There is no word in Russian for "mercy".
Holy smoke, guys, don't you recognize sarcasm?
What I meant is simply that Russian history is fairly well devoid of the application of merciful methods to solving political problems. Stalin and Ivan the Terrible are, alas more typical of Russian rulers than we would like to think. Cruelty is an ancient and venerated Russian tradition.
http://www.habitablezone.com/currentevents/messages/341784.html