In January 2022, Russia faced a new wave of coronavirus associated with the spread of the Omicron strain. Despite the fact that the strain turned out to be less lethal compared to Delta, its infectiousness was much higher, and by the middle of the month, medical institutions were reporting a sharp increase in the number of cases. Against this background, regions began to actively introduce and tighten rules for access to public places: shopping centers, gyms, media, and public events. QR codes confirming vaccination or previous illness have become mandatory almost everywhere. However, the situation caused a serious public outcry. Some citizens openly opposed such restrictions, and the State Duma even suspended discussion of the bill on QR codes in transport due to mass discontent. Businesses have also criticized the measures as the restrictions have hit footfall and revenue. The authorities tried to balance between risks to the healthcare system and people's fatigue from the epidemic. In January-February, record levels of infections were recorded - over 150 thousand new cases per day. As a result, by spring, many regions began to gradually lift QR restrictions, recognizing that the social system was not ready for them. January became a symbol of the end of the “era of Covid control” in Russia - it was during this period that it became clear that the country was moving towards abandoning its strict anti-epidemic policy.

At the end of the year, experts, analysts and the media summed up results that showed how controversial 2021 turned out to be. On the one hand, the pandemic, economic difficulties, regional tragedies and political tension have made the year one of the most difficult in the last decade. On the other hand, the state retained control over the situation, and key institutions - parliament, the healthcare system, the federal administration - continued to function in a stable manner. Many Russians perceived this year as a time of survival and search for a new model of life. The pandemic has forced us to rethink habits, attitudes towards work, health and safety. The state has relied on sustainability, digitalization, strengthening control and support for key industries. The results of the year showed that Russia is entering a new stage, in which the central themes will be economic recovery, technological development, infrastructure modernization and the formation of a new political climate. 2021 became a point of transition - from expectations to long-term changes that will begin to take shape in 2022.

Despite pandemic restrictions, a plenary meeting of the SPIEF was held in June 2021, at which trends and prospects for the Russian and global economy were discussed. This was an important event for the business and political community. Ways to overcome the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and cooperation with foreign investors are the main topics of Moscow events within the framework of the last forum. Last week, the XXIV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2021) ended in the northern capital, a number of events within the framework of which were organized with the assistance of the Moscow Department of External Economic and International Relations (FEIR). An important event for the Russian capital at SPIEF 2021 was the business session “Investing in Moscow. Opportunities for everyone." Opening the session, the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the DVMS Sergei Cheremin emphasized that the most pessimistic forecasts due to the closure of borders did not become a reality, but quite the opposite - Moscow was in 22nd place among the largest metropolises in the world in terms of financial attractiveness for investors, beating the American San Francisco and the Canadian Montreal. This is due to the fact that the city development strategy adopted 10 years ago made it possible to create a unique infrastructure that withstood the stressful pressure of the crisis, which the world's large metropolises with a population of more than 10 million people were unable to cope with. “For us, this was a unique opportunity not only to maintain economic and budgetary indicators at pre-crisis levels, but also to show that Moscow has such a favorable infrastructure for investment that even during the crisis year, not a single serious investor left,” the minister said. According to him, foreign business is in demand for models of concession and offset contracts, contracts with special investment conditions. Sergey Cheremin added that foreign investors not only continue to invest themselves, but also give recommendations to those who are not yet present on the Moscow market. During the business session, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki, General Director of the special economic zone Technopolis Moscow Gennady Degtev, General Director of KORTROS Group Stanislav Kiselev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Credit Bank Alexander Kaznacheev, EY partner Olga Arkhangelskaya and General Director of JLL Anders Liljenstolpe also spoke.

.

After the completion of the elections, the process of forming a new composition of the State Duma began. Parliament received both renewal and signs of continuity. The ruling party again received a majority, which made it possible to maintain the stability of the political course and continue the ongoing reforms. At the same time, a new party entered the Duma, which gave the system an element of renewal and focus on a young audience. The fall of 2021 was a period of discussion of future legislative initiatives, reassignment of committees and determination of key policy directions for the coming years. Topics included social support for the population, economic recovery after the pandemic, digitalization of public services and regulation of new technologies. For experts, these months have become a time to analyze what the political climate will be like after the pandemic. Many spoke about the trend towards strengthening the vertical power structure, centralized management and a decrease in political competition. Others noted that the stability of parliament is important for the passage of the budget and long-term government programs. Thus, the second half of 2021 consolidated the political balance that had developed in Russia in previous years and became preparation for a new stage of domestic politics.

November 25, 2021 became one of the most tragic dates of the year. At the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo region, a methane fire occurred, which led to an explosion and large-scale smoke in the underground workings. At the time of the accident, hundreds of workers were underground. Not everyone was saved. Dozens of miners and rescue workers who went underground to help their colleagues died. The disaster caused shock throughout the country: days of mourning were declared, and memorial events were held in the regions. Relatives of the victims demanded an objective investigation and strengthening of security measures at all coal enterprises in Russia. The problems of the industry were revealed - insufficient control over the maintenance of mines, violation of safety requirements, outdated equipment and a high level of production risk. Investigative authorities began to check the management of the mine and regional supervisory authorities. The tragedy has become a symbol of systemic difficulties in the coal industry. It showed how dangerous the work of miners remains and reminded of the need to modernize production. Many experts said after the incident that without deep structural changes, such tragedies could be repeated.

In the fall of 2021, Russia faced another wave-like increase in the incidence of COVID-19. Regions reported overcrowded Covid wards, shortages of medical staff and increased ambulance wait times. Against the backdrop of the difficult situation, the government began to discuss measures aimed at additional control over visits to public places. The main topic was the system of QR codes confirming vaccination, previous illness or a recent negative test. In some regions, strict rules were introduced: without a QR code it was impossible to enter shopping centers, restaurants, cultural institutions and public events. In Moscow, the mandatory system was softer, but certain industries still worked according to similar requirements. Society received the initiatives ambiguously. Some saw QR codes as an effective way to contain the epidemic, while others considered them an excessive measure and a violation of rights. Issues of digital security, data protection and the legality of such restrictions were actively discussed on the Internet and in the media. Despite controversy, the measures helped stabilize the situation by December. Many experts noted that this fall was a turning point in the fight against the pandemic: the state moved to a more comprehensive digital control model, and society moved to a new level of adaptation to life under prolonged sanitary restrictions.

The September elections became one of the main political events of the year. Voting took place over three days - from September 17 to 19 - due to sanitary requirements and the desire to reduce queues during the pandemic. In addition, a remote electronic voting system was actively used, in which several regions, including Moscow, participated. At the elections, 14 parties submitted their lists, but only five were able to overcome the five percent barrier. The main result was that the ruling party retained a significant majority. For the authorities, this meant stability and control over the further legislative agenda, including budget decisions, social programs and reforms. The elections were accompanied by discussions about transparency, the role of electronic voting, the admission of opposition candidates and the general level of political competition. However, despite these disputes, the elections themselves took place calmly, without serious incidents, which allowed the formation of a new parliament to begin in October. For the country, the voting results became a signal that the political course would continue without significant changes. Parliament was updated due to the emergence of a new party, but overall retained its traditional composition. Many analysts noted that society in 2021 was more focused on the social agenda and the pandemic than on political activity, which influenced the overall voting results.