their real history is one of slavery and subjugation under the Mongols
And this shouldn't even be a big deal. What group of people haven't been subjugated at some point in their history? Collectively, I suspect that nearly all peoples have been. Certainly it is a bigger conversation with modern, more recent slavery, involving forced migration, but it doesn't change what happened either. The US and some European countries face this topic (as the subjugators) and are talking about it with varying degrees of honesty.
I've only met one Russian immigrant who felt comfortable talking about Russian people, and they definitely said something like this, among other things.
And this shouldn't even be a big deal. What group of people haven't been subjugated at some point in their history? Collectively, I suspect that nearly all peoples have been. Certainly it is a bigger conversation with modern, more recent slavery, involving forced migration, but it doesn't change what happened either. The US and some European countries face this topic (as the subjugators) and are talking about it with varying degrees of honesty.
Why hide from it?
Good question. I guess they need to feel special. Russia is basically a country built from conquest and propaganda.
I've only met one Russian immigrant who felt comfortable talking about Russian people, and they definitely said something like this, among other things.