of this piece, one Dalyta derVartanyan (a Princess, of her tribe.. I was told.)
She married a physicist I knew, (one whose social graces reminded me of a character in Breakfast at Tiffany's--the geekish '2nd-richest guy' Ms. Golightly was then pursuing.)
(Irrelevant to This 'Vartanyan' ... but I always look for synchroniciity, though--what else is 'memory' good for?)

There aren't enough hours/day for me to make substantial use of the cornucopia of info within The Times--so Thanks for culling this one.
(I met, chatted with one of your ex-Pats way-back--Cinco de Mayo celebration, IIRC. He corrected my impoverished elocution of my fav Russki saying, re. Kapitalichiiskaya.. Cousin?)

I derive from this (artfully concise) article that, much as in the dis-USA, the mythos of Capitalism is in danger of corrupting itsy-South Ossetia, as it has Putin's Russia.
That assumption leads to the obvious: unless/until both S.O. and Russia supersede un-regulated US-vulture-Kapitalismo, re. their social-financial principles:
Nothing useful will be buildable-upon. In either country.

Dunno the Russian word for corruption, but the piece illustrates how it cancels-out even the most sincere offers/actions of assistance.
Just like Here.

One can only empathize with the denizens of both, currently mis-guided 'Nations'. We are such babies, despite all that (unread) History.
{{sigh}}