Recent public opinion surveys conducted among citizens of Russia prove that there is currently a significant surge in nationalism and patriotism as well as increasing support for Putin all over the country. The majority of Russian people support the annexation of Crimea and Russian foreign policy taken as a whole. Even despite Western sanctions, dramatic fall in value of ruble, and negative international image of Russia, the public opinion of Russian people regarding political and economic situation in the country remains quite positive, with Putin's approval rating being at record levels.
Another important finding relates to the anti-Western opinions in Russia. In actual fact, the majority of ordinary Russians consider foreign policies of Western countries to be unreasoned, irrational and even inefficient, claiming that Western sanctions promote and galvanize national production in Russia.
In the meantime, given what I know about the current political situation in Russia, I believe that the opinions expressed in the survey should not be considered as reliable and trustworthy. In the first place, the survey demonstrates subjective judgments and beliefs of Russian people formed by means of "Kremlin's massive and incisive propaganda" (Herpen 1). Secondly, taking into consideration extremely negative image of Russia in the international arena, particularly resulting from the annexation of Crimea and actions of the Russian military forces in eastern Ukraine, the public opinion does not seem to be unprejudiced and trustworthy.
As it was mentioned above, there is surge in nationalism, nostalgia for the Soviet Union, support for Putin, and anti-Western opinions, which result from the efficiency of Russian propaganda machine. As of today, "in a highly professional way, all media - not only TV, radio, and the press but the Internet and social media also - are employed in the promotion of the Kremlin's message" (Herpen 3). It also should be noted that in the Soviet era, the propaganda machine successfully promoted the idea of full equality of all citizens, which is one of the primary reasons for nostalgia for the Soviet Union.
Work Cited
Herpen, Marcel Van. Putin's Propaganda Machine: Soft Power and Russian Foreign Policy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. Print.
