December 04, 2022

War Support Falling


War Support Falling
War refugees in Irpin, Ukraine. March 2022. Palinchak.

The news site Meduza got its hands on a secret, internal Kremlin poll (conducted by the Federal Security Service and intended for government use only, not for public disclosure). According to the publication, the poll found that 55% of Russians favor negotiations with Ukraine, and only 25% are in favor of continuing the war.

"These figures are broadly consistent with the results of an October survey by the Levada Center," Meduza reported. In that poll, 57% of respondents favored peace talks, and 27% favored continued hostilities.

This is a significant shift. This summer, just 30% of Russians were in favor of peace talks with Ukraine.

Meduza said that, according to its two highly-placed sources, these trending poll numbers are leading the Kremlin to limit future public polls on Russians' attitude toward the war.

“Anything is possible now, it’s better not to do it,” one source close to the Kremlin said. "It is better not to report these dynamics [changing attitudes to the war]," said another.

The primary driver of changing attitudes, said Dennis Volkov, of independent pollster Levada, in a previous interview with Meduza, was the September mobilization:

"It is the unwillingness of citizens to personally participate in hostilities. Their support [of fighting] remains high, but people's desire to personally participate in this is quite small."

The previously passive public stance toward a war that was far away has been replaced by a sense of more immediate and personal danger. According to sociologist Grigory Yudin, this fall [after mobilization] Russians faced "the destruction of everyday life and a sense of danger." Negotiations are now also more appealing, he said, because the population has begun to sense "a loss of faith in victory, due to battlefield defeats and the absence of a convincing theory of how exactly Russia will win."

None of this, however, is predictive of mass anti-war demonstrations. Even so, the Kremlin is planning to tread cautiously.

For now, Meduza's Kremlin sources say, "it is better not to heat up the situation and not to annoy people again." The sources said that state and pro-government media outlets are already receiving recommendations "not to peddle the topic of war," and to focus on "a more positive agenda."

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955