Vigorous intervention by the government, including large cash injections to the miners, convinced protesters to temporarily lift the railway blockade. As the mountain of wage arrears grows, government spending dwindles and the economy shrinks, the threat of working class explosion looms over Russia. There are many flash points in our society, and all of them are going critical at once. In many regions of this country the situation is dramatically close to social breakdown. Serious labour upheavals in the coming months are inevitable.
Mass revolt is a distinct possibility.