We all remember that once upon a time Bush-the-younger gazed into the Vladimir Putin’s soul and saw a democrat. Joe Biden, on the contrary, saw three letters in Putin’s eyes – KGB. Schroeder, being chancellor of Germany, called Putin a «dyed-in-the-wool democrat». Just a few years ago, the inhabitants of Vladivostok came out to demonstrate against a tariff increase on imported Japanese cars, carried posters bearing the slogan «Putler – kaput».  At first the police started arresting those carrying the posters, but then later they gave up and let them go as it was not comprehensible to everybody just who this “Mr. Putler” was.

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Today in Russia an ever greater number of people are beginning to see the light in relation to Putin. This gradual change of perspective is not only observed in the polls, but also in the Russian blogosphere – a sensitive barometer of the mood in the masses.

“Putin – a complete lawlessnik [bespredel’shchik]. He already doesn’t understand what craziness he’s doing. In my opinion, he’s lost his mind». This is the opinion of the well-known Russian actress Natalia Fateyeva. Her opinion was prompted following the beginning of the reading of the guilty verdict for Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev by Khamovnichesky Court Judge Viktor Danilkin. And several days prior to this Putin had publicly expressed himself about the same thing: that guilt has been proven in court and that «a thief must sit» [behind bars].