Together with Felix, we discuss Russia’s social, economic and political situation. We try to determine the genuine attitudes of Russian society, and different classes within this society, towards the war in Ukraine, and explain why it is difficult to trust official public opinion polls.

We also examine how a deliberate long-time depoliticization of Russian society now clashes with big politics influencing people’s lives. Our guest explains why most of Russians still intend to live as if nothing happened – and why this would be impossible in a (not that) long perspective.

Other questions we seek answer to: are there some serious signs of rising resistance or protest potential against the war and the regime in Russia? How did the war influence the position of labour? What are the prospects for Russian society in the future?

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Małgorzata Kulbaczewska-Figat Cross-Border Talks co-founder and co-coordinator. Poland-based journalist reporting on political life and social changes in Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on labour movements. Examining peripheral capitalism and people’s self-organisation. Digging out forgotten history of Polish (and East-European) workers’ struggles. Her texts were published by Dziennik Trybuna in Poland, Left.it in Italy, Avgi in Greece and other progressive outlets.

Felix Levin

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