I would like to think that most people would be able to distinguish between the Russian people and culture on the one hand and their current government on the other. But let's use the shorthand of saying "Russia" for the geopolitical entity. "Russia" still generates a lot of fear based on recent history, where Russians were the privileged nationality in the Soviet empire, which surrounded itself with satellite states controlled by the Red Army. It was until a few decades ago one of two superpowers vying for global domination. Many neighbouring peoples have memories of being denied statehood (Ukrainians, Tatars), being invaded (Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians) and even occupied (Balts), or being deported wholesale (Chechens, Crimean Tatars) by Russia within the last century, so there is an underlying part of their psychology that sees Russia as a potential existential threat.

Russia is by no means unique in this respect. This applies to most global and regional hegemons. There are many that do not like the U.S. or China. Britain and Germany in recent memory, or France earlier in early modern Europe, inspired similar fear. But what is particularly worrying about Russia now is that the narrative being privileged within the country only portrays Russia as the victim of recent history. This makes it difficult for Russians and their neighbours to come to a common historical understanding.

I don't find that Westerners don't like Russia in general -- at least not the circles I run in. But the Ukraine invasion/liberation/annexation was perceived widely in the West as an aggressive and unnecessary move. So I think it is mostly Russia's recent actions that have caused the negative perception.

Here is some polling numbers that show that Russia has gained a lot of negative perception:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/country-rating-poll.p...

EDIT: I do think that Russia is viewed as having a corruption/mobster issue in the West, even before the Ukraine issue.

Mostly for propaganda reasons. Russia is Designated Enemy #1, outside of the Axis of Evil.

I think most westerners do like Russians and Russia, but don't like Putin and his growing anti-democratic tendencies.

I studied Russian years ago in high school and university, before settling on Chinese language as my university major subject. I know a lot of Russian emigres in my town. Most American people admire the Russian common people, and sympathize with their long history of being ruled by dictators. I think the current dictator of Russia, Putin, is doing badly by his country and reducing the freedom of the common people under his rule. I oppose Putin because I like Russians. The sooner Putin is out of power, the better. Лучше поздно, чем никогда.

Putin has presided over the transformation of Russia from Yeltsin's incompetent, incontinent state at the mercy of oligarchs (that was still relatively democratic) into a crude fake democracy wrapping a fascist system in the most literal sense - one leader, rule by force, politically controlled media and courts, brownshirts, unification of commerce and government via cronies and the assassination or frame-ups of competition, religion as a prop of the state, scapegoating of minorities, and ethnic expansionism.

I like Russia. I despise Putin, who is bringing Russia back to autocracy and aggressive expansionism.

Most of the world has mixed opinions about Russia, and the younger have a more favorable one.

http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/09/03/global-opinion-of-russia...

I think that the nationalism and counter-nationalism is a cold war remnant.

Everybody older than 25 watched a good number of movies where Russians were the threat. Mostly James Bond style movies, but you've got a few others in there as well.

Russian here. I don't like Russia too.

I like Russia just fine, though their current aggressive stance in the region is off-putting. My question is, why do so many Russians like Putin? I'd think they would have had enough of the autocratic dictators from generations past, but he seems quite popular at home and abroad among the Russian expats I know.

Because westerners tend to be easily programmable via media broadcasting. Somehow, Russia is evil even though the west has launched a war on a method, continues to kill hundreds of thousands of people and tries to conquer or co-opt countries surrounding Russia to its side at any cost.

as a brit i dont think this is accurate, no one has a particular dislike of russians, well perhaps oligarchs in london driving up property prices but which rich foreign nationals dont do that?

Personally I see them as a bullying classmate that you must face everyday and you never entirely sure how it will end. Russia likes to be seen as aggressor and not many likes that.

I am from Slovakia and I do not hate Russia. I am afraid.

We don't like treaty-breakers.

We don't like imperialistic ambitions.

We don't like bullies that believe they have the right suppress weaker nations, simply because they are stronger.

We don't like liars and deceivers.

We don't like people that willingly welcome nationalistic propaganda.

Right now Russia is all of the above.

For a while we believed that Russia would honor agreements and treaties, such as the one where Russia guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine in exchange for Ukrainian nuclear disarmament.

For a while we believed that Russia had given up the old dream of dominating its neighboring countries.

For a while we believed that Russia was growing more democratic and respectful of international law, norms and standards.

For a while we (naively) believed what Russian leaders told us.

For a while we believed that the Russian people had learned from the Soviet era and truly wanted a free society with meaningful democratic institutions. For a while we believed that the Russian people could see through nationalistic propaganda and resist being riled up by lies and misrepresentations (such as Ukrainians being "fascists").

We were let down. We are now massively disappointed. By Russia, by Russian leaders and - yes - by the Russian people who are demonstrating a staggering deliberate ignorance.

Personally I am so disappointing that I am willing to endure hardship and lower economic growth just to draw a line now and take a stand.

Turn this around. Throw out Putin. Allow free, critical press. Negotiate a deal with Ukraine on Crimea (I am sure one could be worked out as long as it is not at gunpoint). It will cost you, but it is obvious that a deal with gas in exchange for territory would be possible.

But above all, I need to see realization from the Russian public that they cannot act as bullies, that Russia does not have "more right" than others simply because they are stronger. That's the irony: The doctrine that a stronger state has the right to suppress weaker states is the core principle of fascism. I am sorry to say, but you, the Russian people who believe that "Crimea is ours", it is you who have become the fascists!

It do not dislike Russians. But I have become extremely suspicious as to the intentions of the Russian leaders and how far the Russian people will allow them to go.