Non-monetary inequalities in modem Russia: Specifics and dynamics under the crisis of 2020

Based on data from the all-Russian representative studies carried out by FCTAS RAS in 2018-2020, the system of non-monetary inequalities in modern Russian society and the changes that have occurred under the influence of the crisis caused by the first wave of the pandemic are analyzed. The key axes of non-monetary inequalities show a high degree of concentration: "safety cushion", favorable employment conditions, good health and education, subjective well-being are typical for only a minority of the population. Along all these axes, the very nature of inequality is determined by the qualitative differences between the small-sized "top" and the rest of the mass strata. The position in the system of non-monetary inequalities to a greater extent differentiates the most high-income strata from other Russians, rather than the low-income. The availability of digital opportunities is no longer concentrated in the upper strata, but their absence characterizes the lower strata. The differentiation of the working population occurs by the degree of infringement of basic rights and alienation of labor, i.e. by deprivation, while the additional benefits are available only for a minority of working Russians. The last crisis impacted differently on non-monetary inequalities, but the changes did not affect the general configuration of social space. Research findings have confirmed that inequality in the mass strata of the Russian population is associated not only with differences in the level of current income. Non-monetary inequalities are superimposed on monetary inequalities and exacerbate them rather than smooth them out.