Jana Bakunina on Russian Public Opinion and Putin's War

Russian Public Sentiment on the War

• 💡 While Western commentators often report on waning public support for Putin's war, Russian author and journalist Jana Bakunina suggests that ordinary Russians largely want the war to end.
• 📌 Despite this desire, the public feels powerless to influence the situation.
• 📊 Recent polls indicate that approximately 60% of Russians desire peace negotiations, with only about 30% supporting the continuation of the "special military operation."

Shifting Russian Perspectives

• 🌍 In Ekaterinburg, Bakunina observed a division in public opinion: some liberal-leaning individuals look towards the West, using VPNs and consuming independent media, while others increasingly advocate for Russia to forge its own path, emulating China's economic development.
• 💳 Impositions like visa restrictions are seen as not significantly affecting the majority but symbolically equate the Russian people with the Kremlin.
• 📈 For many Russians, economic stability and livelihood remain paramount concerns, more so than civil liberties.

Propaganda and Education

• 📚 Following the full-scale invasion, there has been a significant increase in propaganda within Russian schools, including rewritten history textbooks.
• 🎖️ The curriculum is increasingly focused on educating young pupils to become soldiers and breeders of soldiers, fostering a more patriarchal and conservative society.
• 🇷🇺 This shift emphasizes self-sacrifice for the "mighty Russia" and a sense of unique national destiny, extending beyond Soviet-era ideology to a broader Russian Empire concept.

Prospects for Peace

• 🕊️ Bakunina is skeptical about the immediate prospects for peace, noting that proposed peace plans are unlikely to be acceptable to Ukraine.
• 📺 Many Russians, particularly those with liberal leanings, are disillusioned with political processes and media, believing that the conflict will continue for a very long time.
• 🤷 The general sentiment among the public appears to be one of resignation, with focus shifting to everyday life and the weekend rather than grand political events.