A FULL RICH LIFE OR SURVIVAL?

The appearance of elderly Russians is multi-faceted and multi-colored. You can compare it to a portrait, where every stroke conveys a long life including revolution, war, long labor, love, and hope. Here we take a more attentive look at life for those now over the age of sixty.

All the possible surprising developments in recent years arising from the destruction of the old social structures in Russia have taken the older generation by surprise. Many have lost their flow of income; some lost their savings in the currency devaluations, which likewise devalued pensions. Millions have found themselves at the poverty line.

But it is surprising that in sociological surveys the elderly in Russia do not consider the sharp decline in their material circumstances to be foremost among their problems. It turns out that they adjust more easily to their poor material circumstances than to the constant psychological pressure. This is understandable – we are talking about the generation that lived through war, hunger, and the destitution of the post-war years. The stresses that fell on their shoulders were borne collectively by the entire country, and it was thus easier to adapt oneself (not to mention the fact that all the respondents were young at that time). Now, for this generation, this time of societal disconnection and the exit to personal life has sharply undermined their psychological condition.

The fact that incomes of the majority of pensioners fall into the poorest of all population sectors notwithstanding, their subjective assessment of their circumstances is favorable. The majority (60%) stated that they have sufficient income “to get by in life.” Still, 32% answered that they “cannot make ends meet.”

Loneliness - this is what bothers people today. This is a serious destabilizing factor, that influences both health and psycho-emotional conditions.

Loneliness is a condition that depresses the majority of people, especially in their later years. In western countries loneliness also afflicts many elderly, who spend all their time in their own homes or in nicely built residencies for the elderly. But in most cases they have prepared themselves for this kind of old age, and it is traditional that they become distanced from adults and children. What can we say about the Russian elderly, many of whom find no meaning in life without family, without their work collective, without feeling themselves a part of society as a whole.

This is a particular aspect of Russian culture and Russian family structures. In the West it is not customary to take care of ones grown independent children, and retirement is considered a time to “live for yourself.” Russian family traditions are different: the older generation finds meaning in conferring all its resources – material, physical and spiritual – to its children and grandchildren.

Another problem of elderly people is finding opportunities to more actively include themselves in work activities. Researchers have found that the longer a person works the more effectively his body functions. In many developed countries people over 65 are energetic, fit and capable of work. For governments and taxpayers the continuing labor of the elderly is an important resource for stimulating the economy. At a conference in Athens in May 1999 on the problems of the elderly, researchers observed that in European countries only 20-25% of the elderly population suffered from chronic illness, and the others needed almost no medical assistance. However, they were all under the care of geriatric specialists, who use methods of preventive care to avoid illnesses. Thus, when we talk about old age at 60 or earlier, we are talking about premature old age.

In the opinion of Leonid Lazebnik, Chief Gerontologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the human body is programmed for 120-140 years of life, and biologically old age is a individual thing. In the 18th Century, for example, people aged early and living to the age of 40 was considered normal. Fewer than 4% of the population lived beyond the age of 60.

A person’s life depends in large part on fate, which presents him with his own intellectual, creative or family interests. He must work with this or be left with nothing.

In Russia a person could always find a way out of difficult circumstances. Women, as a rule, were excellent homemakers who could sew, clean and cook, and men were excellent handymen. This was not the only factor helping them in adapting to the changes and surviving difficult times. In this next stage active, lively people begin to seek opportunities for permanent, stable work. If the pension isn’t sufficient, it means one has to earn money; if there is no work in your previous specialization, take up another. Without regard to age.