I may be wrong, but my impression is that the Russian mentality is that they will ask for your papers not because you're suspicious, but just because they can make you comply. We get some of that here, but it's pervasive in Russia, in a way that had nothing to do with Bolshevism.
Quite possibly, in Russia. But this was a request made to our FBI, whom they can’t in any way ‘make comply’ - and have no reason to forward such a request to, unless there is a genuine security concern (to themselves, possibly, as much as to us) behind it.
On a side-note, while I partially agree with the gist of what you say re Russian mentality of ‘asking for papers because just they can make you comply’ (though that comment isn’t really relevant to what I wrote) - it’s worth mentioning that I spent 3 years living and working in Russia. On not one single occasion (and this includes travelling the entire length of the country from Moscow to Vladivostok both by train, many times, and once by car) was I ever stopped by the police / law enforcement or asked to show my papers or passport, except when entering or exiting the country at an airport or international border.
Nor was this because I’m obviously a ‘foreigner’ in Russia and was treated differently for that reason - I’m not sure anyone could tell I’m not Russian just by looking at me, and I can speak good enough Russian not to need to communicate in English when I’m travelling there.
Not sure I can say the same about the last 3 years I was continuously in the US.... ;)