Abstract

Citizen participation in collective action is preceded by the formation of attitudes based on solidarity and values. The author of the article tests the hypothesis about the influence of “willingness to help” on civic participation and concludes that there is a link between this attitude and civic participation, but it is not very strong. “Willingness to help” is not associated with a low assessment of the degree of democracy in Russian society, and the main motive for participation in civic activity for this group is sympathy for socially vulnerable people. For citizens critical of the existing political order, the most pressing demands are democratization and social equality.