#5
Vremya MN
No. 1
[translation for personal use only]
RUSSIANS BELIEVE BETTER TIMES ARE COMING
Yevgenia OBUKHOVA
It seems that life in Russia is indeed improving. At least, one can draw this
conclusion from the survey entitled "2001-2002: Results and
Forecasts," which has been carried out by the Public Opinion Foundation
late last year.
Only 22 percent of the Russians said that the year 2001 was worse for them
personally than the previous year. For 36 percent of those polled, 2001 turned
out better than 2000. Seemingly the same 36 percent of optimistically minded
respondents believe that the new year will treat them better yet. Only 7 percent
think that the quality of their life will decline. At the same time, the Public
Opinion Foundation's researchers say that the Russians have grown pessimistic
about both personal prospects and prospects of the country than they were in
2000 and 1999.
Only 14 percent of the individuals surveyed said that 2001 was worse for
Russia than 2000. On the contrary, 42 percent noted positive changes in the
country. The first most popular change was an increase in people's wellbeing.
Stabilisation and economic development was named second. "The situation
with wages and pensions has changed for the better," and "industrial
production has made a small step forward," the respondents said. In their
assessments of the country's future, people relied on intuition. The frequent
comment on why they thought that 2002 would be better than 2001 was: "I
feel so" or "I hope." Relatively few respondents - only 8 and 7
percent - based their positive feel about the year 2002 on economic development
and the president and government.
"The survey results are revealing," said the head of the fund's
analytical department, Grigory Kertman. "The tendency to consider each new
year as more favourable for Russia in comparison with the outgoing year remains;
the exception was only the year of 1998. Simultaneously, we have lately seen a
breakdown in the pattern of growing optimism. 54 percent of the respondents gave
a negative answer to the question of whether the year 2001 had lived up to their
expectations. Polls show that people are sobering up. Obviously, one of the
reasons is instability in the world."
BACK TO THE TOP  #188 CONTENTS NEXT SECTION
|
