Russian Public Opinion in the Aftermath of the Ukraine Crisis

Abstract

This article discusses changes in public opinion in Russia in 2014. The “anti-Putin minority” (about 20 percent of the population) have merged with the conservative pro-Putin majority and opted for loyalty to the Kremlin leadership. The main reason for this shift is rising uncertainty and insecurity, as well as fear of losing the relative prosperity gained in previous years.

Notes

English translation © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, from the Russian text. This article has not been published previously. Lev Gudkov is Director of the Levada Center, an independent, non-governmental polling and sociological organization in Moscow, Russia. He may be contacted at [email protected] Translated by Stephen D. Shenfield.