Russia’s Political Leaders Mistakenly Ignoring Growing Pessimism in the Population, ‘Nezavisimaya Gazeta’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Nov. 11 – The results of several polls released last week show that pessimism among Russians is on the rise, although the share of those who think that the situation will improve or at least not get worse remains greater, according to a lead article by the editors of Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

            But it is a mistake to ignore the rising tide of pessimism, the editors say, because pessimists “have developed the habit of relying on themselves and their own possibilities as they do not believe in politics or politicians as a way to achieve change of any kind” (ng.ru/editorial/2026-11-11/2_9622_red.html).

            Because of that attitude, the pessimists “aren’t trying to convert their mood into political behavior,” the article says; and as a result, those in power are satisfied with the situation” and are ignoring the implications of a society where the number of pessimists is growing as rapidly as in the case of the Russian Federation.

To ignore such pessimism is to ignore the possibility that it “can grow into pronounced discontent” and to fail to try to ensure that there are legal channels for its expression. If there aren’t, there is a danger that when the amount of pessimism passes a certain point, those with that attitude will seek alternative means to achieve their ends that may challenge those in power.

For the time being, the powers that be feel no such threat; and discussions of pessimism remain confined to sociological studies and commentaries. But there is no guarantee that this will remain the case; and failure to reflect on that possibility could lead to a disaster at some point in the future when those in power will have to rely more on the attitudes of the population.