How Vladimir Putin is preparing Russia for permanent war

The Kremlin works tirelessly to create the impression that Russia is a beacon of stability and strength, and that people are fervently devoted to their leader, Vladimir Putin; but behind the facade, one finds disillusion, despair, fear, and rage

As in any dictatorship, the more problems Vladimir Putin’s regime has, the louder the propaganda. Photo: Anton Vaganov

In the late 18th century, Catherine the Great planned a tour of Crimea, which her court favourite, Count Grigory Potemkin, had conquered a few years earlier. 

But while Potemkin had managed to seize the agriculturally rich peninsula from the Ottoman Empire, he had failed to achieve the promised colonisation.