Vowel breaking in Russian

[Jules Levin]

If you start from the phonological level, and assume 5 vowels (with 
whatever 'yes, buts' you want to throw in), and consonants that are 
either palatalized OR labialized/velarized, then all the 
diphthongal/diphthongoidal/diphthongish phenomena can be understood as 
transitions.  When under emphasis a vowel is prolongued for dramatic 
effect, those transitions become more audible, even to naive listeners.  
They also clearly show up on sound spectrographs.
The n'ea is probably the vowel /e/ heading toward a velarized /t/ that 
is then elided.
Jules Levin
Los Angeles

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