Born in the USSR

Recently, the Stetson's Russian Club hosted a music night which showcased a variety of Russian songs, ranging from the Soviet Era to more contemporary tracks. The attached song, "Born in the USSR", is a personal favorite of mine. The song is a throwback to Soviet Russia and is the counterpart of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.". Singer Oleg Gazmanoz provides the main vocals of the song, showcasing a wide variety of his vocal talents. I hope that you all will find this catchy song as enjoyable as I did.

Russian and English lyrics

Bandy

Bandy is a Russian sport nicknamed "Russian hockey" and "winter football." It is debated whether the Russians truly created it or if they merely adapted a European sport and turned that in to bandy. Bandy has an international governing body, is played similarly to ice hockey but with bandy sticks and balls that are more similar to those of field hockey. Men and women play and it seems that variants of the sport are linked back to 10th and 11th century monasteries. The name comes from the curved stick used being referred to as a "bandy." Bandy is the second most popular (by number of participants) winter sport in the world with ice hockey being the most.

Кавказская овчарка

Кавказская овчарка (Caucasian Ovcharka)

The Caucasian Shepherd or Caucasian Ovcharka is one of the most brutal Russian dog breeds (maybe not the puppy featured above). It is a large, even-tempered dog with powerful and muscular body, bear-look face, deeply set oval dark eyes, round-shaped cropped ears and low carried long tail. It has a thick and water resistant double coat in shades of gray, brindle, yellow, rust, red or white. The coat may be longer or shorter depending on the region the dog comes from.

The strength and dedication of this dog has made it a popular working, police and guard dog throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union states. They call it Caucasian Shepherd in Europe and Caucasian Mountain Dog in America. In the West it is also known as the Russian Bear Dog. In Russia its usual name is Caucasian Ovcharka which means means sheepdog in Russian.The Caucasian Ovcharka was used for centuries to guard flocks, kill wolves, hunt bears and protect properties against trespassers and thieves. 

Read more: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/caucasianowtcharka.htm

Russian Fairy Tale

The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda

This fairy tale supports the working class of Russia, that the labor folk are important. This cheap priest goes into town looking for cheap labor where he finds Balda. Balda means stupid or simple. Balda said he could work for the priest as long as he gets to hit the priest 3 times on the head if he completes his jobs. Of course the cheap priest agrees thinking he Balda could not do all his task perfectly, the priest was mistaken.
Worried the priest assigns a task of collecting debt from a demon, to the priest surprise Balda accomplishes this. The priest upholds his deal and allows Balda to hit him on his forehead. The priest is hit so hard that he looses his sanity. " You shouldn't have gone rushing after cheapness." This lesson is to teach values of work and ethics. Also find it interesting to see Buddhist elements with demons and demon's family. Buddhism was popular or on the rise in the East, especially in Mongolia. I wonder where the influence came from and how popular these Buddhist elements are in Russia during the creation of this Tale.

Whats up with the whole gay thing?

So I went on Reddit and this was the response to the top post ever on /r/russia with the prompt of "Whats up with the whole gay thing?" I honestly found the response fascinating, please find the entire post linked at the bottom of this blog post if any of the people who actually read these would like to read more. 

What you have to understand is that Russia is a very conservative country that never got around to a proper, linear sexual revolution with more things gradually becoming more acceptable. There also weren't any "waves" of feminism, as women were granted all rights and responsibilities right after the revolution and there wasn't the sort of gradual acceptance like there was in the West. Those things are related. Homosexuality was only decriminalized very recently, and taken off the list of mental illnesses very begrudgingly without much public debate around the issue. When the Soviet Union started falling apart, pretty much everything was instantly allowed, porn, prostitution, all at once were out in the open like a shock wave, so the sexuality of a typical Russian is a really weird thing.

You're expected to get married and have kids, the younger the better. There is a lot more involvement of your parents and grandparents in a traditional Russian family, many people even live with their parents after getting married and having kids, because realty is very expensive. At the same time, there is a sort of neurotic sexuality everywhere. Russians are very promiscuous. Infidelity is excepted, divorce is almost guaranteed. Sex is supposed to be that thing men do to women, too, which is a remnant of the former, more conservative times. Sex is somehow both a taboo humiliating act done to another person and a normal thing. You're expected to be sexually active, but at the same time, you're also shamed for it quite a lot. The image of any sexual deviation from a certain norm is pretty much a caricature. People confuse transsexuals, homosexuals and pedophiles, too. And this is in a country where you're not even supposed to look weird.

The prison culture also has a very strong influence. Lots of people, even educated people, know prison slang and basic laws and rules of prison life. One of those laws is that, basically, the guy who's at the end of the food chain is supposed to take it up the ass. That is a very shameful thing.

Then there is the concept of "tolerance" which is almost a swear word in the media. Basically, to distance us from the west, we are told that the West is on decline, because they allow various minorities more rights than "normal people", and they allow women too many rights, so their birth rates are down and they'll all be replaced with Arabs soon. Demographics is a very important issue here, because the population is aging and dying out. There is a derogatory term "tolerast" which is a combination of tolerant + pederast, that describes someone who would allow themselves to be dominated by all those "lesser" beings. The remnant of the idea of an outside enemy who wants to destroy mother Russia by making it weak is pretty strong, too, and a strong Russia is something people want. Then there is the issue that this is a poor country and people have a lot of bigger problems than simple social acceptance. Basically, if you can't afford to raise your children, you still have to live with your mom at 30, and your hospital has rats and no central heating, you don't have the capacity to worry about someone's feelings. Human rights activists are viewed as rich, sheltered fools like those people you might see on /r/TumblrInAction. There isn't much of an open discourse.

A whole series of laws appeared at approximately the same time, and I personally think they're a reaction to a strong forming opposition: any organization with foreign funding is supposed to register as a "Foreign agent", which does pretty much nothing, mostly affects charities and makes them seem like CIA spies; you may no longer "offend people's religious feelings", which was written specifically after the Pussy Riot thing; and then there's the law forbidding "propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia to minors" which was later changed to "denying traditional values". Basically, it's a pretty strong ideological attack on people who aren't happy with the current government. You don't like something? You're an American spy and you want to molest children and you also take it up the ass.

https://www.reddit.com/r/russia/comments/1jpagi/whats_up_with_the_whole_gay_thing/

OPEC Oil Freeze

For the past couple of weeks Russia and Saudi Arabia have been planning an oil output freeze. If the freeze is carried out, OPEC members will reduce their output to January levels. This was motivated by the record low oil prices below $30 a barrel. Oil is Russia's primary economic resource and the low prices have led to economic hardship. While they were previously struggling with Iranian cooperation, a potential agreement earlier this week led oil prices to rise by 7%.

Russian Piano Technique

I studied with a Russian teacher almost all of my life that studied in Moscow Conservatory. I believe I found a good article that I feel like shows how Russians teach. 

Russian traditional way:

I call it “ aggressive” way. It is extremely demanding and almost threatening way. After such learning experiences many students stop to play piano at all.

In Russia (old USSR) we do not use the word “fun” regarding learning process( actually we do not use that word at all, there is no translation for “fun” in Russian language) . The piano lesson sound was nothing to do with “fun”. It was  strictly intellectual, more art-like activity for kids. We were very lucky back in USSR: almost every kid had opportunity to learn the piano at the local music school ( seven years of study).And it was  affordable for “middle class” family. Please keep in mind that I am talking about my experience until 1999. The country Russia is changed now and the way of teaching  and school and educational system changed too.

After many hours of practice (mostly pushed by parents) students forget what the meaning of the word “music” is. They question, “what piano playing  has to do with the music?”

While working in the Music school in Moscow, I got  a student  transferred from another teacher who was 7th grader and it was her last graduating year. When we met at the first time, Masha have stated: I will do my best to go through final exam, I will receive the diploma, I will present that diploma to my parents and after that I will never ever play piano again!  It was very very sad.. I am glad that I could help her. At the end of the year her attitude changed and after her graduation she thanked me with tears that I helped her to regain her love for piano again. It was very touching and rewording.

Here, in US, a few people (when they learn that I am Russian Piano teacher) jokingly asked : are you hitting your student’s hands with a stick?

I never faced or hear about such things myself back in Russia.. Also a few parents of my students would bring their memories about their piano teachers, when they were kids. Teachers were Russians, trained by Russians or from other European countries: Germany, England. Those teachers  used to hit hands with rulers. Again I never heard such stories from any of my friends, classmates, and colleagues while living in Russia (USSR) until 1999. So, if it was true, I can only say those teachers had no idea about pedagogy, child sociology, patience and compaction and they should not be teaching.

Unit 8 - The Modernity of Anna Karenina: Tolstoy's Fascination (and revulsion) with Trains

Noted historian, literary scholar, and Anna Karenina translator Rosamund Bartlett's lecture on the Modernity of Anna Karenina was one of the best events I've ever attended at Stetson. I've not yet read Anna Karenina but I've seen the 1935 film starring Greta Garbo. After attending Dr. Bartlett's lecture, Tolstoy is at the top of my summer reading list.

One of the aspects of her brilliant talk that captivated me the most was her focus on the railways as Tolstoy's commentary on modernity. Throughout the story, the train station provides a key setting in the relationship between Anna and Vronsky. It is where they meet throughout the story. It is the setting of infidelity and the breakdown of the family - key themes in Tolstoy's modernity. Trains are a literal representation of the iron and artifice that represent everything Tolstoy thinks is wrong with the modern world. Yet, while clearly repulsed by trains, Tolstoy cannot help by fascinated by them and the possibilities and changes they bring. Anna's ultimate suicide by train symbolizes Tolstoy's fear that society will suffer the same fate; modernize itself to death and degradation.

Having Dr. Bartlett speak at Stetson was truly a memorable experience and one that makes me pause and reconsider the brilliance of Tolstoy.

Russian Idioms

The other day, we had an interesting discussion in class about how English is full of idioms where non-native speakers would be easily confused. I was curious to see which idioms are used in Russian, and there were a few that seemed very similar in meaning to English idioms. 

бодой не разольёшь literally translates as "you couldn't split them apart with water. It pairs with the English idiom "thick as theives", meaning inseparable.

белая ворона is "a white cow", or something unusual and not like the others. This one reminds me of in English "white elephant" meaning a strange or quirky gift.

 У меня едет крыша is literally "My roof is moving", but it is used like in English to say "I'm out of my mind" or "I'm going nuts"

Unit 8 The Modernity of Anna Karenina with a Pirozhki recipe

The facts about Tolstoy himself are the main things I pulled from this lecture. He was a man against modernization and wanted to keep to a more traditional Russia. However, he was an author who wrote before his time. Him adding life to the characters was a first during those times and has truly influenced us know. He may of wrote in a rebellious way that can make his reading a bit more difficult for some but it was still beautiful nonetheless. If I had the money during the lecture I would've bought a copy write then just so I could read and understand more what of what Dr.Bartlett was speaking on. The information I learned from this lecture gave me a motivation to read that I've lacked for sometime now. 

Pirozhki recipe

MAKES ABOUT 40

There are as many recipes for these delicious, bite-size savory pastries as there are Russian cooks. Try them served with Russian borscht or boiled beef with horseradish sauce.

1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus 1 tsp.
2 cups flour, plus more as needed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed, to taste
3 eggs (1 whole, 2 hard-boiled and finely chopped)
1 cup finely sliced scallions
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. milk
1 egg yolk

1. In a small bowl, stir together yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, using your hands or a fork, cut the 8 tbsp. of butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the yeast mixture, sour cream, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the whole egg and stir until just well combined. Wrap dough loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Bring the dough to room temperature and grease a large bowl with the remaining butter. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough, adding small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to let rest until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Heat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the hard-boiled eggs and scallions; season egg mixture with salt and pepper. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 1/8"-thick rectangle. With a 3" round cookie cutter, cut dough into 10 circles; reserve scraps. Gently stretch each circle of dough with your fingers and place 1 heaping tsp. of the egg mixture in the center. Fold the edges so that they meet in the center like a purse and pinch to seal; form each into an oval shape and place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, rerolling the scraps until they are all used up. Loosely cover pirozhki with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes in a warm place to let rise slightly. Whisk the milk and egg yolk in a small bowl and brush over the pirozhki. Bake until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Serve warm.

Source

Anna Karenina form a Historical Perspective

Attending the lecture given on March 29^th by Dr. Bartlett on the modernity of Anna Karenina did a lot to tie together one of my favorite novels with the Russian Empire class I am currently enrolled in. One of the most notable connections is the emancipation of the serfs by Alexander II as a part of the Great Reforms and Levin’s participation in the zemstvo. Having read the book before knowing anything about Russian history, this was always perplexing to me. After learning about it in class and hearing it tied to Anna Karenina, the novel takes on a new relevance. Since the novel occurs primarily after the emancipation of the serfs, Levin has to deal with issues that every landlord was facing at the time, making it a very modern novel for its time and relatable to its readers at that time. This is one of the most important modern aspects of Anna Karenina.

Profile: Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev 

Васи́лий Григо́рьевич За́йцев

Vasily was a Soviet Sniper and a Hero of the Soviet Union during World War II. Between October 1942 and January 1943, Zaytsev made an estimated 400 kills, some at distances of more than 1,000 metres

Vasily grew up in Siberia, where he spent his early days working as a humble shepherd.  For those of you unfamiliar with Siberia, let me take a moment to paint you a little mental image.  First, picture the most desolate, inhospitable, unforgiving hellhole of a wasteland you could possibly imagine.  Then times that by eleven, bury the entire terrain underneath about fifteen feet of solid ice, top that off with a foot-thick layer of wet snow, drop the temperature to a level so chillingly cold that your urine freezes mid-stream, and populate the entire landscape with man-eating bears.  Siberia is a place so remote and bitter that it makes up 80% of Russia's landmass but only houses about 30% of its population.  This vast disparity in size to population is generally because human beings aren't programmed to survive in an environment where the yearly average temperature is five degrees below zero and bears and tigers bite your appendages off every time you step foot outside of your fur hut.  While living in this region for any period longer than fifteen minutes might make the average person beg for the sweet release of death, it pretty much goes without saying that the indigenous people who hail from this region of the world are definitely not cowards.

Siberia in the midst of a July heat wave.

Tolstoy's Use of Trains

    On Thursday, March 19th, I attended Rosamund Bartlett's lecture on "The Modernity Of Anna Karenina." One of the main points Bartlett discussed was Tolstoy's use of trains to introduce modernity and industrialization. Russian railways were fairly new, with the first one opening in 1851. Tolstoy saw the trains as intrusive because they changed the landscape; but he used them with many themes, including death, in his novel. He wrote the novel after witnessing the autopsy of a woman who committed suicide by throwing herself onto the tracks. Similarly, Anna, in Anna Karenina, dies this way.

Russian Family

Russian families are far more unified than American. In America, we have names for every level, second cousin three times removed, step-mother, half-brother, et cetera. Grandparents live in assisted living, cousins meet maybe every decade. At eighteen, children are evicted from their parent's home. In Russian however, step-family is simply family. Cousins are referred to as siblings, no matter the how little shared DNA there actually is. Grandparents, sometimes aunts and uncles and cousins all live in the same space.

Russian Poetry! :)

      

I would like to take the time to tell you about one of Russia's greatest poets. There are a few that should be named to have such a title but I want to focus on Александр Блок or in Latin letters, Aleksandr Blok. Блок was born on November 28, 1880 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was born to a father who was a lawyer, musician, and writer and a mother who was a домохозяйка. Блок's parents separated when he was young and he group up in the house of his mother's family who were a richly intellectual millieu; where Блок's talent and potential was generously indulged. Блок started writing verse at age 5 but it was not until age 18 that he began writing serious work. Originally, in 1898 Блок entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University but 3 years later he realized his love for literature was too string to not pursue as a lifelong career. He was inspired mostly by 19th century romantic poetry and the work of Василий Жуковский (Vasily Zhukovsky). One poem that I found and enjoyed the most is called "To the Muse" or "Музе" and below I have both the Russian and English. If you like poetry, there are a lot more to poems to read of Блок.

Музе/To the Muse

Есть в напевах твоих сокровенных Роковая о гибели весть. Есть проклятье заветов священных, Поругание счастия есть. И такая влекущая сила, Что готов я твердить за молвой, Будто ангелов ты низводила, Соблазняя своей красотой... И когда ты смеешься над верой, Над тобой загорается вдруг Тот неяркий, пурпурово-серый И когда-то мной виденный круг. Зла, добра ли? - Ты вся - не отсюда. Мудрено про тебя говорят: Для иных ты - и Муза, и чудо. Для меня ты - мученье и ад. Я не знаю, зачем на рассвете, В час, когда уже не было сил, Не погиб я, но лик твой заметил И твоих утешений просил? Я хотел, чтоб мы были врагами, Так за что ж подарила мне ты Луг с цветами и твердь со звездами - Всё проклятье своей красоты? И коварнее северной ночи, И хмельней золотого Аи, И любови цыганской короче Были страшные ласки твои... И была роковая отрада В попираньи заветных святынь, И безумная сердцу услада - Эта горькая страсть, как полынь! 29 декабря 1912

In your innermost songs there are hidden Fateful tidings of death. A curse on sacred commandments, And a profanation of joy. And such an alluring strength That I'm ready to pass on the rumor That you brought angels down With your seductive beauty... And when you mock faith That dim, purplish-gray Circle I've seen before Suddenly blazes above you Evil or good? - You're thoroughly alien. People speak of you enigmatically: For some you are Muse and miracle For me you are torment and hell. I don't know why, at dawn, At the time of my last strength, Rather than die, I caught sight of your face And begged your consolation. I wanted us to be enemies, So why did you present me With flowering meadows, the starry vault- The curse of your beauty? More treacherous than a northern night, More heady than golden champagne, And more fickle than a gypsy's love Were your terrible caresses... And there was a fatal delight In flouting sacred truths, And my heart was maddened By this bitter, wormwood passion. 29 December 1912

Wonder Woman: The baby making machine!

The first wife of Feodor Vassilyev, a peasant from Shuya, Russia who lived from 1707-1782 is the woman who holds the world record for the Most babies ever birthed by one woman, having had 69 babies! Out of the 69 born 67 of them survived through infancy.  Even crazier is the fact she only gave birth 27 times between 1725 and 1765!.... How'd that happen? --> She gave birth to sixteen pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets!! Talk about a lot of babies! Although there have been some doubts about the accuracy of this, it holds true enough that she still has the official spot in the Guinness Book of World Records! The mother also holds the records for giving birth to the most sets of twins and the most sets of quadruplets.

Red and Green

The Red Country is going… green?

Red Square. White Snow. Of all the colors commonly associated with Russia, I would not imagine that green is often one of them. However, it seems only appropriate that we usher in our recent season change by discussing something Spring-y, and no one can deny that Russia has something interesting going on with its trees.

Russia’s national tree (yes, countries lay claim to particular trees) is the birch.  In ancient times, Slavs would worship this prodigious plant as a goddess, thinking that it had the power to repel evil spirits and grant wishes. As time progressed birches became a common theme in traditional Russian culture, featured in everything from novels to folklore. Birch sandals were all the rage before society discovered the mystical flip-flop-foam plant, and (no surprise here) many Russians even attempted to drink the birch juices in search of its supposedly famed healing properties.

In a thought-provoking number scheme, approximately 1/4 of Russia is covered by trees – trees which collectively make up about 22% of all the trees in the world. A quarter of Russia, a quarter of the world… Scary. This number is almost twice as much as the second most forested country, Brazil.

But 22% of the world’s trees can’t all be birches – and indeed Russia is home to a number of other little arbors. In fact, Sochi’s palm trees were a common topic of conversation during this year’s Winter Olympics, because it seems absolutely absurd that such a tropical plant could survive in the frigid Russian environment. Again, people… *insert heavy accent here* In Soviet Russia, palm trees like snow.

Whether it be a birch, a palm, or some other plant, the things that I'm reading seem to suggest that Russians place much more emphasis on respecting, and benefiting from, nature than a number of other cultures. One article said something that I love: “If you see a Russian tenderly hugging a birch, do not be worried; there is no need to call an ambulance. Sometimes a tree can be much more healing than the best doctors.” A good thing to keep in mind, now that Florida is finally warming up.

Chillin' with the palms in Sochi

http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/10-bizarre-facts-about-russia-you-did-not-know-slideshow/

http://okmagazine.com/get-scoop/6-surprising-facts-about-sochi-russia-home-of-the-2014-winter-olympics/

http://www.otherpress.com/books/russians-love-birch-trees/

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_country_has_the_most_trees_in_the_world?#slide=1

http://rt.com/news/prime-time/birch-tree-juice-dance/

Kizhi Pogost

Kizhi pogost is a historical site, made back in the 17th century on Kizhi island. The island is located on Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia. The pogost itself consists of 3 buildings: two large wooden churches-- the transfiguration church and the intercession church-- and a bell tower. The transfiguration church has 22 domes on the top, whereas the intercession church has 9. It's pretty obvious which one is which by looking at the picture of the 3 buildings. The Intercession church was the first on the island after a fire destroyed all the churches on the island in the late 17th century. All 3 buildings are built entirely out of wood and with no nails. 

An up close look at the domes of the Transfiguration Church.

Anna Pavlova – Innovator of Modern Point Shoe

Anna Pavlova was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev. Pavlova is most recognized for the creation of the role The Dying Swan and, with her own company, became the first ballerina to tour ballet around the world.

Anna Pavlova was born on January 31, 1881 in Ligovo, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Pavlova's passion for the art of ballet was ignited when her mother took her to a performance of Marius Petipa's original production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Imperial Maryinsky Theater. She was not accepted to ballet school until the age of 10 because she was tall and “sickly” looking. She struggled to learn the art of ballet because she had severely arched feet, thin ankles and long, thin legs. She graduated in 1899 at age 18 and became part of the Imperial Ballet. Her dancing paid little heed to academic rules: she frequently performed with bent knees, bad turnout, misplaced port de bras and incorrectly placed tours. Critics compared her to the romantic ballerinas of old time.

Her ankles were weaker than most ballerinas and her feet were extremely rigid, so she strengthened her pointe shoe by adding a piece of hard wood on the soles for support and curving the box of the shoe. At the time, many considered this "cheating", for a ballerina of the era was taught that she, not her shoes, must hold her weight en pointe. In Pavlova's case this was extremely difficult, as the shape of her feet required her to balance her weight on her little toes. Her solution became, over time, the precursor of the modern pointe shoe, as pointe work became less painful and easier for curved feet. With these newly revised pointe shoes, Pavlova created her most famous role as the Dying Swan. Pavlova passed away on January 23, 1931 after refusing to have an operation for pneumonia when the doctors told her she would never dance again.

Russia Confronts Islamic Extremism

On April 26, 2013, Russian authorities arrested 140 people at a Moscow mosque on suspicions of involvement with Islamic extremism.  Apparently the mosque has in the past been visited by Islamic extremists who have been connected with terrorist attacks.  Within the past decade alone, two attacks have been associated with Islamic extremists from the Caucasus.  The first, in 2004, involved the slaying of 330 innocent people at a school.  The second, in 2011, was a bombing of Russia's busiest airport, which killed 36.  Compounded with this growth in Islamic fundamentalism and the recent Boston bombings associated with two supposed Islamic extremists from Chechen, this seems to indicate a growing religious tension in Russia, which for centuries has maintained a strong connection between the Russian government and Russian Orthodox Christianity.  Whether or not these 140 arrests reflects a legitimate threat or the Russian authorities irrational fear of Islam remains to be seen.  It could be that Russian authorities have thwarted a diabolical terrorist plot. More likely, in my opinion, is that Russian authorities have arrested more innocent (though perhaps misguided) people than would-be terrorists, regardless of the supposedly rising Islamic extremism in Russia.