Russian political/pandemic update: crises as usual
It looks as though the mood of the Russian society was probably somehow shaken by drone attacks that occurred in several cities, including Moscow. Apart from that, May was a relatively quiet month for the majority of Russians (except for those living in the regions close to the Ukrainian borders). The approval ratings of the key political figures and institutions remained stable and high last month. Vladimir Putin’s approval rating as president remained over 80%, while his trust rating (an open poll in which people freely nominate politicians they want) grew to 42% (from 40% in April). Mr. Mishustin’s approval rating as the country’s PM has fluctuated near 70% in recent months while his trust rating increased to 18% (from 15% in April).
Such a perception of reality in Russia (that things look more or less normal now) may be explained by the fact that nearly half of the 30-year period since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 can be associated with shocks and permanent change (the entire 1990s, 2009, and the entire period from 2014). People have gotten used to stress and hardship. Hence the support for the current institutions looks real. To some extent, it may be explained by the fact that the percentage of the younger generation in the population is now relatively low (as birth rates were low in the 1990s), while aged people have gotten used to shocks.
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