This year's most expensive theatre production took place last week. Millions of Russians (and some Ukrainians, at gunpoint) played voters.
A host of Putin's cronies embodied democratically elected politicians. The props team did excellent work: ballot papers, boxes, and TV debates (although some actors missed their cues).
Reading the headlines, one could get the false impression that Russia was experiencing a sudden democratic turn. The word "election" dominates, while most outlets eventually