Almost 60% of Russians believe the outgoing year difficult and bad for the country

43% of Russians believe that 2019 was a difficult year for the country, has found out VTSIOM (the same as it was in 2018). Another 15% of respondents called it a very heavy, 30% – overall good and 4% very good. Personal rating is considerably higher: good for yourself and your family 2019 called 47% (last year – 50%), and difficult – 33% (28%). That will be difficult and 2020, say in the amount of 43% to 53%, hoping that it will become good. The most difficult over the last 10 years for Russia was 2015: 57% of respondents said it difficult and 18% – very heavy.

new year expenses of Russians reduced: for gifts, meals and entertainment they plan to spend an average of 10 478 RUB – at least for the last five years. In 2018 planned expenditures for 13 755 rubles, and in 2017 – 14 299 RUB Among the main events of the year respondents cited the pension reform (about its beginning was announced in 2018) and the opening of the railway bridge to the Crimea (4%).

New year Russians usually meet in high spirits kill which can only do serious events, said the General Director VTsIOM Valery Fedorov: “fortunately, this year, in contrast to 2018 such was not the mood of our people seriously decreased due to last year’s increase in the retirement age began to rise”. This growth could be significantly higher if not for weak economic performance and the related stagnation of incomes of the population, recognizes the sociologist: “But while it is necessary to economize even on Christmas gifts and entertainment, to keep the tradition of lavish Christmas feast”.

a New year people actually get to meet in high spirits, according to analyst Alexei Makarkin: “Objectively the situation is not much worse than last year. Pension reform – the event in 2018, but she is well remembered by the people that they still can’t depart from it. It saves the actualand in the long term, because people will change the age of retirement, which also makes reform urgent and unpleasant.” In addition, when people are asked about the mood, they look overall at what is happening, and if they are dissatisfied with the political and economic situation, see for yourself while the advantages of projects, they have still something good going on in his personal life, the expert believes: “when people summarize, I believe that nothing terrible had happened. What happens to prices and wages, people evaluate negatively, but on the other hand, someone’s child or grandchild was born, there is a common joy, and so there is no feeling of disaster. It in the 1990s was not, though, and pushed the idea that those years were terrible, then, too, there were many simple pleasures, and that compensated for the problem.” Finally, there is the purely psychological point, Makarkin adds: “If a man will think about the bad, coming into the store and buying less products, including the New year, he will fall into despondency. But are defense mechanisms that do not allow to fall into melancholy, and many are trying to think positive and not associated with the socio-political sphere”.