№ 3 - 2005
Shestopal Ye.B.
New Tendencies of the Perception of the Power in Russia

On the basis of the data of a politico-psychological investigation carried out in 2000 to 2004 at the Political Philosophy Chair, Philosophical Department, Moscow State University, the author retraces new tendencies outlined in recent years in Russian society’s perception of power in general and of the President in particular. On analyzing the rational and the unreasoning aspects of mass consciousness, the author comes to the conclusion that in 2004 it were the images of both the power itself and of its bearers that underwent deformation. In particular, as distinct from the period of V.Putin’s first presidency, when extremely negative attitude to the power had been paradoxically combined with emotionally positive perception of its symbol, today the latter has also faded. Dissatisfaction is roused by decisions being adopted by Putin, by his insensitivity to mass sentiments, by his lack of ability to cope with the country’s most acute problems — from poverty up to the war in Chechnya. At the same time, according to the author’s conclusion, Putin still retains certain potential and it depends only on himself whether he will manage to avail himself of it or will dissipate it like that potential of confidence in him, with which he came to the Kremlin.