The United States got a new president this week, but it’s hard to escape the impression that Russia’s political world has also seen a big change in less than seven days, a shift that will shape the future in unknown ways.
It’s the result of Kremlin foe, opposition politician, and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny’s return -- and a state response that analysts say has only added to the challenges faced by President Vladimir Putin.
On the surface, it is Navalny’s actions that appear to have caused an abrupt change -- a shift that seems to show the country from a new perspective, like a place you picture in one way after an initial visit and then see from a different angle after you travel there again, with the original impression then fading in your memory.