Very funny to read this absurd. I respect Ukrainians, and we (russians) have a lot of common traditions and culture. Ask yourself, what nationality had Gogol? Is it russian or ukrainian writer? You have reasons to hate Putin, not Russia.
PS: I find it odd that Dictators get a bad rap when kings get a good one.
This is just silly. It's like saying "Steven Seagal is proof that America and Russia are very close"
The thing there is that Gogol never wrote in ukranian language, despite writing quite a few things rooted in ukrainian culture. I'm not sure whether it actually supports anything, but it is basically a russian meme at this point.