Westerners who? Those who take parts in movies of genre Western? Too narrow category to be interested in their opinion. Let me enlighten you a bit about categories. There are: 1. Europeans 2. Americans, who are only part-time European, and the future of America seems to be more Brazilian (jungles, wild monkeys etc)

So the correct way to ask would be what do Europeans think about Russia in its present or its past. (Americans do not think, they just provoke conflicts and try to make profits)

Europeans, of course, know almost everything about Russia. Because what was Soviet Union? It was European Construction built upon Russian land. Who were the builders - Karl Marx, Engels, and other high-priests of EUROPEAN “social-democracy sect”. (the sect was under direct control of Britain, Germany and France).

Before SU, Russian Empire (destroyed by european sectants)was governed by …. European royal dynasty (Romanovs), who were close relatives of many British, German kings and queens, princes and pricesesses. (so many s letters, maybe too much)

So the destinies of Russia and Europe are very much inter-connected, and one must not be fooled by the artificial period of soviet isolation. It the same artificial isolation that we can see in case of South-Nortn Korea separation.