Birobizhan was the "Jewish Autonomous Region" created by Stalin so that the Jews could have a "homeland" and not want to emigrate to some non-Communist place. Most of the Jews who ended up there wanted to be someplace else.
Birobizhan is enjoying a Jewish religious revival but for a very long time it was really the last place you could find Judiasm or Jews.
Declining population, crumbling infrastructure, corrupt business climate, inept spook government. Can another new missle test demonstrating Pootie's "strength" be far behind?