Poll: Russians are most afraid of police, ships, new war, revolution and invasion of wolves

The actions of the police and ships on protests, as well as possible shocks due to the situation around Alexei Navalny, the Russians were most disturbed at the beginning of the year. This follows from the next "national index of anxiety", prepared by the company for the development of public relations (CROS). According to researchers, from January to March, a surge of negative statements was observed in social networks both to law enforcement officers and protesters. Anxiety growth is also associated with coronavirus and fear before the start of the war, Kommersant writes.

The main sources of the fears of Russians in the first quarter of 2021 were rising prices for food, protests and state pressure on social networks. The first ten reasons for anxiety also included the threat of “revolution and shocks” because of the situation around Alexei Navalny, the aggravation of Russian-American relations and the armed conflict in the Donbass, the emergence of new coronavirus strains , the introduction of covid passports and compulsory vaccination, as well as floods and the “invasion of wolves” in small settlements.

The "National Alarm Index" reveals and ranks phobias based on the analysis of news in the media and the most discussed topics on social networks. In the fourth quarter of last year, the Russians were most afraid of the fall in the standard of living, the insufficient level of medical care against the background of the coronavirus epidemic and the possible consequences of vaccination from it.

In terms of significance for citizens at the beginning of 2021, fear of the actions of the police and ships in connection with protest shares came first. According to the conclusions of the report, this topic on social networks was discussed 7.7 times more actively than in the media. In second place was the fear of the “invasion of wolves” (discussed 5.9 times more actively), and in the third - the threat of “revolution and upheavals” because of the situation around Alexei Navalny (3.7 times).

According to the Index, at the beginning of the year in social networks there was a surge of both negative statements against law enforcement agencies and courts, and fears that protest shares are aimed at destabilizing the situation, which threatens the mass riots, the separation of the constitutional system and the “color revolution”. This is most characteristic of residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Novgorod region. And the fear of the “invasion of wolves” became relevant in connection with the appearance of this problem in the Arkhangelsk, Omsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Pskov, Moscow, Kirov regions, the Komi, Karelia, Buryatia and others.

According to the director of the analyst CROs Andrei Lebedev, the reason for the growth of anxiety of Russians was the political agenda, and primarily the protest rally : the vast majority of society does not want revolutions and shocks, but the current actions of law enforcement agencies and courts are equally critical. “Without even agreeing with the protesters, people try on what is happening on themselves and feel anxiety for their own safety,” Lebedev comments.

VTsIOM Director Valery Fedorov also states an increase in anxiety among the population. However, according to him, this is more due to the epidemic situation and fear of the start of the war against the backdrop of an exacerbation of the situation in the Donbass and tension in relations with the United States. The liberal -minded part of the population excites the deterioration of relations with the West, and young people are problems related to Alexei Navalny. “Young people receive basic information from the Internet, where the picture is more negative than on television. Therefore, its assessments of what is happening more critical,” Fedorov explained.