[sheik yerbouty]

What you say regarding Russia proper seems to be the case. The real problems were in the Pale of Settlement.

[Destro]

The pale of Settlement is actually nothing new. People and tribes have been restricted and moved about inside empires since Bronze age.

The Pale of Settlement is neither unique or anti-semetic. Especially when you consider 99% of Russians were Serfs bound to their village for life. Everyone in that time was bound to areas of some knd - Jew and Gentile both.