One year passed from the moment of Vladimir Putin's ritual election as the president of the Russian Federation (he remained actual head of the state even on the post of the prime minister): Putin won on March, 4, 2012 the third presidential elections having gained 63,6% of votes – on the background of mass protests against him, mass protests which Russia didn't know for 20 years, actually, since disintegration of the USSR. Though whether it was possible to imagine 63 percent got by Gorbachev in 1991?
According to "Levada Center" poll, the majority of the Russians (65%) consider that during his board Putin brought Russia more good, than bad, every fifth (18%) see in his presidency more bad, almost the same — 17% - found it difficult to answer.
Respondents consider that he managed "to return Russia status of great respectful power" (36%), "to raise salaries, pensions, grants and allowances” (28%), "to overcome separatist moods, to keep Russia from disintegration" (24%) – these things they consider Putin's main achievements. At the same time 43% of respondents believe that the head of the state couldn't "provide equitable distribution of incomes in the interests of simple people", 36% — he didn't manage "to return simple people means which were lost by them during reforms", 25% — that Putin didn't manage "to provide strengthening of law and order".
These are strange polls. There’s such a feeling that the Russian sociologists have some own "other Russia" which they interrogate.
Here, for example, we decided to check data of "semi-official" poll about trust to Putin and Medvedev. Officially it turned out that they are more trusted than not. Here you are what we’ve got:
Do You believe Putin and Medvedev?:
Trust both (8)
Trust only Putin (23)
Trust only Medvedev (5)
Trust neither Putin, not Medvedev (753)
It is possible, of course, to consider our poll not representative, it is possible to consider audience of Forum.msk targeted. But the result speaks for itself.
One can’t fail to remember polls of the same experts during elections in Khimki, apparently, "model" for all future elections in the Russian Federation: on a course of election campaign recognition of "undesirable" candidates fell, at that twice, while recognition of desirable candidate practically from scratch grew quicker, than of Jesus Christ and even Putin. I will repeat, not "trust", but recognition was falling – how could it be possible? It seems that it happens in Russia.
SO, a year after the date of Putin's third coming it is necessary to recognize: Russia is a wonderland! Putin is the Supreme miracle man surrounded by miracle men of the second and third order, they make miracles in Russia without days off, holidays and lunch breaks.
Anatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk
