But there is a widespread view, fuelled by mobile phone videos and accounts on internet social networking sites, that there was wholesale election fraud and that Mr Putin's party cheated its way to victory.
Less of a quick move towards wide adoption was high-paced mobile internet in the UK. 4G was going to be a thing that made it quicker to access the web from a mobile signal than it would be by wired broadband.
Everything Everywhere, the UK's only 4G operator, has promised 98% coverage by the end of 2014 but for the moment, quick mobile internet for everyone seems to still be a little way away.
