Russians' perceptions of key components of the quality of life and social justice: a cross-section of public opinion in 2024.

This article, based on the latest sociological research data, examines how the current crisis conditions affect Russians' perception of their well-being, their satisfaction with various aspects of everyday life and their ideas about a just state. The author notes that, despite the difficult socio-economic conditions, many Russians have emotionally adapted to the crisis situation, which was greatly facilitated by the growing importance of intangible factors of well-being, primarily harmonious family relations and friendship ties. Based on the studied data, the author notes that many Russians perceive interpersonal relations with their closest circle as a key element of their well-being, which indicates not only the importance of intangible values of communication and emotional comfort, but also the mass demand for stable social ties. Despite the growing influence of non-material factors on citizens' self-assessment of their quality of life, their subjective well-being is largely influenced by the structural social inequalities historically established in society: age, property and geographical inequalities. Young people and residents of large cities more often assess their lives positively, while representatives of older generations and residents of rural areas tend to express a more negative view of their well-being. This difference in perception is also observed in assessments of the availability of quality medical services, where residents of cities, especially megacities, have clear advantages. In the perception of modern Russians, an important component of personal well-being is also life in a justly organized society, and the idea of social justice remains relevant for the majority of citizens. Russians understand social justice primarily as equal opportunities for self-realization and success for all citizens. But, although during the post-Soviet period the idea of income equality lost to the demand for the creation of favorable preconditions for self-realization, today more than a third of Russians prefer equal access to life benefits to equality of “starting conditions”. The author concludes that today public opinion has formed a demand for the active participation of the state in ensuring social justice, which is strengthened under the influence of crisis trends.