Russophile

American  

[ruhs-uh-fahyl] / ˈrʌs əˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a person who is friendly to, admires, or prefers Russia or Russian customs, institutions, etc.

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Russophile British  

/ ˈrʌsəʊˌfaɪl /

noun

1. an admirer of Russia or the former Soviet Union, its customs, political system, etc

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adjective

1. showing admiration of Russia or the former Soviet Union

Other Word Forms

• Russophilia noun

Etymology

Origin of Russophile

First recorded in 1890–95; Russo- + -phile

Example Sentences

He is, they said, what he appears to be: a slightly eccentric Russophile who was entrapped by an ambitious intelligence agent he had befriended years before, apparently not realizing the man’s full background.

From New York Times

Baltimoreans of today don’t need an invitation to stop by the Crimea, once the summer destination for an eccentric Russophile railroad builder.

From Washington Post

But perhaps its most prominent Russophile was Manlio Di Stefano, the party’s foreign policy point man.

From New York Times

The country's Russophile internal affairs minister rolled up his sleeve for an armful of Sputnik V. And the health minister happily posed for his injection with Sinopharm's coronavirus shot.

From BBC

Mr. Whelan — who holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenships, in addition to American — had been a frequent visitor to Russia and counted himself as a Russophile before his last trip, in December 2018, to attend a wedding.

From New York Times