Is life in Russia about to change today?

No, I get it so first, let me apologize for any of my comments that you felt were offensive. They certainly were not meant to be. I try to always keep emotions out of my posts because, in all honesty, it doesn't help one's explanation (works against it), doesn't support one's reasoning and certainly adds nothing of value to the discussion. It never helps in any way.

"I have an extreme dislike and distrust of the present US government, its employees, their claimed, frequently abused authority over me...."
Until quite recently, this would describe most of us here; however, most now are quite pleased with our current Administration. This is not to say we trust it, oh no - that ship sailed long ago, more so, most have taken a 'wait and see' approach because in one way or another we have all been abused by it these past decades.

While this administration is definitely not perfect, it seems to be trying to actually improve things, instead of just kicking the can, the real problems, down the road. It's definitely not perfect but a huge improvement, a step in the right direction. My question is being a Republic, things change very slow, will these changes come fast enough to save the nation and can they continue to change for the better. Personally, I think not...but that is a different topic.

"Maybe I should avoid political discussions, as those are always extremely volatile"
Possibly. The thing I always remind myself is that most here are grown adults, probably in the 50+ age group. As such, life's experiences have shaped them and their decisions, and you really can't change their minds. What you can do, is by showing your own reasoning and logic, how you came to your own decision and give them other data that they might not have considered in their decision. This could alter their viewpoint or even change it, but they change it, not you. They can either respect your opinion and possibly use part or all of it and reconsider their reasoning or disregard it.

Take religion. Religion is a very sensitive subject, more to some than others, as a large portion is built on "faith." I come from an engineering background, yet I find it difficult to logically explain my strong faith in God. I believe and for me, that's enough, not everything is black and white, it seldom is, and besides, maybe we don't have all the data...just like many political topics we discuss here. We certainly do not know the complete story, only what we have access to, what they give us, and politics and history are never just black and white - never (I think that is why I love history so much). I have always thought Napoleon's quote capture's this quite well, "History is a set of lies agreed upon," because not all history is lies but it's sure not all true either.

Anyway, understand nobody here is against you personally. We might be against, dislike or question your opinion on a topic but you damn well have a right to it and as a believer in our Constitution I would defend that right as would most here. If someone wants to believe the world is flat - okay - but it's fair to ask, how do they explain this, that, or etc. which explains my belief the world is round... Another approach to political or sensitive topics is "He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument" when you find yourself leaning to 'personal attacks' - well - time to regroup, take a breath and think.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about it, most here are thick skinned, sometimes too thick! LOL! and many of us have had an incident of frustration and "let slip the dogs of war" - hell - you never had a discussion with 'Chelloveck!' That would make you grind your teeth and run to fetch your battleaxe! LOL!