Realized the other day that I've been subjected to years and years of propaganda about Russia and Putin. Even correcting for it a bit in my head, it still doesn't seem like an amazing place to live. But is it better or worse for the average Joe?
My impression is that its 2nd world. Lots of modern technology, but shitty and like 20 years behind. Not progressive in terms of LGBT or women's rights. Definitely not a democracy and basically run by plutocrats.
Anyone have personal experience there?
Yeah, that's BS. I know my home city's population has dropped somewhat since the fall of the USSR, but not by anything radical. What the authorities did was annex some suburbs/villages into the city so that its official population can still look big, they didn't invent millions of people.
There was also a leak of the local census, so you could buy a CD with every person's name and address, and the figures there matched the official ones IIRC. So there's that sort of government transparency.