Aimar Ventsel asks the reasonable question Why Don’t Russians Revolt? on Diplomaatia.ee. He gives a good account of the deteriorating socio-economic situation in Russia and some interesting explanations why this does not lead to a revolt, including:

1. Vladimir Putin has a magnificent image as a benevolent leader. The notion is that the president is not aware of local issues, and upon hearing about them is able to solve all problems.

2. Western sanctions have been portrayed as targeted against the population, and every chance is used to repeat the story that Russia is under attack. This has nurtured a resilience in the population around the belief that life is hard, and one must suffer for the preservation of the nation.

3. The government is the most important job provider in many areas.

4. There are large regional differences in Russia, so people have different concerns and problems.

5. Russians are generally proud of their country and its achievements in a variety of fields like sports, culture, manufacturing, etc.

But perhaps the most important point in Ventsel’s analysis is this:

Finally, it can be noted that, today, the race between a TV and a fridge has been won by the TV—the population of Russia has united to protect themselves against a foreign enemy. However, there is no reason to believe that wide-ranging riots and revolutionary upheavals would bring any good to Russia’s neighbours, at least.

A revolt would most likely be a disaster for both the Russians and their neighbors.