Putin and United Russia See Approval Ratings Drop
Sociological services published data on April 10, 2026, indicating a decline in trust ratings for Vladimir Putin and the ruling United Russia party. A survey conducted from March 30 to April 5 showed that approval for President Putin's activities stands at 67.8%, a drop of 2.3 percentage points in one week. While 73.8% of respondents expressed direct trust in Putin, this figure also fell by 0.8 points over the same period.
Putin's spontaneous trust rating—where respondents name a trusted figure without prompting—was even lower at just 29.5%. This spontaneous rating fell by 2.6 points over the month of March. The United Russia party's rating also suffered, declining to 29.7%. A separate study by the Public Opinion Foundation on April 3 recorded a weekly drop of 5 percentage points in trust for Putin, marking the most significant single-week decline since 2019. These figures are closely monitored as indicators of domestic political stability.
Launch of the 'MemoryPlace' Project
Simultaneously, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the launch of a propaganda initiative called 'MemoryPlace'. This project aims to create a global map of Soviet monuments and a register of 'destroyed' memorials.
The latest sociological data points to diminishing trust in the country's top leadership, suggesting growing public dissatisfaction. As domestic support wanes, initiatives like 'MemoryPlace' may represent a government effort to shape public opinion and bolster patriotic sentiment. Such moves are often interpreted as attempts to consolidate national identity during periods of political uncertainty.
As public trust in Vladimir Putin and the United Russia party continues to decline, it's noteworthy that other political figures are gaining traction. For instance, Budanov's rising approval rating has now surpassed 60%, placing him in a competitive position alongside Zaluzhnyi. This shift in public opinion highlights evolving dynamics within the political landscape, suggesting a potential change in voter sentiment amidst growing dissatisfaction with current leadership.