RedFox, thanks for the translations, it helped me.

I feel a sort of resignation about Democracy in general and I think the notion that Western countries have a lot to teach Russia about it, is wrong. Democracy is stagnating across Europe, it's nothing special for Russia.

What is the ideal that you are comparing Russia's democracy with? Is it the USA? or somewhere else? If so, do you really perceive this other country you are comparing with as an ideal - and are Russia's circumstances comparable?

When democracy evolved in Greece, it was practiced in small city states. Only male, educated, free men could participate in elections. So it's a bit of a matter of interpretation, how "democratic" it really was. People without property, slaves, women - the majority of society, could not participate in the democracy.

Another thing to bear in mind; on the small scale of the Greek city states, race, religion, language, ethnicity was the same for everyone. That is not the case in large countries where people tend to vote depending on one or more of these factors. Russia has all of these factors playing in.

People VOTED Hitler into power in a democratic country. Fascism is always around to take advantage of people's lowest instincts when times are tough. Right wing parties are doing really well in many countries in Europe at the moment.

And take the USA which likes to put itself forward as the greatest modern democracy. It has elections, but the two parties are almost identical in their ideology. There is no ideological alternative to vote for.

The golden days of democracy are over. Corporations and elites have now learned how to manipulate democracies in the direction that suits them. Take one look at Europe, the USA, and Middle East for starters, and you couldn't but help to see what I mean. People who are working class are easily manipulated by ads/propganda/slogans ahead of elections. The elected officials are subject to multimillion dollar campaigns to go against what's good for the public and support the corporations's agenda. Many cannot resist.

I remember thinking ca 1990 about Russians, they they sold out all the ideals and everything they had tried to create - for a pair of Levis', a hamburger and a cheap holiday abroad. But then, more importantly, for the possibility of Western democracy.

Well - I think you got what you wanted, and unfortunately, this is as good as it gets!
If not, which country has the successful democracy that you are aspiring to?

The living standard in Russia continues to rise and you have personal liberty to the extent that financial circumstances allow it. In Europe and the USA freedom and liberty is decreasing, people are getting poorer and democracy is increasingly hollowed out.

When Putin retires, things sill probably change if nothing else.