Russia’s ‘managed democracy’, with the all-powerful president, Vladimir Putin, dominating an allegedly emasculated parliament and obsequious media, and overriding the rule of law, has come in for a lot of criticism in the West. The controversial punishment meted out to punk group Pussy Riot; the introduction of a ban on the ‘promotion of non-traditional sexual relations’; and the all-too-palpable presence of the security services - it all creates the impression of an oppressed nation.

But is this view fair? Many polls continue to suggest that the majority of Russians support government policies. A slim metropolitan stratum may actively resent the illiberalism of Putin’s regime, but civil unrest is minimal, and political opposition to the status quo has consistently failed to gain popular support. Why is this? Some suggest that since Putin’s rise at the turn of the millennium, Russia has got rich, and health, education and security have all improved considerably: is this the price Russians are willing to pay for a lack of democratic accountability? Others suggest political and social life in Russia is determined by something unique to the Russian soil, something inherent in the national character. Polling by the Levada Center has even suggested that, from Ivan the Terrible to Joseph Stalin, the Russians have always gravitated towards a ‘vozhd’ - a chief. But is it really possible to view an entire people as destined for a form of dictatorship? Are there not other reasons - historical, economic and cultural - for the way Russia is now?

And what of the role of the West? Economic relations may be tight, given Western reliance on Russian gas and oil supplies, but political relations are at an all-time low, with Moscow frequently accusing the West of meddling in its internal affairs – and many Western campaigners planning to use the Winter Olympics in Sochi next year to highlight human rights abuses. So does the Russian government have a point? Does the West have a tendency to treat Russia not as an equal, but as a bad guy? And, if so, is it justified?