Yeltsin’s main dilemma throughout his entire administration was just how far he was willing to violate democracy in order to save it. In fall 1993, the Supreme Soviet—the parliament, which was still full of ex-Soviet apparatchiks—had blocked his reforms and called on federal regions to rebel. Yeltsin disbanded the legislature and sent tanks to smoke out the deputies who barricaded themselves inside; 140 died in the melee. It was a tough choice, but the alternative had seemed worse: total economic collapse and political implosion.

The Communists did not quit. As Yeltsin’s presidential term continued, he was opposed once again by a newly elected hostile parliament, the Duma, where the tone was set by Communists as well as the neo-fascist party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who openly advocated an authoritarian model of government.

—Alexander Goldfarb, Death of a Dissident, (New York: Free Press, 2007), 33.

Melania is from Sevnica, about 5km west of here

This morning the car ahead of me rapidly slowed way down, so I followed suit. There were four cows on the left side of the road, and while no zebra stripe crossing is visible, the cows obviously intended to cross. The guy ahead of me slowly went ahead and the first cow proceeded across the road. The cars all stopped. The first cow having crossed, the others followed, one by one. Now understand there is no milkmaid around, no farm dog herding the cows, just cows.