Peter the Great may have dragged Russia into modernity—but he totally rejected democratic values. He was an authoritarian dictator who could have been so much more. Russia, was slowly but most assuredly, evolving into a democratic nation until WWI broke out. If nothing else, it would have remained an authoritarian nation uninterested in threatening the outside world. The dumbest thing Woodrow Wilson ever did was get the United States involved in that ridiculous European conflict. If we had stayed out, the Germans would have likely won. The evil doctrines Communism and Nazism might have been prevented from becoming major movements.

As for Putin, he may be KGB-bred, but he is a deeply religious Orthodox Christian. One also has to understand the role Orthodox Christianity plays in the Russian society, even those who are not religious. During the times of invasions and such (mentioned above), Orthodox Christianity was the glue that held Russia together. Peter the (Not So)Great was the one who loosened the tie between the state and religion. Yes, he dragged the country into modernity, but he also started the decline of the spiritual health. The people were simply not quite ready for the step ahead and this is still a sore issue when one digs deep, people have ambivalent feelings about this tsar.