Contrast
Not to unduly romanticise history (life in Russia has always been hard) but the difference between these two images I’ve seen in the past couple of days, of St Vladimir (today is his Orthodox feast-day: съ праздникомъ!) in an idealised painting of a Catholic ruler (which in many ways was true: his conversion was just that in that he changed radically, trying to commit to peace and nonviolence) and of this confused Russian girl today (‘McBain to base: under attack by Commie-Nazis!’), says something.