I don't know if the russian elections are rigged, but the truth is apparently the majority of russians approve of their government's actions. I feel we in the west have been under plenty of anti-russian propaganda, but as the site Russia Today is heavily biased I don't know of a proper, impartial russian source to show their side of events. However, the ruling political party United Russia has a suspicious number of years in power, judging by this and this. About the author, I agree it takes courage to write against Putin and with harsh truths.