AdvertisementPutin's Long Reach Grips Russia's ProvincesNovember 03, 2010Anne GarrelsfacebookEmailWhile Russia's president, Vladimir Putin visits a farm in the Volga region, outside Saratov, in September 2004. Since then, Putin has helped bail out farmers in the area, but many observers worry about his party's seemingly pervasive power. (AFP/Getty Images)