The author focuses on the fall of the Soviet-union and the emergence of a new-born Russia. What I found most interesting about this article is was the idea of the importance of language in unified states. In particular, the role that educational systems in a new born state plays in the cultivation of new states. That role ranges from creating a unified language to creating a shared national identity that can transcend through many cultures and differing ethnicity. He stated, “the educational system and the nation-state are strictly interdependent: once cannot exist without another” (75). The extreme heterogeneity of post-soviet Russia only furthered the ethnic division, which Kolossov points out as being one of the highest reasons for conflict within an emerging nation-state. The Russian population’s lack of ability to identify with the country they live in was counteractive to the emergence of the new-born state, but states the importance of civic and ethnic identity to people. The author’s point is that how people view their civil and ethnic identities had profound effects on the post-Soviet state of Russia. These identities and how people view them set the political goals of Russia, whether that hinders or advances them, the studies show that ethnic identity is a primary concern that shapes the political views within Russia.