Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Dmitry Gubinn
[Regnum] 160 years ago, on November 4, 1866, diplomat, traveler, and infantry general Nikolai Muravyov died surrounded by honor and respect at his estate in the Zadonsk district of the Voronezh province. During the Crimean War, he was given the addition of Karsky to his surname for the capture of the Turkish fortress of Kars, which was one of the decisive victories in an otherwise lost campaign. Only later did it become known that the hero miraculously avoided ending up "in the depths of the Siberian mines."
When mentioning the noble family of Muravyov, the Decembrists most often come to mind: one of the leaders of the conspiracy (and one of the five executed instigators of the rebellion) Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, his brothers Ippolit and Matvey.
Only secondarily do the other three brothers come to mind: the eldest, also a Decembrist, Alexander Muravyov, the middle one, our hero, Nikolai Muravyov-Karsky, and the youngest, Mikhail Muravyov-Vilensky, who went down in history as the suppressor of the Polish uprising of 1863.
But all these historical figures—both the Muravyov-Apostols and the "simply" Muravyovs (with "geographical" additions)—were related. Members of this ancient and extensive family, from the time of Ivan III, served the Grand Dukes of Moscow, the Tsars, and then the Emperors of All Russia.
The exception was the generation of Muravyovs who first distinguished themselves in the war with Bonaparte, and then themselves became victims of Napoleonic ambitions.
PRESIDENT OF CHOCA ISLAND
The future conqueror of Kars, Nikolai Muravyov, a military man of hereditary descent, had been mulling grandiose plans since his teenage years. In 1810, 16-year-old Nikolai, then still a student at the "school of column leaders" (cadets trained to serve in the imperial retinue), was elected... president. More precisely, president of a secret society.
Nicholas recruited his peers and relatives to the conspiracy. The group included relatives Matvey Muravyov-Apostol (one of the organizers of the Chernigov Regiment uprising) and Artamon Muravyov (also a participant in the rebellion, accused of attempted regicide).
The Perovsky brothers joined the Muravyov youth group. A very different fate awaited them.
The elder Perovsky, Lev, later became head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs under Nicholas I and a close confidant of the conservative tsar. The younger Vasily went down in history as the conqueror of Central Asia. And their great-niece, Sofya Perovskaya, became one of the leaders of the terrorist "Narodnaya Volya" (People's Will) and organized the assassination of Tsar Alexander II.
But in 1810, the future rebels and the servants of the throne were in the same company under the leadership of "President" Nikolai Muravyov, and they were hatching frankly fantastical plans. Muravyov-Karsky himself, in his memoirs written in his old age, confessed to a youthful sin: having read Jean-Jacques Rousseau, he proposed to his comrades "to retire in five years to some island inhabited by savages, take with us reliable comrades, educate the island's inhabitants, and form a new republic, for which my comrades pledged to be my assistants."
The young men had obviously read some popular literature describing Masonic mysteries, so they had developed “symbols for recognizing each other when they met.”
"It was necessary to grasp the neck with the right hand and stamp the foot; then, having shaken the hand of a comrade, to press the palm with the middle finger and to whisper the word ‘Choka’ into each other's ears. The word ‘Choka’ meant Sakhalin."
It was this island that Lev Perovsky, the future head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, suggested as a possible location for the republic. However, the secret society had to be shut down in 1811 when Nikolai Muravyov was called to serve in the retinue of Alexander I.
CONSPIRACY ON DIRTY STREET
During the war of 1812, the “suite officer” performed a heroic deed on the Borodino field, and then served under General Mikhail Miloradovich (the same one who would be killed by a Decembrist bullet on Senate Square).
During the Battle of Berezina, Nikolai Muravyov was remembered for building a bridge, where he and the lower ranks hauled and tied logs. He then participated in the Russian army's foreign campaigns until the capture of Paris.
In 1814, upon returning home, he served for a time at the General Staff, leading a double life. He joined a far more serious organization than Choka—the Sacred Artel, led by his older brother, Alexander Muravyov.
A secret circle of military officers and young intellectuals gathered in the house of General Khristovskaya on Gryaznaya Street.
Three graduates of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, friends of Alexander Pushkin — Wilhelm Küchelbecker, Ivan Pushchin, and Anton Delvig — participated in the discussion and condemnation of the "scourges of the fatherland." Two of them, Pushchin and Küchelbecker, became active participants in the uprising on Senate Square.
When the statute of limitations on the case of the rebellion expired, one of the main conspirators, Prince Sergei Trubetskoy (the "dictator of the uprising" in St. Petersburg), let it slip.
According to him, the brilliant officer Nikolai Muravyov was not only a member of the relatively harmless "Artel", but also, apparently, of the "Union of Salvation".
These were already the organizers of the anti-government conspiracy. This theory is supported by the fact that the initiator of the creation of the "Union of Salvation" was Alexander Muravyov, Nikolai's older brother.
In 1819, Alexander abandoned the conspirators and did not participate in the Senate Square uprising, but he paid the price for his "theoretical" preparations for the rebellion. In 1826, he was arrested and exiled to Eastern Siberia. However, he was not stripped of his ranks or his noble title. And—in what shatters the notion of "Nicholas I's cruelties"—in 1828, he was not only pardoned but appointed mayor of Irkutsk. Alexander Muravyov subsequently served as governor of Tobolsk, Arkhangelsk, and Nizhny Novgorod.
OUR MAN IN PERSIA
But his younger brother Nikolai, a more ardent and imaginative man, might well have been among those who came out into the square on December 25, 1825.
Nikolai Muravyov's fiery temper is evident in his marriage. He attempted to woo a distant relative, the daughter of Admiral Nikolai Mordvinov (incidentally, an explorer of that same Sakhalin and Kondraty Ryleyev's boss in the Russo-American Company). The admiral flatly refused. Muravyov later recalled:
"The thought of shooting myself crossed my mind. I wanted to disappear, to leave my homeland forever. I thought about hiding in America; and since I didn't have the means to undertake this journey, I considered becoming a simple worker or a sailor in the spring."
But Nikolai Muravyov did not become an American, just as he did not become a Decembrist.
He was saved by the fact that he had already left for service in the Caucasus in 1816. Only later historians discovered that he was an undisclosed conspirator.
Captain Muravyov served under the renowned Alexander Yermolov. Nikolai Nikolayevich himself reflected on this period of his life: "I work and strive to improve myself; I see my shortcomings, I test myself." Among other things, he shed his liberal and "Jacobin" dreams. Yermolov, ever-demanding of his subordinates, trusted Muravyov so much that he included him in his embassy to the Shah of Persia.
On the way to Tabriz, Muravyov described and sketched architectural monuments in detail and created graphic reports together with cartographers.
His detailed accounts of this journey have survived, including descriptions of Echmiadzin, Nakhichevan with its filthy baths, and Tabriz. Muravyov distinguished himself not only as an orientalist and geographer, but also as an intelligence officer: neither the state of the Persian army nor the personal qualities of the ruling Qajar dynasty escaped his keen eye.
It's no surprise that in 1819, Yermolov sent Muravyov on another journey—this time to Turkmenistan and the Khiva Khanate. Here, too, he left detailed travel notes. Before going to Khiva, according to Muravyov, "he had to first establish contacts with the Turkmen, a nomadic people <…> and historically irreconcilable in their hostility to the Persians." After completing a dangerous journey, Nikolai Nikolaevich was received by the khan. For his mission in the East, he was promoted to colonel.
And thanks to the notes published in 1822 – already “for general use” – the reader was able to become acquainted with descriptions of the Kara-Kum desert and Khiva.
THE EMPEROR'S RESOLUTION
It was the regiment's location in the Caucasus, far from the turbulent events, that provided him with an alibi during the investigation of his former comrades, the Decembrists. But he also faced bullets. During the 1828 war with the Ottomans, 33-year-old General Muravyov captured the strategically important fortress of Kars for the first time in his career. He accomplished this feat without the prior permission of the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich.
"Instead of the gratitude I expected from my superiors for successfully constructing and holding the battery for four hours under the heaviest fire, he vented his anger on me," Muravyov complained in his memoirs. But Paskevich rose above his initial impulse and nominated Muravyov for the Order of St. George, 4th degree.
There were several more successful battles later, but, alas, as a result of the peace treaty, Kars had to be returned to the Ottoman Sultan.
In 1831, former conspirator Nikolai Nikolaevich Muravyov was more than successful in suppressing the Polish insurgency. His grenadier brigade "covered itself in unfading glory and particularly distinguished itself during the storming of Warsaw."
32 years later, his brother Mikhail Nikolaevich would have to face the next Polish uprising of 1863, when he, the Vilnius Governor-General, would have to take on the task of restoring order in the rebellious provinces.
In 1834, Nikolai Muravyov submitted a memorandum to Nicholas I, "On the Causes of Escapes and the Means of Correcting Deficiencies in the Army." The experienced military leader drew Nicholas I's attention to everyday problems both vertically (relationships between superiors and subordinates) and horizontally (officer transfers from unit to unit). The emperor made numerous notes in the margins and wrote a resolution: "Fair enough."
At the end of 1854, Muravyov was appointed viceroy of the Caucasus and, accordingly, commander of the front in the war, which in Europe was called the Eastern War, and in our country the Crimean War.
The defense of Sevastopol against superior Anglo-French-Turkish forces was an example of heroism. But the Russian troops' actions in the Caucasus against the Turks were also successful. The siege of Kars ended with the fall of the fortress on November 16 (28), 1855—thanks precisely to Nikolai Muravyov, who henceforth became Muravyov-Karsky and was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd Class.
Bidding farewell to the troops, Muravyov emphasized in his order that he "always recognized" soldiers as " one of the finest adornments and hopes of our beloved Fatherland." He became a loyal servant almost by accident.
Posted by: badanov ||
11/05/2026 00:00 ||
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[Ilana Mercer] FOR THE LUCKY ONES, "Black October," the PHP code vulnerability that roiled cyberspace, might have begun with a slightly urgent tone in the otherwise scrupulous calm of a software engineer.
He or she would have sternly directed the fortunate individual, whose online universe they oversee, to a likewise careful, managed web-hosting service. There, the cybersecurity expert coders would have already implemented "the fix"—and would be hard at work fencing vulnerable websites in their charge. We hope.
The story would later go around that the vulnerability of PHP, a "general-purpose scripting language geared toward web development," is a feature of 70 percent of websites worldwide. (The last word is probably a redundancy, but it works to stress the point.) That’s just how pervasive PHP is. If not patched, its vulnerability would allow unauthorized access to countless web systems.
Originally created by a Danish-Canadian, PHP was later "parsed" along the way, whatever than means in computer jargon, by two Israeli programmers. Since the word "paranoia" implies irrational distrust; feel free to come up with a better descriptor of my febrile thinking as to anything Israelis unleash on the world—no matter how long ago the Israeli segment of the PHP code was abandoned and ceased to be supported.
Reasonably or unreasonably, the PHP digital drama soon led to the question of AI (Artificial Intelligence) "run amok," a risk that PHP software developers had deemed positively esoteric, before AI accelerated that risk.
Experts worried, reported the capable Krystal Ball, that this particular fix ("a patch"), just by way of an example, can be—promises to be—reverse engineered to hack, hack, hack. Scrupulously calm and understated herself, Ms. Ball is a former accountant with a degree in economics. She carries the Breaking Points podcast.
Consider: So munificent and beneficial an industry is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) or AI (Artificial Intelligence)—that you had better start defending against its onslaught, if you know what’s good for you. That’s yet another conclusion to draw from the PHP digital drama.
#1
I always hear about the coming AI, cyber holocausts - but, I see Western countries destroyed by Muslims/Leftists with an intelligence of a pack of rats.
[Jpost] Recent incidents illustrate how the collapse of the Assad regime has disrupted Hezbollah’s former Syrian operations and weapons corridors.
Syria’s new government has increasingly targeted Hezbollah-linked networks since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
In the latest raid, Syria’s General Intelligence Service said that it operated in coordination with the Internal Security Forces and "foiled a plot targeting the Homs refinery, arresting members of a cell affiliated with Hezbollah militia and seizing bombs prepared for the attack."
This is important and part of a pattern of Syrian security forces raids on Hezbollah operatives over the last few years. The recent raid "resulted in the arrest of the cell members involved and the seizure of explosives intended to target the refinery, according to the statement," Syrian state media said.
What we know about previous attempts by Syria to stop Hezbollah threats: Hezbollah backed the Assad regime for years, and the new government of Syria views Hezbollah as a threat. Note that Hezbollah intervened in Syria’s civil war in 2013 to support Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... , particularly around al-Qusayr, near the Lebanese border. Syria also provided a vital land route for Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah.
Under the new President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syrian security forces have sought to dismantle these networks, seize weapons shipments, and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing a presence inside Syria. The campaign has included arresting alleged Hezbollah operatives, operations against weapons smuggling, and festivities along the Lebanese border.
MAJOR HEZBOLLAH BUSTS BY SYRIA
The following are major Hezbollah operative busts from the last few years.
In February 2025, in the Damascus countryside, the Public Security Department said it had "apprehended groups engaged in smuggling and selling weapons to Lebanese Hezbollah in al-Qutayfah area of Damascus Countryside."
Next was an arrest in March 2025. Syria said it had launched a security operation in the Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... a Zaynab area of Damascus Countryside Governorate, targeting what it described as Hezbollah-linked cells planning criminal activities, SANA reported. Syria’s Ministry of Interior and the Damascus Countryside Security Directorate led the operation.
In September 2025, there was a raid in Sasa and Kanaker. Syrian authorities announced the arrest of a Hezbollah-linked cell allegedly trained in Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... . They seized 19 Grad rockets ...Soviet-developed 122-mm rockets, usually launched from trucks. Newer versions are reported to have a range of up to 30 km.... , anti-tank missiles, and launchers, al-Monitor reported at the time.
In February, another raid took place in Mezzeh, near Damascus. It is close to an important military airport. The Syrian government said it dismantled a cell that had fired rockets at the airport. Officials said the weapons originated with Hezbollah.
WEAPONS SHIPMENTS, EXPLOSIVES SEIZED, PLOTS UNCOVERED
In May, more operations against Hezbollah cells in multiple provinces took place. Syrian authorities announced via SANA that there had been coordinated arrests of an alleged Hezbollah cell accused of planning liquidations of bigwigs. Weapons, explosives, and surveillance equipment were found.
In July, shipments of weapons for Hezbollah were seized. The reports said that missiles, anti-tank weapons, and drones were found. The weapons were believed to be destined for Hezbollah.
Yesterday were the latest arrests of an alleged Hezbollah-linked cell accused of plotting attacks on the Homs refinery.
Together, these incidents illustrate how the collapse of the Assad regime has disrupted Hezbollah’s former Syrian operation and weapons corridors. The recurring arrests also illustrate the continued threat of Hezbollah.
It’s possible that for every arrest there are Hezbollah cells that continue to use Syrian territory to smuggle weapons. However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... the pressure from the Syrian government makes it harder for Hezbollah.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Arabic term meaning 
