Before taking office as Prime Minister in 1999, Putin was little known to a wide range of Russians. The population of the country then perceived him only as another appointee. However, against the background of the head of state, with whose personality all the troubles and shocks of the "crazy 90s" were associated, the athletic, fit, leading a healthy lifestyle V. V. Putin looked very profitable. It is not surprising that after the resignation of B. N. Yeltsin from the presidency, in March 2000, Putin easily won his first presidential election.
Four years later, a large majority of Russians voted for Putin again. They were impressed by his decisiveness in defending national interests in the international arena, the fight against oligarchs (even inconsistent and cautious). In addition, the economic situation in Russia has improved significantly, the standard of living of many citizens has increased. And although this was largely due to the sharp rise in energy prices, the improvements were also directly associated with the personality of V. V. Putin. This also contributed to the growth of his rating. The Russians wanted to see him continue as President, but the Russian Constitution prohibited him from holding this position three times in a row. And in 2008 D. A. Medvedev is Putin's nominee.
Why has Putin's rating now dropped significantly? This happened for various reasons. First, the elementary factor of fatigue worked, that is, people were simply tired of seeing the same person at the top post. Secondly, V. V. Putin was co-served by the United Russia party, of which he was for a long time. Corruption scandals associated with many United Russia members unwittingly cast a shadow on the party leader. It is no coincidence that Vladimir Putin gave up the dubious honor of heading her electoral list in the last elections to the State Duma.
The Russians were dissatisfied with the activities of D. A. Medvedev as President, regarding him as a weak and not very authoritative leader who made unjustified concessions to the West, for example, in matters of sanctions against Libya. In addition, quite a few citizens were jarred by the frank admission of the ruling "tandem" that Putin and Medvedev initially agreed to reshuffle the presidency in 2008 and 2012. They interpreted this as a humiliating disregard for voters.
The economic crisis that began in the same 2008, although it was not even remotely similar to the default of 1998, nevertheless led to an increase in prices and a decrease in citizens' incomes. For example, since July of this year, prices for utilities have increased significantly. And this is also associated with the personality of the leader.
