But some say that their lifestyle hasn't changed. There's nothing sad about that, actually. Moscow is a European city. You just have to make an intellectual effort, show some diligence. Then everything will turn out all right.
Analysts say such optimism is representative of the younger generation.
And according to Yuri Levada, the main issue is adjusting. Analyzing opinion polls his center conducts every two months, Levada says that the mood of Russians has stabilized in recent months, or perhaps has even improved slightly. He says that a poll taken just before the crisis showed that 29 percent of respondents said that they could barely make ends meet. He says the percentage of those saying their situation was dire rose to 40 percent in December but then fell to 37 percent in July. Levada says that several factors explain this slight improvement.