WHO LIVES WELL ON THE NEVA

PETER

The Roman Mogilevsky Social Information Agency conducted a survey in early June, asking questions not only from the field of big politics (about the attitude to the President's message, the institution of embassy in the Northern capital), but also about subjects more...

The Roman Mogilevsky Social Information Agency conducted a survey in early June, asking questions not only from the field of big politics (about the attitude to the presidential address, the institution of embassy in the Northern capital), but also about subjects closer to the heart of the city dweller: about the seasonal shutdown of hot water, about their own health and quality of medical care and even about happiness. In a sense, do Petersburgers feel themselves to be happy people or not. It turned out that six out of ten feel.

It is interesting that about the same number, well, a little less - not 62%, but 58% - consider themselves to be quite healthy people. As Roman Mogilevsky told Novaya Gazeta, sociologists do not see anything unusual here: in their opinion, health and happiness are closely connected. In the same way that age is associated with these assessments: the younger people are, the healthier and happier they think they are.

It is also characteristic that in determining their own physical and moral well-being, citizens are completely distracted from political conflicts, not considering politics and the economy as primary factors, in contrast to health, youth, and personal life. So, it turns out that this whole area, which is sometimes given too much attention in a modern politicized society, has, in fact, not such a big impact on the self-consciousness of an individual.

If not for one but. According to a recent worldwide survey by the MORI research group, Russia ranks in the honorable 50th place with 51 percent in terms of the number of citizens who consider themselves happy people. And Iceland, Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, Switzerland are in the lead. There, the percentage of happy people ranges from 97 (Iceland) to 95 (Switzerland). So Russia as a whole and Peter, who is quite pacified against its background, is still far from the “European standard” of happiness.