Generation Pu

Izhevsk businessman Evgeny Kudryavtsev is indignant when he once again hears complaints that, “social elevators don’t work today,” “in the 90s you could make a career, not like now,” but “now you can’t jump over your head” . “Well, the elevators don’t work, so what - take the stairs! - he calls. “It’s slower and more difficult, but you definitely won’t get stuck anywhere.” Kudryavtsev knows what he’s talking about, he himself conquered step by step. In the 11th grade, I had my first regular income, buying computer games from some classmates that were boring to them for pennies and reselling them to others for a little more. At the age of 18, Evgeniy founded the Pixel design laboratory - he created websites, produced advertising, and developed interior design. At the age of 19, he established a network of cell phone repair shops in the Udmurt Republic “Inspector Trubka”. At 20, he launched a company producing GSM alarms, Technosim. Now Evgeniy is 21 years old. He works as the financial director of the largest Internet bank in the region, Web Capital, manages the Izhevsk Club of Entrepreneurs and the Youth Chamber, which he created, and studies by correspondence at the Udmurt State University and is developing another business project. Kudryavtsev earns more than $10,000 a month, but invests almost everything in the business. Money is not an end in itself for him: “It’s more interesting to look back and see how many flights are left behind.”

Evgeny is a bright representative of the generation of young Russians, for whom sociologists have recently come up with the code name “generation of stability” or “Putin’s generation.” They relate it to people born between 1983 and 1992, that is, today’s 16–25-year-olds, and contrast it with those who entered adult life in the “turbulent 90s.” Today's 20-25 year olds, although they remember the collapse of the USSR and the crazy years that followed, left school and began to master adult life already during the period of stabilization of the country. As for today’s 16–20-year-olds, they know about the defaults and explosions of the 90s only from the media and stories from their parents, and at the end of May, children who have not lived a year under Soviet rule will graduate from school for the first time. At the beginning of this year, sociologists from the Public Opinion Foundation undertook to study the new Russian youth as part of the large-scale project Generation XXI, the results of which will be published at the end of May and which are already at the disposal of Newsweek.

EQUATION WITH UNKNOWNS

The first thing that catches your eye is that this is truly a different generation. Not only is there nothing Soviet left in it, you can no longer call it post-Soviet. It can be conditionally called European, but it should not be completely identified, for example, with the current generation of young Germans or Spaniards. A 21-year-old entrepreneur from Izhevsk, a 24-year-old political scientist from Kaluga and a 24-year-old teacher from the Moscow region think differently than their Russian peers ten years ago. But in terms of their worldview and life goals they differ from their peers from Europe and the USA.

The similarities and differences between generations in time and territory can largely be explained using the “theory of generations,” developed in 1991 by American scientists Neil Howe and William Strauss. It is based on the deep values ​​of people born in a certain period and influenced by the same events (political, economic, social, technological), brought up within a certain family model (they have similar concepts of what is good and what is bad, what can and cannot be done).

Howe and Strauss identified in the 20th century. five generations, determined their time frame and a set of values ​​formed under the influence of certain events. In the West, their theory has become mega-popular. In Europe and the USA, dozens of books are published every year about how generations differ from each other and how to live with these differences. From the favorite recipes of the “silent” generation to, for example, how to combine representatives of baby boomers and generation X in a work team, or research into what advertising images attract generation Y (clear and bright - Adidas, Apple and Motorola) and how to motivate them at work (encourage after each completed project and entrust responsible, preferably creative, tasks).

The latter - the “Greeks”, also known as the “Google generation”, “Next generation” or millennials (living at the turn of the millennium), now attract the attention of most adherents of the theory of Howe and Strauss. “Y go to college,” “Y get to work,” “Y form families”—the shelves of American and Western European bookstores are replete with a variety of specialized literature. In terms of age, this generation partially overlaps with the Russian “generation of stability.” The factors that should have influenced the formation of values ​​are also largely similar: mobile communications, the Internet, social networks, mass media, mass culture, fast food. “Hence some similarity in the hierarchy of values, for example, the desire for self-realization, mobility and individualism,” says Larisa Pautova, head of the Generation-XXI project. “But the differences are no less, and they are related to the fact that it is significant events and processes that shape a generation and allow it to comprehend itself, and they were different for us.” Young Americans were largely shaped by September 11th - hence their current worldview of “the world is so relative, life is so short.” Now their picture of the future is influenced by the financial crisis, which calls into question the careerism and materialism inherent in the previous generation. The values ​​of Europeans were significantly influenced by the terrorist attacks in Spain and Great Britain, as well as difficult economic and social processes (stagnation and unemployment in Germany, ethnic conflicts in France, etc.). These event factors explain the inherent skepticism among Western youth about yuppie careers and lifestyles, rejection of rules, pessimism, and an emphasis on momentary sensations instead of long-term goals. Sociologists note that this is the first generation that has been addicted to antidepressants since their youth and actively despises the pursuit of brands, for example, in clothing.

FIVE ANGLES

In Russia, everything is exactly the opposite. “The relative feeling of calm and confidence that the stabilization of the economy and the institutionalization of the rules of the market and political game gives has left a strong imprint on the goals, aspirations and lifestyle of young people,” explains Larisa Pautova from FOM in scientific language. Simply put, these young people live their entire adult lives in conditions of relative stability and predictability and do not know or remember another life. Having surveyed young people from 63 regions of the country, FOM employees identified their main qualities: self-confidence, optimism, initiative, focus on combining career and family, conformism, pragmatism and a tendency to long-term planning. Compared to a similar study in 2002 and surveys in the second half of the 1990s, young Russians are now more likely to say they are focused on success, but they understand it differently than their predecessors. Now it is not the material component that comes first, but career and professional growth. A high salary is no longer seen as an end in itself, but rather as a bonus. It’s not that money has become less important, it’s just that today’s youth have never “survived” and “made ends meet”; they are completely devoid of the instinct to save for a rainy day and therefore can afford to pay more attention to other things. Of course, not everyone lived in luxury, but the overall stability gave confidence that even the most difficult situations could be extricated.

Sociologists have divided modern youth into a number of groups with self-explanatory names according to their worldview and career aspirations - the so-called “state reserve”, “yuppies”, “office plankton”, “state employees” and “proletarians”. The latter stand somewhat apart, since they do not bother about their career and do not demonstrate a special philosophy of life.

Enterprising Evgeny Kudryavtsev from Izhevsk, a typical representative of the “yuppie” group, already has an apartment and a car. The young businessman says that he dreamed of owning his own business for as long as he can remember: “Most of all I wanted to develop projects and then implement them. It’s cool - yesterday you only had a business plan, and today you’ve already rented an office, advertising all over the city and a line of clients in front of the door.” This is one of the main characteristics of the new generation - they early and consciously choose strategies to achieve their goals and are able to explain why they chose this or that path. At the same time, young people, as a rule, reproduce the already existing status “table of ranks” of modern Russian society, choosing a career as an official, individual entrepreneur, manager, public sector or production worker. “Uncertainty or waiting for a lucky break is replaced by a clear understanding of the rules for achieving a career and success: gradualism, the right choice of education and profession, postponing starting a family, looking for connections and acquaintances,” lists FOM chief analyst Efim Galitsky.

STEP BY STEP

Older friends often told 24-year-old Andrei Sushchentsov from Kaluga that he couldn’t imagine a less practical education than the Faculty of History, but he didn’t listen and entered Moscow State University. “History seemed to me to be a highly applied science; I wanted to feel “solid ground” under my feet, to discover my place in the coordinate system of our great and controversial past,” says the already certified historian. After graduating from one university, Andrei entered the graduate school of another - MGIMO and at the same time, at the age of 23, became one of its youngest teachers, starting to teach courses in applied analysis of international relations at the Faculty of Political Science. He assumes that in the future he will go into public service, although now he is raving about science, and during his student years he tried himself in other professions - first as a waiter, then as a PR specialist, then as a coordinator at an international NGO. “I did what I liked, wanted and seemed right, thinking little about money, since my material needs seem to be small,” Andrey recalls. I gained experience and connections by working in my free time and on weekends.

They are generally great workaholics, these grown-up children of “Putin’s generation.” Initially having an idea of ​​their dream job, they want to try themselves in other areas. More often they indicate that they feel better in stable conditions, but at the same time they are ready to experiment, again for the sake of self-development. They are clearly aware of their goals and know what they are willing to sacrifice to achieve them. Many indicated in the survey that they were willing to work 12–16 hours, have an irregular work schedule, deny themselves rest and entertainment, and were willing to move to another city or take a long time to get to work. But, unlike the youth of the 90s, today’s 16-25 year olds are for the most part not ready to risk their health, work in a non-prestigious, albeit well-paid job, or engage in hard physical unskilled labor. That is, it’s better to translate texts or develop websites for $500 until nightfall than to work as a loader for 5 hours a day for the same $500.

Meanwhile, all 5 groups have very different ideas about prestigious work. Prestigious is no longer necessarily a high position. If in the 90s almost every second person indicated that they dreamed of becoming at least the president of a large company, or even the entire country, now sociologists note a decrease in the level of job aspirations in favor of more realistic ones. Although every fifth graduate of a capital university, according to a recent VTsIOM survey, is confident that when entering the labor market it will “cost” at least 50,000 rubles, sociologists note that in fact young specialists are aware of how much the market is really ready for them offer, and indicate such amounts, simply being overly confident in themselves and considering such a reward to be fair. Children of the “Putin era” do not have their head in the clouds, dreaming of portfolios and salaries; they just want to be managers, lawyers, marketers, department heads, or even secretaries.

10 YEARS LATER

“What do you mean “at all”? - 25-year-old Sofya Dudnik, senior secretary of a large publishing house, is indignant. - By the way, I have a higher education and a specialty, and I absolutely consciously work at the reception. I like it!" Sofia studied at the Faculty of Book Business and Advertising at the Moscow State University of Printing Arts, but already in her student years she realized that she did not want to work as either a publisher or an advertiser. Only as a secretary. Her eyes light up when she talks about her work: “Just as a theater begins with a coat rack, so a company begins with a receptionist and secretaries. I think it’s not worth even reminding how important it is how and in what tone the secretary answers the phone, not to mention the fact that he answers all calls. But this is not only a voice, it is also the face of the company. Perhaps my friendly smile will mark a pleasant start to the working day for someone.” Sophia thinks for a second, biting her lip. One feels how important it is to explain to her that she really likes working in the office, that “office plankton” is not just a cog in a soulless mechanism.

“As a senior secretary, I adjust all the screws, tighten the nuts and make sure that this mechanism works clearly and smoothly, noticing and preventing failures in time,” continues Sophia. “Maintaining a serious attitude to work, without turning the reception into a dry office, is also a skill.” Sophia is outraged when one of her older friends advises her to change jobs for a higher salary or position. It is more important for her to enjoy her work and instill the same attitude in her novice colleagues. She dreams of writing a book about it someday. And also, be sure to marry your loved one and give birth to a child. “Or better yet, two or three. Why not a successful career? - the girl smiles.

Today's young people have a clear idea of ​​who they will be by the age of 30. About a third of respondents attribute their success to their profession. A little more than a tenth see themselves as successful, prosperous people. About 15% of survey participants talk about wealth and high status. Almost every fifth respondent sees himself surrounded by family - a spouse, parent, family man, housewife, etc. Focus on family and children is also one of the important characteristics of the new generation. They are without any “family year” and 250,000 rubles. “for the second” believe in traditional family values ​​and dream of a happy marriage and offspring. Moreover, both boys and girls are the same. Not now. The “generation of stability” puts off having children, but not because they don’t believe in the future or their own strengths today. They want to study first, then travel a little, then plan to work a lot; then it is advisable to buy an apartment and a car and only then have children, approaching this matter with all responsibility. Most of them had McDonald's as children, a cheap first-generation PlayStation and summer holidays in Turkey and Egypt - they want to give their children more.

PATIENCE AND WORK

24-year-old Anna Pichugina, a teacher of Russian language and literature from Kurovsky near Moscow, also plans to have two or three children, and she hopes to give them “the maximum.” This is despite the fact that at the moment her salary is a little more than 10,000 rubles. The girl knew from school that she would return to her native classes. “I admired my teachers and dreamed of continuing their work,” she admits. “Why not do what you love, especially since in recent years it has brought more satisfaction in material terms.” Anna is happy that teachers’ salaries are being increased, that funds are being invested in the school, and that the teaching profession is ceasing to be marginal and is once again gaining public recognition. She is ready to work overtime even without money (for example, she runs a theater studio at a school and helps prepare holidays), but the girl wants more graduates of pedagogical universities to go to work in their specialty: “It’s so nice when you see what you can do.” awaken a thirst for knowledge in children; the feeling of a well-conducted lesson cannot be compared with anything.” In the future, Anna plans to defend her Ph.D. dissertation and, perhaps, start teaching at a university: “If you really want and work hard, everything will work out.”

According to a recently published report by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, “Youth of the new Russia - value priorities,” modern young people plan to achieve a lot in life. At the same time, they rely on their own strengths, since they generally believe that a person’s financial situation depends primarily on himself: 70% of Russians aged 17 to 26 years are convinced of this, while half of the “aged population” believes that their lives depend on the economic situation in the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that the achievement of success within the generation of “fathers” is more often questioned, since, in their opinion, it is determined by external circumstances.

COOL GUYS

However, within the new generation there is quite a place for those who don’t care about all this stability. True, the country of heroes does not recognize their faces - Pavel flatly refused to give his last name: “Why do I need this glory of yours, otherwise there will be problems later.” This expression “otherwise there will be problems” is one of his favorites; in a conversation with a Newsweek correspondent, he used it six times, with and, in general, without reason. “I’m a small person, I don’t need unnecessary complications,” Pavel explains his caution. He is 22 years old, with great difficulty he graduated from a road transport technical school and the next day he went to work at a car wash in the center of the capital: before that, Pavel worked at a gas station, but, having received a “crust”, he decided that he deserved more. A salary of 15,000 rubles, two days off a week and “great opportunities” - the head of the car wash promises a promotion to foreman. “That would be very nice,” says Pavel. “There’s more money there, and it’s generally more prestigious.” He lights a cigarette, thinks about it, and after a pause adds: “Although, of course, there may be some problems.” In general, Pasha has no career ambitions; in principle, he doesn’t care what or where he does, “the main thing is that you get paid and don’t fuck your brain.” But most likely, he says, he will remain at the car wash - “it’s not for nothing that I studied at a technical school!” In addition, the place is proven, “warm”, “the guys are normal”, and you can always come to an agreement.

“I have one goal in life,” Pasha says, not without pride. “I want to buy a new Lada, they’re praising the Kalina.” With the new car, Pasha assures, “it will be easier with women.” Now his personal life is a mess: his peers prefer “cooler boys,” and Pasha himself is tired of the “young kids.” True, Pavel is not worried about the absence of the young lady, they say, the time will come and everything will work out on its own. He already had several girls, one was even pregnant: Pasha was about to get married, but the girl had an abortion. “Well, that means there’s no need,” he says without a shadow of regret. “Children, they’re like mushrooms: today they’re gone, tomorrow they’re full.” Pasha’s “friends” are mostly from the car wash and a couple from the technical school: in their free time they usually sit in the yard and drink beer. In winter, you can “relax culturally” right at the car wash. “We used to hang out in the hallways, but now it’s somehow out of age,” Pavel clarifies. “Sometimes we visit each other.” Pasha doesn’t watch TV, doesn’t read books, doesn’t buy newspapers, but gets all his information from friends and relatives, “sometimes clients will tell you something interesting. By the way, I heard that Putin got divorced?!” The fact that Putin is no longer president sincerely surprised Pasha and even almost upset him: “It’s hard, of course, for the kid.” True, not for long: “But there will definitely be fewer problems! I’m envious - I still have to pony up and pamper.”

COMMON DENOMINATOR

They are all ready to work hard, work hard and labor. Today the “Putin generation” is on horseback. They are ready to conquer the world and consider themselves the most progressive and life-adapted generation in almost the entire Russian history. In many ways, they are right - they have technical progress on their side, the courage inherent in the young, and plenty of time ahead. But in a few years, they will begin to be pressed by the next “generation Z,” which is still completely unknown to anyone. And sociologists cannot predict what problems the “Greeks” and “Zets” will have. After all, Russia is a country with a stable historical tradition: in our country, what will happen tomorrow cannot be predicted. Even in the most stable times.

WITH A PURPOSE FOR LIFE

Over the past six years, the set of value guidelines of young people has not fundamentally changed, but the emphasis has shifted significantly. According to surveys by the Public Opinion Foundation conducted in 2002 and 2008 among 16-25 year olds, our youth are becoming more purposeful over the years.

YUPPI - 19% of youth

Representatives of the other types are somewhat younger: 16–17 year olds make up 28% of the group; predominantly girls (62% versus 38%)

Dream job:

entrepreneurs, businessmen

Job selection criteria:

opportunity for professional growth; high wages

Leisure options:

sport; tourism; dancing, discos

Favorite vacation spots:

cafe, restaurant; nightclubs; sports club, swimming pool

They are focused on individual work, and for this they strive to get a second (and even third) education and complete graduate school. The main goal is self-realization, and for the sake of it, more often than others, they are ready to take risks and sacrifices: working days of 12–16 hours, health risks. They are distinguished by individualism, a desire to stand out from the crowd, self-confidence, and concern for image. They are athletic, “party people”, ready for change, more successful than others, have mastered such benefits of civilization as a car, the Internet and beauty salons.

STATE RESERVE - 16% youth

Mostly young people aged 21–23 years; more women (56% versus 44%).

Dream job:

lawyers, advocates, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, FSB, Ministry of Emergency Situations

Job selection criteria:

opportunity for promotion; prestige of the job; guaranteed social package

Leisure options:

music (singing); communication with friends; sport; reading; movie

Favorite vacation spots:

cinema; library; park

More often than others apply for the position of a manager at the highest level; demonstrate “asceticism” - for the sake of a career they are ready to deny themselves rest and entertainment; value work more than personal life; delay having children until they receive qualifications, a decent position and their own home; ready to take risks that will help professional growth and career advancement; They are conservative, feel more comfortable in a situation of stability, prefer to be like others.

OFFICE PLANKTON - 20% of youth

Mostly young people 18–20 years old with equal representation of men and women

Dream job:

are equally interested in all professions and fields of activity: managers, lawyers, accountants, marketers, programmers, etc.

Job selection criteria:

high wages; interest in work, relationships in the team; opportunity for professional growth

Leisure options:

no special hobbies

Favorite vacation spots:

nightclub; Internet cafe; cafe, restaurant

They strive to make a career, but they value money and “marriage for love” just as much. They are not ready to take serious risks in order to achieve their goals, although they do not rule out moving to another city for work. There are equal numbers of workaholics and those who prefer rest to work. More than others, they declare a desire for prosperity, and money for them is a tool for satisfying other needs. Half prefer stability, a third prefer change, they try to stand out from the crowd, but are not proactive and apolitical. They have adapted worse to modern technologies than the “state reserve” and “yuppies,” although they are successful in working on a computer and using the Internet.

STATE EMPLOYEES - 13% of youth

Noticeably more women (64% vs. 36%)

Dream job:

doctor, teacher, scientist

Job selection criteria:

interest in work; convenient schedule; a comfortable way to get to work; possibility of obtaining housing

Leisure options:

reading; music (singing)

Favorite vacation spots:

library; house of culture, club

They surprisingly combine the features of both traditional Soviet “achievement culture” and new qualities. They are equally focused on getting an education, happiness in their personal lives, and a favorite and highly paid job, while not striving for serious career advancement. They are willing to take few risks for the sake of their goals - at best, endure difficult living conditions. However, they are considered the biggest workaholics who can be motivated both by money (bonuses, payments) and moral encouragement (praise, certificates). More often than others, they prefer not to stand out from the crowd and feel comfortable in a stable situation.

PROLETARIANS - 17% of youth

The group is predominantly male (65% versus 35%), more “older” youth – aged 24–25 years (24%)

Dream job:

find it difficult to name their “dream job”, are not focused on a specific field of employment, preferring to work in commercial organizations

Job selection criteria:

good salary; good management; close to home

Leisure options:

fishing and hunting

Favorite vacation spots:

practically do not visit

Few are career oriented, do not strive for success, more than half do not plan to continue their education. At the same time, they are very mercantile: for 48%, money is the main concept in life, although more often than others they admit that the most important value is work. They believe in justice and indicate that they need financial assistance from relatives. They see themselves as performers, but more than others they value only their own opinion. They are not ready for risks, except for hard physical labor - their health is excellent. As for family life, 29% of “proletarians” already have children, another quarter says “as it turns out, so it turns out.” Among the trends of modern society, only the purchase of goods on credit has been well mastered.

HEROES OF THEIR TIME

The theory of generations was developed by Americans - demographer Neil Howe and historian William Strauss. They were the first to draw attention to the conflict of generations, associated not with the age of “fathers and sons,” but with the values ​​that are formed in them by certain external factors: historical events, social, economic and technological processes. The authors analyzed the history of the United States and identified certain periods when the majority of people had similar values. For Russian reality, the theory of generations was adapted by Evgenia Shamis, a psycholinguist, teacher at the Academy of National Economy under the Russian Government, and Alexey Antipov, psychologist, teacher at the Institute of Psychology and Pedagogy.

1901 – beginning of the new century

1905–1907 – Russian revolution, the beginning of parliamentarism

1914–1917 – First World War

1917 – February and October revolutions

1917–1923 – Civil War, War Communism

1922 – formation of the USSR

1921-1930s - NEP

1929 – beginning of mass collectivization

1933 – emergence of Soviet television

Industrialization

1937–1938 – peak of Stalin’s repressions

1941–1945 – Great Patriotic War

1943 – the beginning of the use of the first antibiotics

1946 – Churchill's Fulton speech. Beginning of the Cold War

1949 – USSR test of an atomic bomb

1953 – death of Stalin

1953–1964 – Khrushchev’s “thaw”

1957 – launch of the first artificial Earth satellite

1958 – universal compulsory 8-year education

1961 – Gagarin’s flight into space

The first plastic surgeries in the USSR and the creation of birth control pills

1968 – Prague Spring

1974 – Solzhenitsyn’s arrest and expulsion from the country

Arms race

1979-1989 – war in Afghanistan

1985 – perestroika

1986 – explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

1987 – first registered cases of AIDS in Russia

1991 – State Emergency Committee, Belovezhskaya agreements on the liquidation of the USSR

Increased consumption of drugs and surrogate alcohol

1993 – coup

1994 – national domain .RU registered

1994–1996 – 1st Chechen war

1998 – default

2002 – hostage taking at Dubrovka (Moscow)

2004 – hostage crisis in Beslan

The era of brands and credits

GENERATION OF BUILDERS

Years of birth: 1900–1923

Formation of values ​​before 1933

Values: hard work, responsibility, faith in a bright future, adherence to ideology, family and family traditions, categorical judgments

THE SILENT GENERATION

Years of birth: 1923–1943

Formation of values ​​before 1953

Values: loyalty, observance of rules and laws, respect for position and status, sacrifice, frugality

BABY BOOMER GENERATION

Years of birth: 1943–1963

Formation of values ​​before 1973

Values: optimism, idealism, interest in personal growth and reward, at the same time collectivism and team spirit, cult of youth and health

GENERATION X (UNKNOWN GENERATION)

Years of birth: 1963–1983

Formation of values ​​before 1993

Values: readiness for change, technical literacy, individualism, desire to learn throughout life, informality of views, pragmatism, self-reliance, gender equality

GENERATION Y (GENERATION MILLENNIUM)

Years of birth: 1983–2003

Formation of values ​​until 2003

Values: optimism, adaptation to change, sociability, self-confidence, global awareness, responsibility, family, planning, ability to obey, desire for immediate reward

GENERATION Z (GENERATION “OTHER”)

Years of birth: 2003-2023