Russia is not a democracy; in fact, many countries that are considered dictatorships are closer to democracy than Russia. In Russia essentially one man has been ruling the country for 15 years by now and doesn't seem to be going to step away. Look at the map here: http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/de...reedom2014.pdf
Russia is among the third of the most non-free countries. Also look at the freedom press rankings:
http://freedomhouse.org/report/freed...s#.VCDJfvldXBo
Russia is #176 out of 197. Such countries as Kongo (Kinshasa), Rwanda, CAR, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Burma, Iraq and Afghanistan have a more free press than Russia.
Putin is as much a "good guy" as Hitler who also stood up for his country in harder times - and you know how that ended up. Would you like to have to fight in WW3 now against this cool guy?
Are you freaking serious? Medvedev is Putin's toe on his left foot, and people voted for him because he promised continuation of Putin's course - and even then he made no secret that the next president would again be Putin, and Putin during Medvedev's presidency was prime minister, the second most influential person in Russian politics. They are both leading Edinaya Rossia, analogue of Communist Party of the USSR and the only party in Russia that has a real power.
Just stop spreading false rumors. Even every non-Russian knows well that Medvedev was a joke, and what followed after his stepping down was a rape of the constitution.