Russian voters are set to propel Vladimir Putin to another term as president in an election on Sunday but for many ordinary people economic concerns cast a shadow on their lives.
Buffeted by lower oil prices and the effect of Western sanctions, Russia’s gross domestic product expanded by only 1.5% last year, well below the robust growth Russians had come to expect in the earlier years of Putin’s rule.
Some of those that prospered under Putin in the boom years have seen the value of a ruble push up inflation and squeezing household budgets further.
They are left feeling poorer and see little link between the political landscape and economic panorama.
“The only thing we want is for our lives to improve, not on a geopolitical level as is happening now, but the actual personal life of every person,” said Moscow resident Dmitry. “Do the elections influence this? I think not.”
But there are those that have found comfort in their president standing up for Russia against Western governments that view him as a dangerous autocrat. Despite being laid off from the medical profession and now working at an indoor market, Muscovite Galina said Russia had become more influential under Putin and commanded greater international respect.
In an election campaign where Putin has benefited from glowing coverage on mainstream television, he has cast himself as the only person who can defend Russia’s national interests in a hostile world.
Opinion polls show Putin, 65, with a commanding election lead, all but guaranteeing him another term that will take him to nearly a quarter century in power – a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Josef Stalin.
