Every year, statistics on Russians' fears change under the influence of domestic and foreign policy, economic and social factors. And the Public Relations Development Company (KROS) studies the most popular news and topics in social networks and their correlation. Thus, it collects the most popular fears of Russians, combining them into the "National Anxiety Index".
10. Water element
Floods top the list of the biggest fears of Russians. According to statistics, every year Russia loses from 40 to 70 billion rubles due to floods, not to mention human lives. Currently, about 12 million people live in areas at risk of flooding.
Floods are most feared in Moscow, the Moscow Region, Krasnoyarsk and Altai Krais. The latter is one of the most dangerous in terms of flood areas in Russia. Five years ago, Altai suffered one of the worst floods, the likes of which had not been seen in half a century. And just three years later, in 2018, the flood came again. Last year, losses - both property and human - were avoided. And what will happen this year?
9. Hungry animals
This horror story seems to have come straight from the pages of a history textbook or a horror movie. However, for residents of small villages in some regions of Russia, it is terrifyingly real. This year, the wolf population has increased by 20%, they have nothing to eat, so they come to human habitation. They do not attack people yet, but they steal and devour domestic dogs.
According to the local press, the residents of the Korkerossky District of the Komi Republic suffer the most from the gray predators, where the four-legged predators walk the streets in broad daylight without fear. Invasions of the animals are also feared in the Arkhangelsk Region, the Perm Territory and... suddenly, Moscow. Apparently, residents of the most populated city in Russia are seriously afraid that a forest predator will suddenly appear on the threshold of their cozy apartment on the tenth floor.
8. Military conflicts with Ukraine
Nobody wants war, especially the residents of Donbass and the nearby Russian territories. According to the latest information, the Ukrainian government is moving large amounts of equipment and people to the border with the rebel territories.
Artillery fire has also intensified; judging by the pace of the conflict, the war threatens to return to the intensity of 2014-2015. And Vladimir Zhirinovsky claims (but does not disclose his sources) that the Ukrainian government is planning to launch a large-scale offensive on a significant day for our country – June 22.
7. Compulsory vaccination and covid passports
The fear of Covid passports has a dual nature. Some Russians are afraid that they will be forced to get vaccinated and given special passports, without which it will not be very good to live. According to rumors, those who are not vaccinated will be restricted in movement, work and services.
The statements of some politicians who vote for a tougher regime add fuel to the fire of people's fears. And although no one is planning to introduce passports at the official level, it is still somehow scary.
The second reason is that while no one is going to introduce passports in Russia, the European Union is seriously discussing their adoption. Perhaps for this reason, Russians will not be able to attend Barcelona festivals or splash around in the Mediterranean Sea – they won’t be allowed in without a passport.
6. New strains of coronavirus
Every six months, Covid-19 presents a new unpleasant surprise – a fresh strain that experts say could be potentially even more dangerous than the old one.
In December 2020, the British Prime Minister announced a new, even more contagious strain, which prompted another tightening of quarantine. And a number of countries, fearing that the new infection would reach them, closed their borders with England. Now there are rumors of another "newcomer", this time from Brazil. Residents of the two capitals and the Krasnodar Territory are most afraid of new varieties of the virus.
5. Phobia of revolutions and the social upheavals they cause
As sociologists say, Russians have one eternal fear – the fear of losing statehood, order, structure. Over the last hundred years, the Russian people have had to endure two revolutions and one collapse of the country, not to mention two world wars.
It is not surprising that the fear of a new wave of chaos has taken deep root in people. But it is not only about the fear of a "color revolution." People are afraid that the security forces will get too carried away with "harsh measures" and start "beating their own so that strangers will be afraid."
The fact that protest forces have begun to actively involve minors in their ranks does not add optimism. Parents are far from delighted with the prospect of using their beloved child as cannon fodder in political games. The greatest fear of political instability is in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the Novgorod Region, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories.
4. Deterioration of Russian-American relations
The rise to power of John Biden in the United States does not promise anything good for Russia, some Russians are sure (most of them live in the two capitals, in the Moscow and Kaluga regions, as well as in Sevastopol).
Baden's campaign promises included a point about punishing evil Russian hackers who allegedly elected Trump as president against the will of the American people (or at least the enlightened part of it). Moreover, the Americans attributed Navalny's recent health problems to Moscow, which allegedly used chemical weapons against the opposition leader.
Possible sanctions could include a ban on travel abroad for some pro-government Russian oligarchs, removing Russia from SWIFT, and possible problems with our country's national debt.
3. State pressure on social networks
Users were scared by Roskomnadzor's claims to block Twitter in Russia if the foreign social network refuses to comply with the Russian organization's demands. The twists and turns with Telegram are still fresh in memory, when many harmless services fell under Roskomnadzor's scythe. It's scary to imagine how many Internet resources will suffer if the overseers of the Russian part of the global network decide to block Twitter.
There are also rumors that the authorities will not limit themselves to Twitter alone: YouTube, Facebook, and possibly other services will also suffer. Plus, politicians full of patriotic fervor have made speeches that import substitution should be developed not only in agriculture and industry, but also on the Internet - by creating new Russian services. And there are precedents of blocking in history, for example, the "Great Firewall of China", which limits access of residents of the Celestial Empire to the World Wide Web.
Residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Novgorod region are most concerned about restrictions on access to the World Wide Web.
2. Rising food prices
The top 3 most powerful fears in Russia include the fear of going hungry due to a sharp rise in food prices. This worries residents of the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrugs, Krasnoyarsk Krai, as well as residents of Moscow and the cultural capital, St. Petersburg, the most. According to Rosstat, the beginning of the year does not inspire optimism:
- In three months, prices have risen by 8.2%.
- According to experts, vegetables have risen in price the most – now you will have to pay 17.5% more for a fresh tomato than last year.
- Eggs have gone up in price by 15.2%, and having a sweet with your tea will cost 13.7% more compared to December 2020.
- The price of chicken meat is slowly but inexorably rising, despite an agreement between large Russian poultry companies not to raise prices on some of their products.
- But the champion in price growth was potatoes – their cost increased by 58%.
Prices are expected to rise for flour products, fruits, juices, grains – basically, for everything except, perhaps, salt and drinking milk. By some mysterious quirk of pricing, their cost has hardly changed.
1. Actions of the police and judicial authorities (in connection with protests)
Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Novgorod region fear not only internet restrictions, COVID passports, and revolutions, but also security forces and courts.
The fear of the authorities is not only caused by Navalny's detention and the tension in society that comes with it. In various regions of Russia, a number of actions by the police and courts have caused mistrust among Russians. One of the most notorious examples is an article in Novaya Gazeta about torture and executions in Chechnya. And the least worried about the actions of the authorities are in Omsk Oblast, where either they don't read the press or they have great respect for their police.
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