The Russia Journal

ALEXANDER MARTYNOV, 43, MUSICIAN

Of course, a president can't be completely independent. He has a team and it exists to help in decision-making. That's how it works all over the world. Even odious leaders, such as Mao and Saddam Hussein, have listened to advisers. I don't know whose advice is most important to President Putin. There's [Alexander] Voloshin, the head of the Presidential Administration, but he always seems to remain in the background. We can only hope that if the president is influenced by him that all decisions are made for the good of the country.

NATALYA MAKEYEVA, 23, TEACHER

Generally, if we look at his work throughout the year, I think he is quite independent in his decision-making. But there's the possibility that there are people in the background who dictate their will. Or maybe there are people whose opinions Putin respects and occasionally listens to. There's a lot of talk and rumors about this issue. But I'm sure he plays the leading role – as opposed to the Presidential Administration or his team or his relatives.

ROMAN DENISOV, 64, PHOTO-CORRESPONDENT

For the first time, Russia has a president who cannot be pressured by others. Maybe he doesn't always get all the information he should, but he makes his own decisions. His past explains a lot. Vladimir Putin was a professional secret-service agent. He is an analyst with a quick mind. Before accepting a proposal, he gives it a lot of thought. Working as an agent for so many years, he acquired skills that won't disappear overnight. He's a new type of leader. He doesn't allow anybody to influence or control him.

YEKATERINA GOLOVLYOVA, 21, SECRETARY-OFFICE AIDE

I'm sure there are people behind the president who influence him. Putin is probably no more than 30 percent independent in decision-making. I don't think that the presidential team influences him. No. Most likely it's someone from his own circle of acquaintances. Even Voloshin, the head of the administration, isn't very powerful or popular among the Kremlin elite.

SERGEI TURUKOV, 45, ICHTHYOLOGIST

Not only our president, but presidents all around the world, have had groups of like-minded people who they can rely on for advice. But, overall, Putin is a rather independent and secretive person. We shouldn't forget his secret-service past. He definitely has his own opinions, plans and positions on each issue – but we don't know what they are. So we can really only guess who might be influencing him.

SVETLANA YELTSOVA, 23, TEACHER

He definitely has people around him who are influencing him. That's the way it's always been. A leader has a group of people from his past whose opinion he respects. Our president is no different. The problem is, no one really knows who those people are right now. I don't know for sure, but I get the feeling that there are some people who have a lot of influence over the president.