Doctoring photographs for political gain was a tool of government in the old Soviet Union. Seems like it still might be — in modern Russia.

A doctored photo appeared recently in a regional Russian newspaper, causing a stir.

It showed blogger and pro-democracy activist Alexei Navalny standing next to a disgraced oligarch.

After Navalny complained it was a fake, the original showed up on the web within a few days.

Stephen Cohen is a professor of Russian studies and history at New York University.

He says Navalny was targeted because of his opposition to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.