Putin fancy’s himself as the next Stalin or Lenin.
Russia was better off being ruled by Tzars.
At least being ruled by a monarchy, the average Russian peasant had the illusion of freedom.
With communisim, no such illusion existed. Equal misery, and equal suffering, with the politburo ruling with an iron fist is the fate of the average Russian if they keep backing Putin and his communist ilk.
He, actually, since 1861 and till 1917, had actual freedom given him by the Czar. Unlike the Communists that starved them and machine-gunned them if they rebelled.