It's just politic game, Putin want to save Assad, his last friend and ally in that area.
Syria is very important strategic nation and super powers ( USA and RUSSIA) have a lot interest there (oil, geostrategic position etc ).
Average people in Syria have no use for it and suffer still in the war-troubled country.
Putin doesn't care much about Bashar al Assad. But he want a secular leader to rule Syria, as all the other countries in the Middle-East are now ruled by Wahabbist and Salafist rulers. Also, the ISIS is a real threat to Russia. If ISIS spreads to the Caucasus region (Chechenya, Daghestan, KBR, KCR.etc), then hell will break lose in Russia.