<\/p>\n
One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Russia back in 2004 was how much the young teenage generation differed from their parents and even from people in their twenties and thirties, despite a difference of a little more than ten years between them. It didn\u2019t take long for me to clearly realize that those born during perestroika or straight after the collapse of Soviet Union are completely different people, living in another world. They\u2019re opinionated and optimistic and goal oriented and brave, altogether with a fearless outlook on the world (perhaps because they\u2019ve never been behind an iron curtain?<\/em>). Immediately I felt that all of Russia\u2019s hopes for the future is in this very new generation, and I wasn\u2019t afraid to speak out about my views, yet many people, both Russians and foreigners, didn\u2019t understand me for over four years time. Now it turns out that at least Russian Newsweek<\/strong><\/a> is on the same page as me, in any case according to their front page story in \u211621 (194) 19-25th of May \u00ab\u041f\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u041f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0432\u044b\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0438 \u043a\u0430\u0440\u044c\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [\u2018Generation Putin\u2019 chooses stability and a career]<\/a>. First it was the picture that caught my attention \u2013 I meet all of these \u2018young types of Russians\u2019 on a daily basis, I know then, and I know them well. Secondly, the interesting use of the word \u00ab\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [knee] in a phraseology-like construction also intrigued me. Though I was not successful in solving the riddle and failed to uncover its whole meaning, I can\u2019t help but to suspect it being a spin-off from the colloquial expression \u00ab(\u043c\u043d\u0435, \u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span>, \u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span>, \u0435\u0439, \u0438\u043c, \u0432\u0430\u043c, \u043d\u0430\u043c) \u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0435 \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [(I, you, he, she, they, you, we) couldn\u2019t care less].<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The article tries to clarify the views and opinions and values of people born between 1983 and 1992, thus simultaneously explaining the generation often called \u201cGeneration Y\u201d<\/strong> or \u201cThe Millenium Generation\u201d<\/strong>. (I know I should probably consider also myself a part of this very generation, but I\u2019ve always felt like an old soul and my year of birth doesn\u2019t really hold that much importance or information to me\u2026<\/em>) The main theme of the article is the problem of how to understand these young people \u2013 what do they want, what are their principles, what do they dream of, what are they ready to work for, and about what couldn\u2019t they care less? Over eight pages long, it has interviews with both scientists and ordinary young people who are just starting out their careers, not only in Moscow but also in other regions. It features an interview with one of Russia\u2019s most successful young bloggers, the twenty-two year old \u0412\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0430 \u041f\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0437\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430<\/strong> with the online nickname of \u00abVero4ka\u00bb<\/strong>, who published her first book at the age of 15 and dropped out of the journalism faculty of Moscow State University one semester before getting her diploma. Though I found many of her answers to the questions both superficial and ignorant, her vocabulary is a remarkable testimony of what happens to people\u2019s ability to express themselves when what they read is limited to the contemporary. It also concludes the results of a country-wide research of the professional aspirations of young Russian people today, narrowing the results down to the following five \u2018types\u2019:<\/p>\n \u00ab\u042f<\/span>\u043f\u043f\u0438 (19% \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0436\u0438) \u2013 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>: \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438, \u0431\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0441\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n Yuppie (19% of young people) \u2013 dream job: entrepreneurs, businessmen.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u0413\u043e\u0441\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432 (16% \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0436\u0438) \u2013 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>: \u044e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b, \u0430\u0434\u0432\u043e\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b, \u0441\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 \u041c\u0412\u0414 (\u041c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u0432\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0434\u0435\u043b<\/em>), \u0424\u0421\u0411 (\u0424\u0435\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0441\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0436\u0431\u0430 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/em>), \u041c\u0427\u0421 (\u041c\u0438\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f \u0447\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0432\u044b\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0441\u0438\u0442\u0443\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0438<\/em>)\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n State-reserve (16% of young people) \u2013 dream job: lawyers, attorneys, officials of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Federal Service of Security, the Police of Extreme Situations.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u041e<\/span>\u0444\u0438\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u043b\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043d (20% \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0436\u0438) \u2013 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>: \u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0434\u0436\u0435\u0440\u044b, \u044e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b, \u0431\u0443\u0445\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0442\u0435\u0440\u044b, \u043c\u0430\u0440\u043a\u0435\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438, \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n Office plankton (20% of young people) \u2013 dream job: managers, lawyers, accountants, working with marketing, [computer] programmers.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u0411\u044e\u0434\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 (13% \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0436\u0438) \u2013 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>: \u0432\u0440\u0430\u0447, \u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c, \u043d\u0430\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n State workers (I choose this translation of the word above, since it comes from <\/em>\u00ab\u0431\u044e\u0434\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [budget] meaning usually in Russian the budget of the government<\/em>) (13% of young people) \u2013 dream job: doctor, teacher, research associate.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u041f\u0440\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0438 (17% \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0436\u0438) \u2013 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>: \u0437\u0430\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043d\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0443 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>, \u043d\u0435 \u043e\u0440\u0438\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u044b \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u043a\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0443\u044e \u0441\u0444\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0443 \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044f\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043f\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0443 \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u043e\u0440\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f\u0445\u00bb <\/strong><\/p>\n Proletarian (17% of young people) \u2013 dream job: they find it difficult to name their dream job; they\u2019re not oriented toward any particular sphere of employment, preferring work in commercial organizations.<\/p>\n All in all, the new generation of Putin, not having known any of the economic difficulties or political troubles that their parents and older brothers and sisters knew, don’t dream only of money and becoming ‘presidents’ of companies and\/or countries, but prefer having a job they like and doing something they care about, even if it means a smaller salary. They’re ready to risk in order to win, and they might also be the first Russian generation that will put off getting married and having kids until they’re over 30. They’re also the first non-communistic generation to be politically aware, whereas the generation before them (1970-1983) doesn’t seem to give a damn. Who knows what this will mean for Russia in the long run? For once I’ll agree with the washed-out Russian saying “\u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e<\/span>“<\/strong> [everything will be good].<\/p>\n P.S. I’m really thankful for any kind of comments on my English translations of the Russian! Any suggestions for improval is always welcome, since it’s not my native language and sometimes I don’t ‘feel’ it the way I should.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00ab\u0418\u043c \u043c\u0438\u0440 \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043e \u2013 \u0432\u044b\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0431\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\u00bb [They couldn\u2019t care less (about the world) \u2013 the first generation of stability has grown up]. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Russia back in 2004 was how much the young teenage generation differed from their parents and even from…<\/p>\n