Salon: 10 disturbing facts about Russia that will change the way you watch the OlympicsBy Salon. Published Feb. 13, 2014 at 8:55 pm Gazprom chief Alexei Miller (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo by Gazprom chief Alexei Miller (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. From environmental destruction to a brutal crackdown on dissent, Putin's Russia can be a scary place to live Read the story here