Russia election: What do young Russians think of Putin?

[Gunny]

Nikita Pavlov is six days too young to vote in Russia's presidential election on 18 March.
"It doesn't matter, I wouldn't have voted anyway," he says. "This is the election with no choice."
Nikita lives in Nizhny Novgorod, a central Russian city of one million inhabitants.
He wants to study in Moscow and in a few months he will find out if his grades are good enough.
"There's no prospect for me here," he says.
."A job in an office for 50,000 roubles (£633; $880) a month is the best I can hope for in this town."After finishing school, many young Russians head to Moscow or St Petersburg. That is where the jobs and the money are.
Nikita's dream is to become an entertainer. He wants to be like Ivan Urgant, a Russian late-night talk show host similar to Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel.
"But you can't speak freely on TV," he says. And censorship is not the only problem.
"We live in a feudal state here in Russia," Nikita says. "If I look for a good position after graduation, all the nice posts will be taken by well-connected sons."

cont ...http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43088445

There are 3 different short interviews. The prevailing notion is that it doesn't really matter whether or not they vote. The outcome is already decided. Son glimpses of interesting points of view.

[Drummond]

cont ...http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43088445

There are 3 different short interviews. The prevailing notion is that it doesn't really matter whether or not they vote. The outcome is already decided. Son glimpses of interesting points of view.

I've previously posted this, on the subject of how Russia's youth see Putin ...

https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/...st-putin-60309

Russia's Youth Takes the Lead in Countrywide Protests Against Putin

"I'm prepared to be shot," says one protester. "Money and power, that's all that Putin wants," says another

[Polite Russian]

I don't think, that you can find any correct info about young russians's thoughts about Putin. But, you have me here

Majority of young people do not accept anything, that our politicans do. We are tired of that (post)soviet old dudes, that stuck in old world (I dont think, that it is only Russia's problem, btw. Except "soviet" part, that's our special :\)
But at the same time there is no actual opposition here. We have the "official opposition", who, actually is the same. And some liberal dummies, who can remind you your democrats. We have some candidates, but nobody trust them.

As for me, I do not support anyone. And I'm not going to waste my time on that fake "elections". Everybody knows everything, but there is no alternative for now.
All we can do - just look at this crap and wait, untill it will eliminate itself. And only then there will be chances to change something.

[Polite Russian]

Problems started with the revolution. When the whole Europe was learning how to use democracy, we did tanks, and all that stuff. There was no freedom here, but then USSR fall, and suddenly we gain a lot of freedom. But then a lot of wars on borders, "hot spots", 2 Chechen wars, chaos inside country. And now we have what we have.

[Gunny]

Problems started with the revolution. When the whole Europe was learning how to use democracy, we did tanks, and all that stuff. There was no freedom here, but then USSR fall, and suddenly we gain a lot of freedom. But then a lot of wars on borders, "hot spots", 2 Chechen wars, chaos inside country. And now we have what we have.

I hear ya about the drama

[jimnyc]

cont ...http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43088445

There are 3 different short interviews. The prevailing notion is that it doesn't really matter whether or not they vote. The outcome is already decided. Son glimpses of interesting points of view.

Pretty much everyone in the world knows the numbers don't matter, the vote doesn't matter, its all a facade. Well, a few folks that troll and what not try and claim it's all on the up and up, and Putin is an upstanding citizen, and not a murdering dickhead, who ensures he'll win the vote should he want to. Just amazing how folks die and get poisoned and get shot over the years. I'm sure it's probably all people from the UK, and just trying to lay blame on Putin.

Yeah, that's it.

[Gunny]

I don't think, that you can find any correct info about young russians's thoughts about Putin. But, you have me here

Majority of young people do not accept anything, that our politicans do. We are tired of that (post)soviet old dudes, that stuck in old world (I dont think, that it is only Russia's problem, btw. Except "soviet" part, that's our special :\)
But at the same time there is no actual opposition here. We have the "official opposition", who, actually is the same. And some liberal dummies, who can remind you your democrats. We have some candidates, but nobody trust them.

As for me, I do not support anyone. And I'm not going to waste my time on that fake "elections". Everybody knows everything, but there is no alternative for now.
All we can do - just look at this crap and wait, untill it will eliminate itself. And only then there will be chances to change something.

Good to hear from someone from Russia who isn't just buying off on all the political crap. We have it here as well. What I don't get is this:

Why is all the propaganda anti-US? We really quit paying attention to Russia 30 years ago. We don't discuss it, and our young people don't know anything more about the Cold War than your young people. It seems very much that in Russian minds, there has been this "war" still going on during all that time.

Sounds a LOT like politicians inventing an enemy to focus the people's minds against. Hitler's favorite tactic. Then people like this popa-whatever come here and start talking all this trash that is untrue.

Of course our politicians are going to condemn the annexing of Crimea. They're going to condemn the use of chemical warfare. That's what they do. Your politicians in turn vote against everything the US is for. Kind of childish, if you ask me, but that's how it is. Putin seems to be playing right along.

What no one seems to notice is Trump has NOT reacted to it until the poisoning of this ex-spy in Britain. Anyone can see why that would piss off the Brits. Trump said is we will back the UK. Not a surprise. Otherwise, I'm not getting the one-sided propaganda.

And are ALL Russian commies left over from the Stone Age and their disciples like Balu and popa-whatever as one-sided, ignorant and arrogant as these two? What a couple of weirdo's.

[Polite Russian]

Good to hear from someone from Russia who isn't just buying off on all the political crap. We have it here as well. What I don't get is this:

Why is all the propaganda anti-US? We really quit paying attention to Russia 30 years ago. We don't discuss it, and our young people don't know anything more about the Cold War than your young people. It seems very much that in Russian minds, there has been this "war" still going on during all that time.

Sounds a LOT like politicians inventing an enemy to focus the people's minds against. Hitler's favorite tactic. Then people like this popa-whatever come here and start talking all this trash that is untrue.

Of course our politicians are going to condemn the annexing of Crimea. They're going to condemn the use of chemical warfare. That's what they do. Your politicians in turn vote against everything the US is for. Kind of childish, if you ask me, but that's how it is. Putin seems to be playing right along.

What no one seems to notice is Trump has NOT reacted to it until the poisoning of this ex-spy in Britain. Anyone can see why that would piss off the Brits. Trump said is we will back the UK. Not a surprise. Otherwise, I'm not getting the one-sided propaganda.

And are ALL Russian commies left over from the Stone Age and their disciples like Balu and popa-whatever as one-sided, ignorant and arrogant as these two? What a couple of weirdo's.

Honestly I don't know, what's wrong between RF and US. I mean when it all started. As I know, at the beginning of all that shit, Putin was pro-western, pro-American president, but then something go wrong. I think, that it is all about geopolitics, as usual. And of cource we have more conservative society here, and this is the point, how our propaganda can be builded. You just show all our differences in a bad way.

Look, Crimea is our, slav's buisness. I do not support A LOT of our government moves. I condemn a lot of their decisions. But the "annexion" of Crimea was right. And now I don't mean politics, I mean in people's minds. The Crimean people. I know A LOT of people from that part of, already, Russia (evil Russian's occupant laugh). And people of Donbass hoped of the same fate.. I have some friends, that go there to fight. It's about people. People of Crimea (majority) and Donbass are identifying themselfes as Russians, they speak Russian language, they was raised in Russian culture. And they never supported Ukrainian language. So yes, if we have some international laws about people right to identify themselfes (sorry, I don't know, how that law called), so it is their way to show world, that they are not Ukrainians.


BUT! There is a moment, when even those people, who was ready to forgive Putin for some old shit, suddenly stopped to support him again. A lot of young people here think, that we shoud "annex" Donbass. People of Donbass was waiting for Russian Army to come. You can not belive me, but it is what I heard from refugees, from militants (that's the way we call Donbass separatists and volunteers).



And communists are the same everywhere, yeah. I don't know what to do with that phenomenon.


Now all of you can throw some bottles at me, because of my words about Crimea and Donbass But I live not so far away, I know people from combat zone personaly, so I belive, that my info is okay :3


And again, sorry, if I did some grammar mistakes.

[Polite Russian]

And about my compatriots... I think, that they are just trolls.

[Gunny]

Honestly I don't know, what's wrong between RF and US. I mean when it al started. As I know, at the beginning of all that shit, Putin was pro-western, pro-American president, but then something go wrong. I think, that it is all about geopolitics, as usual. And of cource we have more conservative society here, and this is the point, how our propaganda can be builded. You just show all our differences in a bad way.

Look, Crimea is our, slav's buisness. I do not support A LOT of our government moves. I condemn a lot of their decisions. But the "annexion" of Crimea was right. And now I don't mean politics, I mean in people's minds. The Crimean people. I know A LOT of people from that part of, already, Russia (evil Russian's occupant laugh). And people of Donbass hoped of the same fate.. I have some friends, that go there to fight. It's about people. People of Crimea (majority) and Donbass are identifying themselfes as Russians, they speak Russian language, they was raised in Russian culture. And they never supported Ukrainian language. So yes, if we have some international laws about people right to identify themselfes (sorry, I don't know, how that law called), so it is their way to show world, that they are not Ukrainians.


BUT! There is a moment, when even those people, who was ready to forgive Putin for some old shit, suddenly stopped to support him again. A lot of young people here think, that we shoud "annex" Donbass. People of Donbass was waiting for Russian Army to come. You can not belive me, but it is what I heard from refugees, from militants (that's the way we call Donbass separatists and volunteers).



And communists are the same everywhere, yeah. I don't know what to do with that phenomenon.


Now all of you can throw some bottles at me, because of my words about Crimea and Donbass But I live not so far away, I know people from combat zone personaly, so I belive, that my info is okay :3


And again, sorry, if I did some grammar mistakes.

From our perspective -- and @Drummond can feel free to join in as e is from Europe and I am not -- you have two problems.

One, the reasoning you give for annexing Crimea is the EXACT SAME reason Hitler used to annex both the Sudetenland and Austria. Germanic people ruled and discriminated against by non-German people. Russia invading a NATO country automatically puts Russia at odds with ALL NATO countries, which is most of Western Europe. Ukraine and a couple of other former Soviet countries joined NATO for just this very reason ... protection from Russia.

As a Marine, the way I was trained, and we conducted business, when the USSR dissolved, we treated ALL former Soviet nations as if they were still Soviet nations. That is of course at odds with what our politicians did, being politicians. I always thought Ukraine and Crimea were Russian provinces, so I did not give it much thought.

Apparently, Putin did. That is when his attitude toward the West changed. My own opinion is we have enough to deal with and if NATO wants to do something about Russia, they can. We put in our vote and pay our dues (of course), but Eastern Europe is not exactly a big concern of ours.

I don't know WHAT the politicians are thinking about Syria. Syria has never been friendly to the West so it isn't like the West is losing anything. Once the French left and quit dealing with Assad's father, he began dealing with the USSR. France was everything but openly hostile toward the US and other Western "allies" to begin with because Degaulle was a commie.

My opinion on that is we just need to get out. Too many different sides in a war that is not ours, and a war that is not focused on attacking ISIS which is the reason we are involved.

Where I DO care is that Assad and Russia are supporting an Iranian terrorist army, Hezbollah. Anyway, the US needs to just get out and let everyone kill each other. Since we are not going to commit full US forces to it and take the place, sticking around to get shot at and blamed for crap is a waste of time.

[Drummond]

From our perspective -- and @Drummond can feel free to join in as e is from Europe and I am not -- you have two problems.

One, the reasoning you give for annexing Crimea is the EXACT SAME reason Hitler used to annex both the Sudetenland and Austria. Germanic people ruled and discriminated against by non-German people. Russia invading a NATO country automatically puts Russia at odds with ALL NATO countries, which is most of Western Europe. Ukraine and a couple of other former Soviet countries joined NATO for just this very reason ... protection from Russia.

As a Marine, the way I was trained, and we conducted business, when the USSR dissolved, we treated ALL former Soviet nations as if they were still Soviet nations. That is of course at odds with what our politicians did, being politicians. I always thought Ukraine and Crimea were Russian provinces, so I did not give it much thought.

Apparently, Putin did. That is when his attitude toward the West changed. My own opinion is we have enough to deal with and if NATO wants to do something about Russia, they can. We put in our vote and pay our dues (of course), but Eastern Europe is not exactly a big concern of ours.

I don't know WHAT the politicians are thinking about Syria. Syria has never been friendly to the West so it isn't like the West is losing anything. Once the French left and quit dealing with Assad's father, he began dealing with the USSR. France was everything but openly hostile toward the US and other Western "allies" to begin with because Degaulle was a commie.

My opinion on that is we just need to get out. Too many different sides in a war that is not ours, and a war that is not focused on attacking ISIS which is the reason we are involved.

Where I DO care is that Assad and Russia are supporting an Iranian terrorist army, Hezbollah. Anyway, the US needs to just get out and let everyone kill each other. Since we are not going to commit full US forces to it and take the place, sticking around to get shot at and blamed for crap is a waste of time.

Excellent post. I don't have much to add.

I've noticed how irremediably hostile Russians are to Ukraine. I believe that all this amounts to is massive (and insufferably arrogant) Russian resentment that Ukraine actually dares to want its full independence from Russia. They ally themselves to NATO ... Putin hates that. Just as he will hate to see such independence from any former USSR State that he still has the longer-term intention to politically dominate.

The annexation of Crimea was absolutely disgusting. Done through a so-called 'Referendum' that yielded totally improbable voting figures, and internationally seen to be illegal. Would Putin ever consider allowing Crimea another Referendum ? Absolutely not .. at any time, ever. He's been reported as saying that.

Hitler would've approved, no doubt.

On Europe ... consider one fact, when it comes to Europe standing strongly against Russia, politically. Much of Europe depends on Russia for its gas supplies. This is far less true for us in the UK, I believe. Europe will, therefore, be reluctant to go beyond a limited extent to back us against Russia, when it comes to the Salisbury chemical weapon deployment issue, for example.

[Our 'Brexit' intentions don't help, either ! Our exit from the EU is being taken very badly by the EU, and they've dreamed up various tricks to make departure negotiations a tough process.]

[Gunny]

To try and start from the beginning ...

As I said, I thought Ukraine was part of Russia. I did not know it was not until I asked polite russian to translate a Ukrainian song for me and he said he didn't speak Ukrainian. I know very little about the internal politics of the Soviet Union. I could at one time operate most of their small arms proficiently . I did not and still do not know who gained independence post-USSR. I do recall that Ukraine was one country that did.

Then I also recalled stories of Ukrainian guards in Nazi death camps. I wasn't sure if this was collaboration by Ukrainians or the usual 3rd Reich offer of "join or die". It appears however that this past association with Hitler is STILL used as a propaganda tool against Ukraine. Popa-whatever was incensed that his "Nazi scare tactic" didn't phase me like I should worry they're going to take over in my sleep.

Then there is the fact that if NATO is what it was designed to be, ANY transgression against ANY NATO member should have been met by force, not a bunch of old women sitting around a table trying to shame the transgressor and imposing "sanctions" that apparently no one cares about. If NATO doesn't work, I'm all for getting out of it as much as I am the UN. Nobody cares what either thinks or does. From a military standpoint, I consider NATOs response lame.

This reminds me greatly of what turned into WWI. Old mutual defense alliances that were obsolete that ended up involving everyone out of commitment, whether or not the cause was just, anyone agreed. I mean, who in the modern, countries REALLY cared if a back water Serb shot Franz Ferdinand? Lot a people died for a pompous old fool because of those treaties.

As far as I am concerned, the US should keep it's mutual defense treaties with the UK, Israel, Japan, the Philippines and throw the rest out and let anyone that wants to come knocking and base any treaty on who that country is now and where it is now and why it wants a treaty with us.

[Papokarlo]

the people welcomed Putin in Crimea


Crimea has always been part of Russia, but in the middle of the 20th century it was illegally transferred to Ukraine. one morning people woke up not in Russia but in Ukraine.

[Gunny]

the people welcomed Putin in Crimea


Crimea has always been part of Russia, but in the middle of the 20th century it was illegally transferred to Ukraine. one morning people woke up not in Russia but in Ukraine.

How was it "illegally" transferred? From a map, it looks to be part of Ukraine and not Russia. Russia is having to build a bridge to get to it.

You mean it was part of the Soviet Union which was the biggest illegal land grab in the 20th century? The Soviet Union was dissolved BY Russia. Russia didn't want it. Now it does so it just takes the place by force. You can call that whatever you want. It's called unprovoked, armed invasion and occupation by force by any logical mind. Not to mention stealing.

[Papokarlo]

How was it "illegally" transferred? From a map, it looks to be part of Ukraine and not Russia. Russia is having to build a bridge to get to it.

You mean it was part of the Soviet Union which was the biggest illegal land grab in the 20th century? The Soviet Union was dissolved BY Russia. Russia didn't want it. Now it does so it just takes the place by force. You can call that whatever you want. It's called unprovoked, armed invasion and occupation by force by any logical mind. Not to mention stealing.

at the end of the second world war was a divided area. we paid early in the war against Hitler. Hitler wanted to destroy all of Europe, including police, jewels, Russians, and the Baltic States(all these Nations he wanted to exterminate) we liberated these countries from Hitler. Further divided Europe between America England and the Soviet Union(Yalta conference), in my opinion it is fair. Crimea has always been a part of Russia since the 1400's. Lenin Created Ukraine in the early 20th century. And Brezhnev in the middle of the 20th century gate of Crimea to Ukraine, illegally. during the second world war we lost about 40 000 000 people(it was a brutal war)