In older ages human rulers have had the tendency to be deified, and they basked in it, many people can still relate. In such isolation these nationals remain interconnected even through the generations. To me it looks like a subtle realm stillness in time.

There are other nations in similar situations, such as North Korea and Myanmar. Belarus seems to be almost regressing into a station of the past. China since long ago opened up after the times of the wall of china, but that closing can still be felt. 

From closed in and walled up nations, the world populations have progressed to be what was recently called a global village, and now through the World Wide Web. And for good or bad they are not part of it, they are in psychosocial silos. Interesting situations.