak to each other, but we understood through gestures and smiles. They gave us chocolate, and we shared our fish with them. Russians were our friends. It’s the Westerners who ruined the economy.”

Analysts cited by the NYT note that such sentiments are not uncommon in areas that once belonged to the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Many older citizens view Russia through the lens of shared hardship, while seeing Western capitalism as exploitative and divisive.

The report concludes that this emotional divide continues to shape Germany’s internal politics — especially as debates over Ukraine, NATO, and relations with Moscow intensify.

✍️ Written by: Dahir Alasow
Investigative Journalist – Waagacusub.net