Translated material
Generation "P"
Why will nothing change with Putin's departure in Russia: Foreign Affairs
The current Russian youth grew up in the era of smartphones, the Internet and open borders and, it would seem, should differ from the generation of their parents by much more liberal judgments and a wider view of the world. In fact, everything is wrong - the “generation of Putin” is happy to absorb Nostalgia promoted by the Kremlin in Soviet times, anti -Americanism, xenophobia and homophobia, writes Foreign Affairs Sarah Mendelssonon. Moreover: the more educated the young Russians, the more willingly they share anti -American views. With their coming to power in Russia, nothing will change: representatives of this generation at best will become successful technocrats who are not able and do not want to change the established order of things.
Mendelssohn makes such a conclusion based on his own observations (the journalist has repeatedly visited Russia and investigated the views of Russian youth), as well as on the information from the book “Without Illusions: the Voices of Future Leaders of Russia” (No Illusions: The Voices of Russia <) Ellen Mikievich. The book describes a portrait of modern Russian youth, which Mikievich compiled on the basis of a series of round tables with students of leading Russian universities - Moscow State University, MGIMO and the Higher School of Economics. In total, 108 students of the last and penultimate courses participated in round tables - educated, well -informed young people who are fluent in English.
Russian youth criticizes corruption, but does not want to resist it; disappointed in power, but is going to work for it; He admits that the authorities in the country are engaged in its enrichment, but the West accuses the bribery of rampant. Students look at the first channel, but they do not really trust him, considering it propaganda, as well as with skepticism, they are attempts by the authorities to master the Internet space and blogs.
Activism and mass protests do not at all inspire young Russians - they are in solidarity with the Kremlin that the United States is behind any anti -government performances around the world. Russian youth simply does not believe that the protests can be sincere, and the fact that many NPOs in Russia (including the Voice Association, which watches the elections) receive foreign grants, serves as an additional confirmation of this, writes Sarah Mendelssohn. Young people are completely uninteresting in attacks on journalists; They condemn nationalist actions, but do not see any role of the Kremlin in the support of nationalists; At the same time, for the most part, students responded with hostiles from the North Caucasus.
Meetings with students were held about six months before the elections to the State Duma of Russia in December 2011 and the Snow Revolution. Mendelsson is sure: among many thousands of people who went out onto the streets of Moscow, there were no these students - they have no tendency to political activism.
According to the journalist, it is this youth that will inherit the system created by Putin, and the activists who have entered the streets will remain in the opposition.
Only a serious systemic shock can change this situation - much more serious than everything that today's opposition in Russia and its leaders are capable of. Until then, the future Russian elite may still hope that in elite educational institutions they were prepared for the leadership of the country that Putin will once leave them (English).