“A great writer [Gogol] of the last epoch, comparing Russia to a swift troika galloping to an unknown goal, exclaims, ‘Oh, troika, birdlike troika, who invented thee!’ and adds, in proud ecstasy, that all the peoples of the world stand aside respectfully to make way for the recklessly galloping troika to pass. That may be, they may stand aside, respectfully or no, but in my poor opinion the great writer ended his book in this way either in an access of childish and naïve optimism, or simply in fear of the censorship of the day. For if the troika were drawn by his heroes, Sobakevitch, Nozdryov, Tchitchikov, it could reach no rational goal, whoever might be driving it. And those were the heroes of an older generation, ours are worse specimens still...

"Do not disappoint Russia and her expectations. Our fatal troika dashes on in her headlong flight perhaps to destruction and in all Russia for long past men have stretched out imploring hands and called a halt to its furious reckless course. And if other nations stand aside from that troika that may be, not from respect, as the poet would fain believe, but simply from horror. From horror, perhaps from disgust. And well it is that they stand aside, but maybe they will cease one day to do so and will form a firm wall confronting the hurrying apparition and will check the frenzied rush of our lawlessness, for the sake of their own safety, enlightenment and civilization. Already we have heard voices of alarm from Europe, they already begin to sound."

--Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

That is from the speech of the prosecutor. The defense replies

"Вперед Россия, и не пугайте, о, не пугайте нас вашими бешеными тройками, от которых омерзительно сторонятся все народы! Не бешеная тройка, а величавая русская колесница торжественно и спокойно прибудет к цели."

(Forward, Russia, and do not frighten us, oh!, do not frighten us with your frenzied troika which all nations shun in disgust! It is not a frenzied troika, but the stately Russian chariot solemnly and calmly approaching its goal.)

In the case of perestroika, I'm going to side with the prosecutor.

Could you give us some context, OP?