Division and consolidation in Russian society resulting from the Russian special military operation

Abstract

The paper, written on the basis of all-Russian sociological surveys in 2021-2023, examines the attitude of Russian society to the Special Military Operation in Ukraine (SMO). On the basis of the comparison of empirical data characterising this attitude, the dynamics of the attitude towards the SMO is studied. A detailed description of socio-psychological differences in Russians’ assessment of the special military operation, its consequences, as well as the impact of the SMO on the social behaviour of Russians is given. An analysis of correlations between the relevant sociological indicators allows the authors to create a social typology of these differences and to explain their emergence in the context of value orientations, world outlook, personal life successes, trust in authorities of different levels and emotional dominance in the perception of Russian reality. A sociological characterisation of Russians’ involvement in various forms of support for the participants of SMO and their families, in particular, in the development of the volunteer movement, is given. The article pays special attention to analysing the connection between the variety of views on Russia’s development paths and the differences in the assessments of its policy and its actions in Ukraine. Based on empirical research, the authors show that the implementation of the SMO has influenced the balance of opinion on Russia’s development model in the direction of an increase in the share of its citizens who believe that Russia is a separate civilisation and should not live according to the rules set by the West. The ongoing dispute between the adherents of the country’s original way of development and their Westernoriented opponents has to a greater or lesser extent affected the assessment of various aspects of the SMO and its consequences. However, the line of demarcation between these historical traditions does not overlap with the line of demarcation of positions on the SMO, which has not led to a frontal split in Russian society.