[John_Chrichton]

(I just came back from PT so I figured I could add my $0.0000002 to the discussion.)

Having been born in Russia, I would say that kgoerz and PRB are completely correct. Russia is a state comprised of what is probably thousands of ethnicities. Its citizens practice all of the world's major religions. This tension and violence is certainly nothing new. Just look at the events in Nagorno-Karabakh in the waning days of the Soviet Union. Economic collapse exacerbates ethnic divisions and drives people to violence. This has been made especially severe by the waves of immigrants from Central Asia. Russians are now competing for resources with these alien newcomers.

In my view, the Russian government's reliance on exports of natural resources has cannibalized other sectors of the economy. Many people who were formerly employed by the planned economy of the USSR are now either under- or un-employed. Many more are employed outside of their former professions and educations (former university professors selling vegetables on the street). At the same time, economic collapse in the former satellite states has driven hundreds of thousands into Russia looking for work. These factors have converged into a huge volatile mess.

In my view, if Russia continues to be a country that relies on natural resources for economic growth, without real democracy (yes I know Russia has never really had real democracy), then it will cease to exist as a state.