"But the deaf ferment inside the public" body "is still going on," Russian political analyst Lilia Shevtsova said in an interview with the "Observer".

Answering the question whether it is possible to expect activation of protest moods, activization of the opposition, including against the backdrop of Western sanctions against the Russian Federation, she noted: "So far, after the protest explosion of 2011-2012, Russia has quieted down. As if she fell asleep. How long? Unclear. After all, no polls warned that people would go out in 2011 ".

The political scientist stated: "Discontent is smoldering and will be able to escape at any moment. Polls say that now 5-7% of respondents are ready to protest. However, various segments of society and protest - truckers, defrauded co-investors, young people. But protest "brooks" do not form a powerful stream. Till".

Shevtsova also drew attention to the fact that in today's Russia "often the protesters turn to the president for help". Thus, "the protest still does not affect the systemic foundations".

The political scientist added that the sanctions of the West do not contribute to the growth of protest moods and the consolidation of the opposition due to the fact that they "reinforce in society not anti-Kremlin, but anti-Western sentiments".

Thus, "at least in the near future the Kremlin may not worry," she assured.

At the same time, the political scientist stressed: "The Kremlin, trying to preserve the power of sprawling matter, is doing a lot of stupid things, undermining its own positions". The regime, the "concreting stage", "deprives people of legal channels of articulating their interests by pushing them out into the street".