Stages of transformation of the psychological state of Russian society: Politico-psychological analysis

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of psychological state of Russian society (PSO) at different stages of its transformation. The article is based on three studies of recent years. Thus, during the first stage (study of November 2017) before Presidential elections of 2018 we have found the high level of societal consolidation around the President, improvement of perception of all the main political actors, weakening of the complex of “national inferiority” that was formed from the mid-1980-s till the “Crimean spring”. At the same time, these positive characteristics got along with negative trends; political apathy and cynicism. At the second stage — the pandemic period (study of spring — autumn 2021) PSS had substantially declined. COVID-19 strongly weakened the Russian society. Change of the life conditions was reflected in images of authorities, power institutions and leaders, transformed political predispositions and values of Russians who experienced severe depression and were totally demobilized in the face of the threats that grew more and more both from inside and from outside. At the third stage (study of April — May 2022) special military operation in Donbas had totally ousted pandemia from the public mind and caused reformatting of mass consciousness never seen before. One could observe high consolidation of society around the president. It is not just a situational consolidation around a flag. Deep positive trends that started to be formed in 2014, have strengthened and now dominate. Crimean consensus turned into Donbas consensus. Simultaneously the value split took place.