Putin's popularity still high

Being an Indian, there is always nostalgia about Russia as the two countries have been friends for long. Who can forget President Gorbachev’s visit to India in 1986 and the splendid performances from Russian dancers as part of the cultural exchange programme?

During my recent visit to Russia, I interacted with a few locals to get a perspective about their country. Before jumping into the findings, here are some facts. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of surface area with over 17 million sq km. This means, Russia is six times bigger than India, with just 1/8th the population.

Russia is among the largest oil exporters in the world and hence, the current fall in oil prices has severely impacted the economy. Over the past few quarters, Russia’s currency has been heavily devalued from Rub 25-30 per US dollar to about 70 per dollar. 

In terms of basic infrastructure, some roads are very well maintained, despite the tough weather conditions. In general, the road infrastructure is better than India, but not as good as advanced countries. Public transport system is very affordable. Petrol prices are 50 per cent cheaper compared to India. The super-fast trains speeding at 200 kmph are efficient and popular for inter-city travel.  Russia is the fourth largest producer of electricity globally and hence there are no power cuts.

Most Russians are not English speaking but have no reservations about this. There is high public awareness in terms of current affairs, politics or history. This could be attributed to high adult literacy in the country. People seem very patriotic and knowledgeable about the October revolution that led to the formation of Soviet Russia. As they commemorate 70 years of World War II, most people remember their ancestors who lost their lives in the war.  

Many still feel that USSR should not have disintegrated and consider Gorbachev a great leader with the right intention, but his policies around Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) eventually led to the split in 1991. In terms of economy, most people track currency fluctuation and have an understanding that imported items become costlier. People keep a close watch on crude oil prices. Corruption is seen as a big problem in the country.

While people think accession of Crimea last year was correct, there were mixed reaction about Russia’s involvement in Ukraine and who was responsible for the Malaysian Airline MH17 crash. Reports suggest that Russia is in recession primarily due to western sanctions (due to Russia’s military action in Ukraine) and falling oil prices. Despite the rise in food prices, attributed to Russia’s tit-for-tat embargo on import of western food products, most people seemed supportive, perhaps nationalism at play.

Adorable man
While there were mixed opinions on many topics, it is unprecedented that everyone adores their current President Vladimir Putin. He is seen as a charismatic leader, saviour, cult figure and nothing short of a rock star. People love him because he brings a personal touch while communicating with fellow Russians.

Merchandise using Putin’s name is a testimony for his popularity. T-shirts with the picture of the president and writings like “Putin is the kindest person in the world”, “Putin is the best”, “Russia is Putin” are common. 

Putin has been in power since 1999, after President Boris Yeltsin resigned. It is an achievement for any head of a state to enjoy such popularity even after 15 years at the helm. Is it because of the TINA (There is No other alternative) factor? A recent news report states
that Putin’s popularity within the country is at an all-time high in 2015.

Putin has been rated the most powerful global leader by Forbes for the past two years. In fact, he figures among the top five ever since Forbes began publishing the annual list of global leaders. Under his regime, the Russian economy improved after some tumultuous period after the disintegration of USSR and until 2000. 

A report says that economic output per person has almost doubled during Putin’s regime. The middle class population has prospered under Putin and poverty has reduced from 30 per cent to about 11 per cent over the past 15 years. While foreign media has tried to question Putin’s popularity by arguing that he controls the media, the fact remains that Russians, at least now, are firmly behind the President.

The trust in the president is so high that people are confident that he can get the country out of recession. Notwithstanding the controversy around World Cup 2018 to be hosted by Russia, Putin has started the 1,000-day countdown.

The people hope this event to bring in huge infrastructure development and help revive the economy. They expect their country to scale greater heights under Putin’s leadership. Can he deliver all over again?

(The writer is adviser, Centre for Educational and Social Studies, Bengaluru)