Putin, Russians, Democracy, and Genetic Modification… How is Russian “Special” Democracy Different From That in Ukraine

Recently, the Kremlin declared that Russia would never adopt the Western block’s ideas about democracy. Instead, its leaders claimed that their population had developed their own “gene of democracy” that implies a different perception of the democratic process and, of course, a “better” vision of how democracy should function. This article explores this issue by juxtaposing the understanding of Ukrainians and Russians of what it means to be a democratic country.