A quote from Tsar Nicholas I about the state of Russia in 1855, with a question prompt that students can either discuss or write about or both. Suitable for use as a discussion starter, either as a whole class activity or in small groups. Alternatively, the quote and question could be used as the basis for an in-class or homework writing assignment. A SmartBoard Notebook file that is easily convertible to PDF if you choose to use it as a handout.