“Their voices are hollow, primitive. The women have Chuvash and Mordvinian faces; and the men have criminal features that make them look like a matched set. Some seem to have come right from Sakhalin.The Romans used to brand the faces of their prisoners with the words: “Cave furem” [Beware of the Thief]. But these Russian faces need nothing; they show it all without any branding.” (Ivan Bunin, Cursed Days)
You may want to read the Volga Finns article in this regard.
And the one with a Yale Professor quotes in it.
