A strange, unprecedented silence fell upon the class as I explained the basics of Luther's 95 Theses.

We had just been chatting about this and that when I realized that only one student had any clue about the Protestant Reformation. So I started talking about the basics. Religious freedom, the printing press, pilgrims, this and that.

They were mesmerized! I have never seen such a quiet and attentive group of Russian students! I guess maybe they don't bother to teach this stuff, maybe because mother Rus' checked out of Western Christianity back in 1054?