Excellent piece Noah -- sure much history, mystery and myth -- but unbeknownst to the illusionists we live in the twenty first century. Ukraine is now subject to a would be modern day czar's vanity -- living in a fantasy of out-moded ideas - and probably closer to a Mafia don or nazi boss than a czar. All that said, it is great to get the history, which I thank you for. Russia has so many losers [to their past and present masters - they are easily riled]. Hopefully the internet and modernity [in the west] straightens out their misguided and manipulated thinking!