Every fifth

According to the results of a survey by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM, www.wciom.ru), published on December 25, in 2008, both the number of people who believe that mass protests against the decline in living standards are possible, and the number of people willing to take part in them, increased. If in March 21% of respondents spoke about the possibility of such actions, then in December this figure became 30% (on December 20-21, the center’s staff surveyed 1,600 people in 140 settlements in 42 regions, territories and republics of Russia). However, the number of people ready to take part in them increased slightly – from 18% to 21%. It should be noted that in March 2006, protest sentiments, according to a VTsIOM survey, were much higher: 48% of respondents announced the possibility of actions, and 35% were ready to take part in them.

According to the current survey, protests are more expected in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities, as well as in the Central and Volga Federal Districts (37% and 35%, respectively). On the contrary, in the Southern, Ural, Northwestern and even Far Eastern districts there were much fewer people with corresponding expectations (in the Far Eastern there were only 22%). But in the Far East and Southern Federal District, residents showed the greatest willingness to participate in protests (29% and 26%, respectively).

Similar data were published a day earlier by the Yuri Levada Analytical Center. 23% of those surveyed said that mass protests are quite possible (as of September, there were only 18% of them). 20% - that they will take part in them, including as many as 40% of respondents from the Far East. The center's staff interviewed 1,600 people in 128 settlements in 46 regions of the country on December 12-15. Let us note that, according to the Levada Center, the number of those who expected mass protests was significantly higher only in 1998 (43%). The most favorable year in this sense, according to these data, was 2003 - only 18% of respondents expected mass protests, and 17% were ready to take part in them. The percentage of expectations for performances in 2005 was quite high - 29%.