https://sputniknews.in/20250702/anything-but-lonely-what-russia-might-learn-from-your-society-and-vice-versa-9388717.html
Anything But Lonely: What Russia Might Learn From Your Society (and Vice Versa)
Anything But Lonely: What Russia Might Learn From Your Society (and Vice Versa)
Sputnik India
India and the subcontinent, as well as Africa or Central Asia, are the areas where people do not feel lonely, and, incidentally, these are the places with... 02.07.2025, Sputnik India
2025-07-02T14:28+0530
2025-07-02T14:28+0530
2025-07-02T14:28+0530
sputnik opinion
russia
india
the world health organization (who)
africa
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That phrase was a part of a series of interviews, given by a remarkable man. Mr. Valeri Fedorov is the founder and the general director of Russia’s best sociological survey center, known by its local abbreviation, the VTSIOM.There is always something to learn from India, but Fedorov, actually, was speaking not about the Indian, but of the Russian society. His agency has just published its famous annual Happiness Index, but is also watching intently yet another index, the one of loneliness. One may think that Fedorov and many other people here would like Russians to be more like Indians, but that’s not so. We, here, love being complicated and not very logical creatures, at least it’s so from the standpoint of those who study us a nation.VTSIOM is, in fact, a national treasure. Founded in 1980-s, in the midst of changes, it was the first to engage in a previously risky business, that is, to learn what the people really think, and to say it openly. At first, it was only a polling service. But today there are about 300 other big polling agencies nationwide, while VTSIOM has become a powerful brain trust, with several research groups trying to analyze things that seem to be a complete mystery. It’s also a private, not governmental, corporation, mostly working for private business that wants to understand its buyers.Understanding is hard. Like, how can a Russian be relatively happy, but rather lonely at the same time? The zigzagging line showing the level of happiness tells us quite a story about a nation displaying low optimism in the years, that were supposed to be absolutely happy, like 2011, and improving its mood in more recent times. VTSIOM is also following closely the thinking of the nation about the current war with the West. Fedorov is saying that the trend is clear, that is, the support to the government has not only cemented in the last couple of years, it even got slightly bigger.But the studies of loneliness seem to be something new. Why is it important, and why has it caused avid interest of the media? Simply speaking, it’s because Russia, as well as a lot of nations of the world, is entering a new age, with governmental long-term plans to support that trend. So, everyone wants to know how to welcome that new age in and how to get ready for it.To think of it, the recent St. Petersburg international economic forum was mostly about that: what kind of a world is arriving, and how do we encounter it. The answer in one word is, of course, technologies. We are talking about a huge technological revolution, that changes people’s lives. Research structures like VTSIOM habitually delve into these changes and people’s reaction to them.And here we have a nice surprise. Russians are not like Westerners, says Fedorov. We do not fear technologies, we rather love them. We are very Asian in that regard, being natural technooptimists. We do not fear that robots will kick us out of our workplace. At least, several surveys show that Russians think they are too clever and unique to be afraid of any artificial intellect to sideline them.But loneliness is something entirely else. According to Fedorov, loneliness does not have to be a debilitating problem.That’s where the Russian nation diverges noticeably from many others. Here we may quote an interesting document, issued by the World Health Organization. Thing is, loneliness in the new world seems to be a hot topic everywhere.And this is what the WHO document is saying: its Commission on Social Connection has released its global report revealing that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, with significant impacts on health and well-being. Loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour—more than 871 000 deaths annually. Strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life, the report says.Now, I know that the WHO is not exactly an organization that you may trust with figures. The WHO is also known for scaring people on the global scale with this or that threat, with commercial interests shining through every line. But this report has been done – by whom? By Dr Vivek Murthy, Co-chair of the WHO Commission on Social Connection. Hm-m-m. The name sounds well and reliable. Nevertheless, Dr. Murthy is a former Surgeon General of the United States of America, and that is not the best recommendation in our times, with America’s medical lobby being under a cloud, to put it mildly.So the WHO is laying down a lot of new plans. And how can it be otherwise, if, according to the report, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed. Loneliness can also lead to anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.On the other hand, says that document, social connection can protect health across the lifespan. It can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health problems, foster mental health, and prevent early death. It can also strengthen the social fabric, contributing to making communities healthier, safer and more prosperous.That’s why the WHO outlines a roadmap for global action focusing on five key areas: policy, research, interventions, improved measurement (including developing a global Social Connection Index), and public engagement, to shift social norms and bolster a global movement for social connection. You may want to improve your national policies by strengthening social infrastructure (e.g., parks, libraries, cafés) and providing psychological interventions.All these plans seem to be all right, as long as the WHO doesn’t try to make them obligatory, with a global framework convention to oversee the process. While in real life, especially in Russia, we are only beginning to explore the way into the new, hi-tech age with all its complications.And that’s how Valery Fedorov puts is: according to his polling activity, there are much more of lonely people in Russia today, than 3-4-5 years ago. But, at the same time, there are much less folks afraid of loneliness, and, incidentally, that’s why our childbirth rates are low. We are, essentially, happy to be on our own, doing better than before, and artificial intellect is helping us along, together with many other wonders of the hi-tech age. So loneliness may go to hell.Russian national character has been called mysterious centuries before. Today sociology tells us that it is even more mysterious than we thought.Dmitry Kosyrev is a Russian writer, author of spy novels and short stories. He also did columns for the Pioneer and Firstpost.com
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russia, india, the world health organization (who), africa
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Anything But Lonely: What Russia Might Learn From Your Society (and Vice Versa)
India and the subcontinent, as well as Africa or Central Asia, are the areas where people do not feel lonely, and, incidentally, these are the places with higher rates of childbirth.
That phrase was a part of a series of interviews, given by a remarkable man. Mr. Valeri Fedorov is the founder and the general director of Russia’s best sociological survey center, known by its local abbreviation, the VTSIOM.
There is always something to learn from India, but Fedorov, actually, was speaking not about the Indian, but of the Russian society. His agency has just published its famous annual
Happiness Index, but is also watching intently yet another index, the one of loneliness. One may think that Fedorov and many other people here would like Russians to be more like Indians, but that’s not so. We, here, love being complicated and not very logical creatures, at least it’s so from the standpoint of those who study us a nation.
VTSIOM is, in fact, a national treasure. Founded in 1980-s, in the midst of changes, it was the first to engage in a previously risky business, that is, to learn what the people really think, and to say it openly. At first, it was only a polling service. But today there are about 300 other big polling agencies nationwide, while VTSIOM has become a powerful brain trust, with several research groups trying to analyze things that seem to be a complete mystery. It’s also a private, not governmental, corporation, mostly working for private business that wants to understand its buyers.
Understanding is hard. Like, how can a Russian be relatively happy, but rather lonely at the same time? The zigzagging line showing the level of happiness tells us quite a story about a nation displaying low optimism in the years, that were supposed to be absolutely happy, like 2011, and improving its mood in more recent times. VTSIOM is also following closely the thinking of the nation about the current war with the West. Fedorov is saying that the trend is clear, that is, the support to the government has not only cemented in the last couple of years, it even got slightly bigger.
But the studies of loneliness seem to be something new. Why is it important, and why has it caused avid interest of the media? Simply speaking, it’s because Russia, as well as a lot of nations of the world, is entering a new age, with governmental long-term plans to support that trend. So, everyone wants to know how to welcome that new age in and how to get ready for it.
To think of it, the recent St. Petersburg international economic forum was mostly about that: what kind of a world is arriving, and how do we encounter it. The answer in one word is, of course, technologies. We are talking about a huge technological revolution, that changes people’s lives. Research structures like VTSIOM habitually delve into these changes and people’s reaction to them.
And here we have a nice surprise. Russians are not like Westerners, says Fedorov. We do not fear technologies, we rather love them. We are very Asian in that regard, being natural technooptimists. We do not fear that robots will kick us out of our workplace. At least, several surveys show that Russians think they are too clever and unique to be afraid of any artificial intellect to sideline them.
But loneliness is something entirely else. According to Fedorov, loneliness does not have to be a debilitating problem.
That’s where the Russian nation diverges noticeably from many others. Here we may quote an interesting
document, issued by the World Health Organization. Thing is, loneliness in the new world seems to be a hot topic everywhere.
And this is what the WHO document is saying: its Commission on Social Connection has released its global report revealing that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, with significant impacts on health and well-being. Loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour—more than 871 000 deaths annually. Strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life,
the report says.
Now, I know that the WHO is not exactly an organization that you may trust with figures. The WHO is also known for scaring people on the global scale with this or that threat, with commercial interests shining through every line. But this report has been done – by whom? By Dr Vivek Murthy, Co-chair of the WHO Commission on Social Connection. Hm-m-m. The name sounds well and reliable. Nevertheless, Dr. Murthy is a former Surgeon General of the United States of America, and that is not the best recommendation in our times, with America’s medical lobby being under a cloud, to put it mildly.
So the WHO is laying down a lot of new plans. And how can it be otherwise, if, according to the report, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed. Loneliness can also lead to anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
On the other hand, says that document, social connection can protect health across the lifespan. It can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health problems, foster mental health, and prevent early death. It can also strengthen the social fabric, contributing to making communities healthier, safer and more prosperous.
That’s why the WHO outlines a roadmap for global action focusing on five key areas: policy, research, interventions, improved measurement (including developing a global Social Connection Index), and public engagement, to shift social norms and bolster a global movement for social connection. You may want to improve your national policies by strengthening social infrastructure (e.g., parks, libraries, cafés) and providing psychological interventions.
All these plans seem to be all right, as long as the WHO doesn’t try to make them obligatory, with a global framework convention to oversee the process. While in real life, especially in Russia, we are only beginning to explore the way into the new, hi-tech age with all its complications.
And that’s how Valery Fedorov puts is: according to his polling activity, there are much more of lonely people in Russia today, than 3-4-5 years ago. But, at the same time, there are much less folks afraid of loneliness, and, incidentally, that’s why our childbirth rates are low. We are, essentially, happy to be on our own, doing better than before, and artificial intellect is helping us along, together with many other wonders of the hi-tech age. So loneliness may go to hell.
Russian national character has been called mysterious centuries before. Today sociology tells us that it is even more mysterious than we thought.
Dmitry Kosyrev is a Russian writer, author of spy novels and short stories. He also did columns for the Pioneer and Firstpost.com
