The study is based on the provision that citizens’ confidence in power determines
the stability of the political and social system and is a prerequisite for the
development of the country. One of the objects of sanctions pressure on Russia
is the interaction of the state and civil society. The purpose of the study is to
identify the effectiveness of the influence of Western sanctions on the level of
political confidence of citizens in the Russian power, as well as to establish the
incentive role of the media in this process. The direct and indirect, immediate,
and the cumulative effect of sanctions causes both emotional and rational attitude
of citizens to them and has positive and negative effects. The article concludes
that under modern conditions, sanctions are more likely to strengthen than weaken
the power; moreover, they strengthen the confrontational worldview in society.
However, the cumulative nature of the impact of sanctions, coupled with a
deterioration in the lives of Russians and the accumulation of their egocentrism,
reduces the level of political confidence in the power and increases the risks