Attitudes to Kuzbass miners protests in the period of transition to market economy (1992-1999)

Miners of Kuznetsk region in the 1990s no longer had the unconditional support of the society as it was in the late Soviet era. Market relations changed public consciousness, increased susceptibility to conflicting views of citizens on social and political processes, including forms and methods of protest. The deteriorating economic situation, increased social differentiation, competition forced people to have a new look at the struggle of miners. In the new conditions of struggle the attitude of the miners to the society changes, too. They start to look for the ''points'' of mass discontent and express the interests of broad social layers. Meanwhile, the Kremlin's decision of a problem automatically reduced the popularity of miner protests. If in 1992-1998 miners ''managed'' to find a serious problem in the policy of the state and become a ''sign'' of the struggle of workers quite easily, in 1999, in strengthening economic and political stability, it was more difficult to do. The peak of public support of Kuzbass miners was in 1998, when the country was paralyzed by the crisis of the system, and Russian President Boris Yeltsin had a low confidence rating of the population. The dynamic spread of radical protests of Kuzbass miners in 1998 shows courage of workers of coal industry. The broad public support for the Kuzbass miners was caused by many factors: frustrating reforms, similar socio-economic situation, appeal of slogans. The protests of Kuzbass miners during the transition to the market also had a negative reaction in the society. This was facilitated by the following factors: 1) the conflicting results of the miners' movement in the years of perestroika, 2) uncertainty in the results of struggle because of the natural character of the protest movement of miners, 3) the severe economic consequences of protests in the crisis of the economy, 4) the difference in living standards between miners and residents of more affluent RF subjects, 5) fear of possible social upheavals, 6) criticism of protests of miners in the government-controlled media. In general, people of Kemerovo region, people of Russia supported miners when they used the "peaceful" protest form. Individual pickets, rallies and strikes, in general, did not have the devastating effect on other segments of the population. But as soon as the region and the country began to shake with massive, lengthy and radical forms of protests of coal industry workers, public opinion immediately changed against them.

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