Paraphrase, please. the drama is suggestive of what 19th century Russian writers, particularly Fyodor Dostoyevsky, recognized as the Russian Soul. This soul is one that lends itself to imperialist authoritarianism. the contest: Andrew D. Kaufman, a scholar of Russian literature at the University of Virginia, claims that the Ukraine conflict “is not merely geopolitical. It’s a deep-seated drama of the Russian soul that has been around for centuries.” To Kaufman, the drama is suggestive of what 19th century Russian writers, particularly Fyodor Dostoyevsky, recognized as the Russian Soul. This soul is one that lends itself to imperialist authoritarianism.