“The prevailing doom and gloom analysis of Russia tends to ignore the enormous progress the country and society have made in the past 30 years. The greatest paradox of Putin's regime lies in the fact that despite deteriorating politics, the cultural and social tectonics went in the opposite direction from the political regime. Simply put, Russia has never in the last 100 years been as westernised and modernised as it is now. It is true that without rampant corruption and with more prudent handling of oil and gas revenues, Russians could live infinitely better than they are living now. But the standard of living is comparable to that in poorer European Union countries and is still the best in the lived experience of Russians of all ages.”

by: Leonid Ragozin