It seems to me that journalists in Russia these days go out of their way to maintain Putin’s image, and those that dare to question his governance are marginalized. Can you speak about the significance of Anna Politkovskaya’s death both on the journalistic community and on society in general ?

There isn’t really any journalistic community to speak of in Russia at the moment.
It is torn by longstanding, historic disputes.
Radio is one of the only free mediums left.
Print, despite popular belief, has slowly become subservient to the government.
The sad state of journalism is the result of a process of natural selection that has taken place over the last fifteen years.
Independents have slowly been forced out.
As for Putin’s cynicism, yes he was correct: Politkovskaya death had more affect on society than her writings.
Of course, Putin tone when he spoke of Politkovskaya was completely disrespectful.