I my opinion Aggressive plays by Russians is made simply for the purposes of taking charge of that table, No slow playing player or player more worried about making the final table is going to call an all-in at the start of a torni unless they themselves don't care and are willing to take a chance. Once ahead these players usually calm down quite a bit.
If a player knows their not that good and find it hard to make final tables then the all-in (take my chances factor) comes into play to either get ahead or go bust, once ahead (if it goes their way) other players will be more weary of them and if they go bust then so be it as they say.
It's a form of domination over skill which is what these types of players go for. If they win great but it also
tells them who's careful about the game and who's not. Mind over matter can work wonders.
Your talking about people's mindsets here and directing it to mostly Russians. The mind set of any country which charges first to eliminate as many of their opponents at the start to get ahead and then use careful strategy after weather in poker or otherwise will make all the others think twice before attacking back. It's all or nothing attitude. If they lose then they strategize, if they win then you'll be more careful thus giving them the edge.
The mindset of any country that thinks twice before making a move (uses strategy from the word go) may lose at first but will win in the end (if still around) which means strategy over bulling will always come out on top in the end.
I've come to a point where unless I have AA or KK within the first 5 to 10
hands I fold them when I come up against players like that, take notes of what they went all in with or made high pre-flop raises with because they will use that strategy again when they become short stacked.
These tactics work believe or not and will always make you think twice about raising just before them (if their in the habit of going all-in after your raise) or calling them when they raise. Again mind over matter, Brut force over skill etc.
Germans are much the same way and thus play much the same way.