In January the ratings of V. Putin, M. Mishustin, the State Duma and the Government of the Russian Federation have grown. Half of Russians believe that things in the country are going in the right direction.
Publications
Anti-Russian sanctions
The perception of sanctions has not undergone significant changes compared to February 2020: sanctions do not concern 35% of respondents at all. The share of Russians who believe that Western sanctions affect only a narrow circle of people responsible for Russian policy towards Ukraine has doubled to 41%.
Xenophobia and migrants
The greatest distance remains in relation to people from Africa, Central Asia and Gypsies. Two-thirds of respondents believe that it is necessary to “limit the influx of migrant workers.” At the same time, half of the respondents believe that the work of migrants is “useful for the country and society,” this indicator has grown significantly over the past eight years.
Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church
Compared to 2016, the number of respondents who define the relationship between the ROC and the Catholic Church as “normal, working” decreased by 13%. The share of respondents who believe that under Pope Francis the relations between the two Churches have improved went from 58% to 31%. At the same time, 60% of Russians would react positively to Francis’ visit to Russia.
Church and State
Half of Russians define themselves as religious people. Compared to February 2016, the share of respondents who believe that religious organizations have a great influence on public policy and those who believe that religion should not be in school increased by 12%. 21% (+6%) of Russians support the opinion that the Church and religious organizations should not interfere in public life.
2022: potential for crisis events
Compared to 2020, the share of respondents who believe that in 2022 an economic crisis (+14%), major industrial disasters (+13%) and mass epidemics (+47%), has significantly grown. The number of Russians expecting ethnic conflicts, a war with NATO or neighbouring countries has also increased. Since 2017, the share of Russians expecting the year to bring corruption scandals and minister resignations as well as popular protests, has remained stable.
Fears
Russians are most afraid of “illness of loved ones, children” (82%), “world war” (56%) and “abuse of power by the authorities” (53%). The structure of mass fears remains unchanged.
Politics and economy: estimates and prospects
About half of Russians consider the political climate in Russia to be tense, 41% view the economic situation as bad. A third of respondents believe that their quality of live has deteriorated over the last year. 25% and 22% of respondents, respectively, think that things will go better for their family and for Russia as a whole, 19% and 33% expect things to go worse. Most of the respondents expect both the political life and the economy in Russia to deteriorate in the coming months.
Public opinion on the liquidation of Memorial*
A third of Russians are familiar with the activities of Memorial*. Among those who are aware of his work, more than half (58%) have a positive attitude towards the organisation. Also, among Russians, familiar with the organization, the prevailing opinion is that the liquidation of Memorial* is a political process, aimed at suppressing of independent public organisations.
Migration crisis at the Belarus-Poland border
70% of Russians are aware of the migration crisis on the border between Poland and Belarus. Almost half of the respondents believe the solution to the problem would be to return the migrants to their home countries.