Irina Mersianova: "A Significant Share of Russians Have Developed a Habit of Helping"

The first discussion of 2025, titled "How Have Russians’ Attitudes Toward NGOs Changed in 2024 and Over the Past 16 Years?", was held at the Blagosfera Media Center. This event is part of the series "What Do We Know About the State of Civil Society Based on Survey Data and Statistics?", organized by the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector in collaboration with the Blagosfera Center.

© HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector

The keynote speaker was Irina Mersianova, Director of the HSE Center for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector. The invited expert was Elena Topoleva-Soldunova, Director of the Agency for Social Information, member of the Russian Civic Chamber, and Director of the Dobrota Severa (Kindness of the North) Charitable Foundation.

As noted by the discussion moderator, Natalia Kaminarskaya, Director of the Blagosfera Center, the audience had the opportunity to examine empirical data from the civil society monitoring conducted by the HSE Centre (with support from the HSE Basic Research Program) in the context of Russian NGOs’ practical experience. Key discussion points included whether there have been changes in:

• Public awareness of NGO activities,

• Levels of trust and distrust toward NGOs,

• Russians’ willingness to participate in NGO work and donate time or money.

The analysis focused on shifts in 2024 while also highlighting long-term trends over the past 16 years. The event was live-streamed for participants from other regions.

The discussion was based on nationwide NGO surveys, public opinion polls, and other research conducted by the HSE Center since 2006. Natalia Kaminarskaya emphasized:
"In our partner series, the HSE Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector plays the leading role. They conduct an incredible number of diverse, essential, and highly valuable surveys—data that can be used by everyone working in the social sector, across various nonprofit and public organizations. Most importantly, this is not ad-hoc research but part of a long-term, methodologically rigorous study repeated annually under the same principles, allowing us to track dynamics and identify development trends."

Irina Mersianova explained that while the monitoring includes recurring indicators, new themes emerge each year, such as studies on specific volunteer groups. She highlighted that interested readers can explore the Center’s findings in last year’s monograph, "Citizen Self-Organization, Charity, and the Third Sector: Theories, History, and Contemporary Trends", where eight chapters are devoted to empirical data analysis.

Mersianova noted that the theoretical insights presented in the first two chapters would otherwise require extensive review of foreign-language sources. Natalia Kaminarskaya added:
"The book provides a robust scientific foundation for our work. Alongside empirical data, numerous graphs, and illustrations, it offers a comprehensive understanding of our reality, framing the third sector as a critical, observable, and research-worthy phenomenon."