Amidst the ongoing conflict and systematic strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries and logistics hubs, a fuel shortage is growing across the Russian Federation. In several regions, queues at gas stations stretch for several kilometers, with waiting times for gasoline extending up to 69 hours. Paradoxically, despite deteriorating living conditions and an economic crisis, mass street protests are not occurring. Experts and analysts, including a report by The Atlantic, point to deep historical and psychological reasons for this passivity.
The legacy of the Soviet queue: scarcity as the norm of life
One of the key factors curbing social tension is the cultural memory of the Soviet past. For many generations of Russians, the scarcity of goods and waiting in queues became a familiar part of daily life, rooted in the USSR era. Soviet researchers even viewed the queue as an element of public identity, noting that citizens spent billions of working hours a year waiting for essential goods. This mindset of "everyone lives like this" allows society to perceive current hardships not as a reason for rebellion, but as a temporary inconvenience to which one can adapt.
Fear of the state apparatus
Beyond the habit of deprivation, fear of repression remains a powerful deterrent. As activists note, the situation in modern Russia may be even more dangerous than in Soviet times. People fear denunciations from neighbors, and even minor expressions of anti-war sentiment, such as listening to certain music or leaving flowers at monuments, can lead to prison sentences. This fear keeps criticism of the authorities within the realm of "kitchen conversations," preventing it from spilling onto the streets. A striking example of state brutality was the Novocherkassk massacre of 1962, when the military dispersed peaceful demonstrators, serving as a historical lesson for subsequent generations.
Economic crisis and adaptation
The Russian economy is under severe stress due to the loss of export revenues and the destruction of infrastructure. Major banks, such as Sberbank and VTB, are recording a deterioration in the quality of their loan portfolios, while marketplaces face a rise in overdue debts. The aggressor state is forced to import gasoline from India to cover the domestic deficit. However, as researcher Irina Borogan notes, instead of war fatigue, Russians demonstrate an amazing ability to "tighten their belts" and adapt to new conditions, perceiving difficulties as a reason for unity rather than protest.
Political monopoly and the absence of systemic opposition
The Russian political system leaves no room for the legal expression of discontent. The Supreme Court excluded the Yabloko party—the only anti-war force—from the ballot before the parliamentary elections, accusing it of extremism. The opposition, represented by the CPRF and LDPR, is systemic in nature and does not criticize Vladimir Putin personally. As a result, even in the presence of economic problems, citizens have no legal channels to express protest, and attempts to take to the streets, as happened in 2022, lead to mass arrests.
