From a reader:

K-Lo,Is anybody else moved by all the images of Boris Yeltsin lying in an Orthodox Cathedral surrounded by priests, with Russia’s leaders blessing themselves with heads bowed?  Would old Cold Warriors ever have believed it was possible?I realize Russia has a long climb back to a vibrant faith, but ritual moments are important.  God knows, they could use some hope.Solzhenitsyn has been crying for decades, to many people’s chagrin, that a happy future for Russia must include a return to Orthodoxy.Here’s hoping the Russians find the pearl that was viciously taken from them.