The president of VTsIOM, Valery Fedorov, spoke in a recent interview about the mood and psychology shaping modern Russian life. He described a striking shift among about 20 million Russians who, in his view, have effectively pulled back into themselves and reoriented their daily concerns toward inner worlds and private routines rather than outward public engagement. The observation paints a picture of a society that is increasingly introspective, with individuals prioritizing personal security, family stability, and immediate personal concerns over collective action or public ventures.
In his framework, Fedorov outlines a quartet of social archetypes that he believes divide Russian society: what he terms Fighting Russia, Capital Russia, Deep Russia, and Departing Russia. Each category embodies distinct attitudes, values, and life goals. Fighting Russia is portrayed as a cohort that seeks change through activism or confrontation, Capital Russia as the urban, economically driven segment centered in major metropolitan areas, Deep Russia as the more traditional, geographically concentrated communities that cling to established norms, and Departing Russia as those contemplating emigration or detaching from the broader social currents. This segmentation reflects a broad view of how regional, economic, and cultural differences interact to shape behavior and expectations across the country.
He observed that anxiety has become a dominant thread in Russian society over the past five years. The psychological burden has contributed to a notable decline in birth rates, altered mental health outcomes, and a range of behaviors that deviate from prior social norms. The rising sense of uncertainty, coupled with economic pressures and shifting social expectations, appears to influence family planning, personal risk assessments, and everyday decision making. In such a climate, the sense of predictability diminishes, and many people adapt by focusing on immediate concerns and pragmatic steps to safeguard their households and futures.
Fedorov emphasized that individuals must invest more effort into steering the direction of their own lives. He suggested that each new day carries the possibility of an unpleasant surprise, and that attentiveness to small choices can accumulate into a broader sense of control. The message implies a call for resilience and practical action—planning ahead, managing finances with caution, and maintaining health and social connections as anchors in uncertain times. The underlying idea is that personal agency remains a critical buffer against broader societal volatility.
According to his remarks, metropolitan Russia tends to withdraw inward, retreatting into self-contained patterns of life and interaction. This inward turn is described as a protective response to perceived pressures from rapid urbanization, economic competition, and the fast pace of city living. The phenomenon, he suggests, can create a social divide where city dwellers cultivate private networks and routines while other regions navigate different sets of challenges. It portrays a society that is not uniformly connected, even as urban centers continue to grow in influence and complexity.
Earlier reports indicated that nearly four in ten Russian women intended to postpone or forgo childbearing in the coming years, a decision attributed in large part to insufficient financial stability. Konstantin Abramov, the General Director of the All-R Russian Center for Public Opinion, highlighted this trend as a barometer of economic strain seeping into family planning decisions. The statistic points to a broader relationship between household income, employment security, and decisions about starting or expanding a family, a link that policymakers and researchers continually monitor when assessing social and demographic futures.
Finally, there were references to official health indicators, with discussions around average life expectancy figures for Russians in recent years. While numbers vary by source and methodology, the broader message remains clear: life expectancy tracks with a constellation of factors including healthcare access, living standards, lifestyle choices, and the effectiveness of public health initiatives. Keeping pace with these developments requires sustained attention to data, policy responses, and the lived experiences of people across diverse Russian regions.
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