s ▁fort unes . ▁Form er ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁leader ▁Mik h ail ▁G orb ache v , ▁while ▁acknowled ging ▁the ▁fla wed ▁dem ocr atic ▁procedures ▁and ▁restrictions ▁on ▁media ▁freedom ▁during ▁the ▁Put in ▁presiden cy , ▁said ▁that ▁Put in ▁had ▁pulled ▁Russia ▁out ▁of ▁cha os ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Y el ts in ▁years , ▁and ▁that ▁Rus si ans ▁" must ▁remember ▁that ▁Put in ▁saved ▁Russia ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁collapse ." ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁opposition ▁politician ▁Bor is ▁Nem t so v ▁said ▁that ▁Put in ▁was ▁turning ▁Russia ▁into ▁a ▁" raw ▁materials ▁col ony " ▁of ▁China . ▁Che chen ▁Republic ▁head ▁and ▁Put in ▁supp orter , ▁Ram zan ▁K ady rov , ▁states ▁that ▁Put in ▁saved ▁both ▁the ▁Che chen ▁people ▁and ▁Russia . ▁ ▁Russia ▁has ▁suffered ▁dem ocr atic ▁back sl iding ▁during ▁Put in ' s ▁ten ure . ▁Fre edom ▁House ▁has ▁listed ▁Russia ▁as ▁being ▁" not ▁free " ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Exper ts ▁do ▁not ▁generally ▁consider ▁Russia ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁dem ocracy , ▁cit ing ▁p urg es ▁and ▁j ail ing ▁of ▁political ▁oppon ents , ▁cur ta iled ▁press ▁freedom , ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁free ▁and ▁fair ▁elections . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Fre edom ▁House ▁war ned ▁that ▁Russia ' s ▁" ret re at ▁from ▁freedom ▁marks ▁a ▁low ▁point ▁not ▁registered ▁since ▁ 1