Vladimir unbound

CHANTS of “Russia without Putin!” echoed through Moscow four years ago. Vladimir Putin’s choreographed return to the presidency and vote tampering in parliamentary elections brought thousands to the streets; his approval ratings fell to 63%. But after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, those ratings soared to nearly 90% and have not come back to earth since. Mr Putin became “a charismatic leader of the Promethean type: a demigod, a Titan, who brought the people fire,” says Valery Fedorov, head of the state-financed Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM). Even a recession, falling real wages and rampant inflation have barely dented Mr Putin’s numbers.