“Levada Center” predicted the transformation of Russia into “Reservation of the poor and aggressive population”

The law on foreign agents will disgrace Russia and leads to “moral, intellectual and social degradation,” said Lev Gudkov, director of the Levada Center. His application regarding the inclusion of a center in the register of foreign agents is published on the organization’s website.

According to Gudkov, for Russia, prohibitions on the connection of scientists with foreign colleagues mean "the prospect of further conservation of scientific archaic and degradation."

“The misunderstanding of this threatens not just with isolationism or a chronic decrease in human and social capital in our country, but by turning it into a reservation of a poor and aggressive population that consoles himself with the illusions of national superiority and exclusivity,” said the head of the Levada Center.

As Gudkov indicated in the statement, the recognition of the center by a foreign agent "complicates the activities of our organization." According to him, in several regions the center was informed that “it is forbidden to contact employees of state institutions with representatives of organizations with“ foreign agents ”shortcuts.”

The Ministry of Justice recognized the organization by a foreign agent on September 5, according to the ministry, a significant part of foreign financing came from the United States.

“We are proud of the opportunity to work with foreign partners; This is not a reason for discrediting us as agents, on the contrary, evidence of high professionalism and the quality of our research, ”Gudkov said in a statement.

The head of the center also clarified that the organization did not hide the sources of financing, indicating them in the reports for the tax and other services.

According to Gudkov, the consequences of the practice of inclusion of organizations in the register of foreign agents will be felt for two to three generations. According to Gudkov, “repressions of this kind” threaten not only sociology: “They will finish with sociology - they will move on to history, economics, genetics, physics and other sciences, as it was in the Stalinist years.”

The law on foreign agents in Russia was adopted in 2012, it obliges all non-profit organizations engaged in political activities and receiving funding from abroad, to register in a special register as foreign agents.

In June 2016, a law was adopted that clarifies the concept of political activity. It includes the holding of hundreds of questions “aimed at the formation of socio-political views”, the organization of rallies and the assessment of the work of officials.