After the May 7 inauguration of Vladimir Putin, the re-elected Russian president rapidly began taking revenge on those who caused him anxiety from December to March. Of late, he and his henchmen have demonstrated a sharp stance against dissent and opposition in general.
A law introducing high fines for practically any public action directed against the "power" was quickly put in place, the OMON (special detachments of the police) are flexing their muscles and tuning up the engines of their avtozaks (new armored cars for carrying prisoners). Society is going through a vacation period while people look forward to autumn, with its revival of political life, and new confrontations that are certainly in store.
As a rule, August is a tough month for Russia. Many grave events have happened during this month (the 1991 putsch, the 1998 financial default, the 2008 war against Georgia, to name a few).