I've been living in Moscow for about a year and a half now and I walk by a new stand almost every single day on my way to work and some of the headlines you read in the countless number of media publications that are available here definitely give an indication that freedom of speech is alive and well in Russia. Putin even often hosts dinners with members of the media to discuss their differences, as in the example here:
https://www.facebook.com/inspiretochangeworld/videos/1691440384460390/

The Washington DC based "Freedom House" organization you cited isn't exactly an independent source, sir. This is a well written article and it clearly describes the reality of today, the US federal government is a joke and nobody believes a word that's coming out of its mouth.