Country of happy people. Government of Bhutan Bhutan - the country of gingerbread houses

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a tiny state in the Himalayas. The area of ​​its territory is only 38,000 km², which is comparable to the territory of the Moscow region (44,000 km²).

The modern name of the country was brought by the British in the nineteenth century. According to one version, “Bhutan” comes from Bhu-Uttan (“highlands”), according to another - from Bhots-ant (“south of Tibet”).

But this kingdom has not been called anything in the entire history of its existence.

“Druk Yol” (or “Druk Tsenden”) is the original name of the country, which translated means “land of the thunder dragon.” Bhutanese people believe that thunder comes from a dragon racing across the skies. They tell the legend: “Somewhere underground, a long time ago, there lived a Bhutanese thunder dragon. On the day of the last moon of autumn he rose to the surface. Few have been able to see his mesmerizing dance in the night sky. Those who heard the dragon’s amazing song gained eternal life.”

This country, which excites the imagination, remains a secret behind seven seals to this day for many residents of European countries.

The rulers of Bhutan were in no hurry to open their doors to Europeans, and until recently the Land of the Dragon was completely isolated from the outside world. From 1627 - when two Portuguese missionary priests first visited the kingdom - until the end of the twentieth century, only 13 Europeans visited Bhutan. For this he received the name “Himalayan hermit”.

Tibetan chronicles from the 17th century describe Bhutan as the "Secret Holy Land", the "Southern Valley of Medicinal Herbs" and the "Lotus Garden of the Gods".

Another definition is “Eternal Lotus Throne,” which symbolizes the steadfastness of the Mahayana Teachings.

“Land of Lost Horizons”, “State of Hidden Treasures”... The mystery of these images was also determined for a long time by the lack of any information about the state, and even today the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan has not yet been fully revealed.

But perhaps it was the long-term isolation from the rest of the world, coupled with its modest size, that allowed this kingdom to preserve its identity and culture.

Until the second half of the twentieth century, there were no roads, no electricity, no cars, no post office, no television and no Internet.

Therefore, apparently, traditions have not yet been lost, and a high level of spirituality and morality has been preserved.

This is a very religious country. There are several countries in the world similar to Bhutan in the predominance of Buddhist traditions, but the uniqueness of the Land of the Dragon is that it is one of the few places on the planet where Buddhism has been preserved in the original form in which it penetrated from India in the seventh century AD ( Vajrayana/Tantra).

They even say that Bhutan is one of the supposed places where Shambhala could lie.

The topic of Bhutan's monasteries, its teachers, culture and spiritual heritage is very broad and interesting.

Moreover, it is the last “bastion” of Himalayan Buddhism. All other similar countries disappeared from the face of the earth: Ladakh (occupied in 1842 and later annexed to India), Tibet (conquered by China in 1950), the kingdom of Sikkim (annexed to India in 1975).

But no less interesting is the state structure of the Land of the Dragon.

After all, after the annexation of Sikkim by India and the overthrow of the king in Nepal, Bhutan became the last monarchical state in the Himalayas.

“Blessed by the Trinity of Saints, the protection of our guardian deities, the wisdom of our leaders, the eternal riches of the Pelden Drukpa and the guidance of His Majesty Druk Gualpo Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, we solemnly pledge to strengthen the sovereignty of Bhutan, protect the blessed freedom, ensure justice and tranquility, strengthen unity, and also increase happiness and well-being of the people at all times” - these are the first lines of the Constitution of this country.

It is amazing. It’s rare to find a mention of such a concept as “happiness” in any official document. “Justice” - yes, “unity” - also happens, “rights”, “responsibilities”, etc. - as many as you like.

But “happiness” is rather an exception.

The government of Bhutan even created the Ministry of Happiness, because... They considered it absurd to rely on financial indicators (GDP) as the level of well-being of the country.

Even from the example of one document it is already clear that there is no clear boundary between spirituality and politics in Bhutan. And the fact that the level of development of a country is measured by the degree of joy felt by its citizens already says a lot about the high ideals of the inhabitants of this state.

This piece of legislation reads like a sacred manuscript:

“His Majesty Druk Gualpo (translated as the Dragon King) serves as the Head of State and a symbol of the unity of the Kingdom and the people of Bhutan. The Choy-sid-nyi (dual system of religion and politics) of Bhutan is united in the person of Druk Gualpo, who, being a Buddhist, supports the Choy-sid (religion and politics). The right to the Golden Throne of Bhutan is awarded to the legitimate successors of Druk Gualpo Ugyen Wangchuk, as enshrined in the unshakable historical Ganja on the thirteenth day of the eleventh month of the year of the earth monkey, which corresponds to the seventeenth of December one thousand nine hundred and seven."

A slight melancholy takes over while reading... a longing for unity, for high ideals, for traditions and continuity.

And at the same time, there is joy in the fact that there are still such “islands” of culture with which we, as contemporaries, were lucky enough to “neighbor” (albeit not in the literal sense of the word). But, there is still an opportunity to absorb the spirit of traditions and bring the same reverent attitude towards spiritual values ​​into your society.

“The state is taking all possible measures to preserve, protect and enhance cultural heritage countries, including cultural monuments, places or objects of artistic or cultural interest, dzongs, lhakhangs, goindays, ten sum, nayi, language, literature, music, fine Arts and religion with the aim of making society and cultural life citizens are richer. The State views culture as an evolving dynamic force and makes every effort to support and promote the continuous development of traditional values ​​and institutions that meet the needs of a progressive society. The State protects local arts, traditions, knowledge and culture and promotes research work in this field.”

For the Bhutanese, compassion and deep respect for nature are the most important precepts of Buddhism, and they try to strictly observe them. The prohibition against harming living beings has direct practical consequences in Bhutan: they do not fish or kill animals there.

“Every Bhutanese is a trustee natural resources and the environment in the Kingdom for the benefit of present and future generations. It is the primary responsibility of every citizen to contribute to the protection of the natural environment, the conservation of Bhutan's rich biological diversity, and the prevention of all forms of environmental degradation, including noise, visual and physical pollution, through the implementation and support of environmentally friendly policies and policies."

To be fair, it should be said that, of course, the Constitution of Bhutan also contains boring enumerations of rights and responsibilities, subordination of political power, and the like. But this in no way detracts from its uniqueness.

The height of the ideals of the inhabitants of the “Lotus Garden of the Gods” can also be read in the symbols of the country.

The national emblem (state emblem) consists of a circle containing a double diamond lightning dorje (vajra). It is a sacred weapon, a club, a staff or a scepter, used in Tibetan Buddhism as a symbol of supreme power and justice.

In the circle where the two vajras intersect are four other gems. They symbolize the spiritual and civil traditions of the Kingdom, based on the four spiritual commitments of Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana).

Collectively, the dorje represents method and wisdom, compassionate action, supreme bliss, and the seven positive and eternal virtues. The diamond scepter, "indestructible", lightning is the divine power of teaching, transcendental truth and enlightenment. Dorje suppresses all evil desires and passions. He is indestructible, but he himself is capable of destroying everything - even the seemingly indestructible.

Dorje is located between two dragons above a lotus framed with a precious stone. The lotus symbolizes purity. The wish-granting gem is the sovereign power of the people, and two dragons, a man and a woman, support the name of the country, which they symbolically pronounce with their thunderous voices.

On national flag Bhutan depicts a druk (white dragon) on a yellow and orange background. The flag is divided diagonally from the bottom of the staff, forming two triangles. The upper triangle is yellow, symbolizing civic traditions. He embodies the king, who acts as the guardian of the spiritual and civil foundations of the Kingdom.

The lower triangle is orange, symbolizing spiritual traditions. It also symbolizes the flourishing teachings of Buddhism in general, and the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions in particular.

The dragon is located in the center and holds precious stones in its claws, symbolizing wealth.

The white dragon symbolizes the chaste thoughts of the people, which reflect their loyalty, patriotism and strong feelings of belonging to the kingdom, despite their different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

There is a version that the “draconian” symbolism was inherited from the name of the Buddhist teaching “Drukpa”, one of the branches of the Vajrayana school.

Speaking about the symbols of the country, one cannot even mention the anthem. Think about these lines:

“In the kingdom of the thunder dragon, where cypress trees grow, In the abode of the glorious religious and secular traditions of the Dragon, the Hereditary ruler, the precious monarch Lives forever and leads to prosperity through his reign. The Buddha's teachings grow in full bloom, allowing people to shine like the sun of peace and happiness."

Sounds like a song of the soul... Like the words of Buddha himself...

The King of Bhutan is truly loved and revered by his people. At the same time, he leads a modest life, full of work, for the benefit of his native country. He lives in a very modest house, rides a bicycle and constantly meets with ordinary people.

“We are a small country with no economic or military power,” explained the king of Bhutan in an interview with the New York Times. “The only thing that can strengthen Bhutan’s sovereignty is its unique culture.”

Sources:

Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan dated July 18, 2008

Maslov A.A. "Breath of Shambhala"

Tregub Alexander “Journey to the Land of the Thunder Dragon”

Michelle Pessel "Travels in Mustang and Bhutan"

There are almost 200 countries in the world - large and not very large, small and very tiny. Statistics say that 50 of them are visited annually by more than one million guests, and no more than 20 can be called touristic. I wonder how many countries are on your list that you have visited or want to visit? Our website “Travel with Pleasure” aims to introduce you to the most interesting countries. Today I invite you to take a trip to one of the most unusual and exotic countries. For greater intrigue, I did not include the name of this country in the title, but from the first photo you will immediately guess which country we will be talking about.This mysterious country happiness is called Bhutan.

It has almost become a tradition for me, before choosing an unusual island or country for a story, I flip through the pages of my book. Today I settled on this brand

The stamp depicts a rare animal against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, and at the top is the price of the stamp in an unknown currency. With the Internet, it’s easy to deal with animals. This is Takin - a slow, heavy animal, with a large Romanesque nose and thick hair, somewhat similar to a musk ox and living in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas and Tibet. The price turned out to be more difficult.

CH - this is Chertum - the name monetary unit in Bhutan, equal to 1/100 ngultrum.

Since one ruble corresponds to approximately 1 Bhutanese ngultrum, then 4 CH corresponds to 4 kopecks at the official exchange rate. To my joy, the price of stamps is determined not by the official exchange rate, but by the rarity of a particular stamp, i.e. its issue and the country where it was issued. Agree that Bhutan is not a very well-known country in the world, and for a population of 800,000 people, most of whom cannot read or write letters, there is no need for large circulations of stamps.

The first Bhutanese post office began operating in 1962, and stamps for Bhutan were printed in England, India and Japan, and not so much for the needs of the residents of the country, but mainly for philatelists around the world, thus replenishing the treasury of Bhutan! It is not surprising, therefore, that my 4-kopeck stamp is valued at 100 rubles.

With this, the philatelic part of the story, which served as the basis for getting to know Bhutan, can be considered exhausted, and now let’s get acquainted with the country itself.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is an Asian state in the Himalayas, located between India and China. The capital is Thimphu.

According to one version, the name “Bhutan” comes from Bhu-Uttan, which translated from Sanskrit means “highlands” or “mountainous country”. According to another version, the name comes from Bhots-ant, which means “edge (end) of Tibet” or “south of Tibet.”

The form of government here is a constitutional monarchy. The world's youngest head of state, the 5th king of the country of Bhutan, Jigme Kesar Namguel Wangchuk, turned 31 years old. He was educated at Oxford, and is very popular in his country. October 2011 will be remembered by many for the wedding of the ruler with an ordinary 21-year-old student. The ceremony was broadcast on local television.

Photo: His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and "Miss Bhutan" Jetsun Pema during a purifying marriage ceremony in historical castle Punakha Dzong (Palace of Bliss)

In this protected country, hidden in the mountains, you can see beautiful paradise landscapes and find the purest mountain rivers. It was here that the pure form Tibetan culture. This is a country of Buddhism, purity and enlightenment, in search of which monks many centuries ago came to the slopes of the Southern Himalayas, settled there and live to this day.

The Kingdom of Bhutan had the status of a British protectorate until 1949, and since 1949 it has become independent. Since 1971 and as of 2016, Bhutan has been ranked among the least developed countries peace. However, this is a country happy people!

How can this be, you ask. And everything is very simple.

Bhutan became the first country in the world to declare “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) rather than Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the official metric of social development!

By the way, Bhutan’s GDP is about 2.5 thousand dollars per person per year, and by this indicator the country is indeed one of the poorest in the world. But in the VNS they introduced, Bhutan is in 8th place in the world, ahead of ALL Western countries. There is no answer yet to the question of what a happiness index is, or how to measure the unmeasurable, but this approach has turned out to be very attractive for many poor countries.

Here I will make a small digression from the topic of Bhutan, and share with you a note that appeared on the Internet yesterday, and from which it follows that the population of the poorest country in Europe turns out to be happier than in Russia. Here is an unedited note:

Moldova surpasses Russia and Romania in the ranking of the happiest nations

“The Danes are the happiest nation on the planet. They became leaders in the World Happiness Report ranking of the happiest countries in the world. Compared to last year's study, Denmark has surpassed Switzerland and Iceland, which came in second and third place respectively. Moldova took 55th place, Russia was one line lower. Romania took 71st place, Ukraine - 123rd.

The main criteria for determining a “happy nation” are the level of gross domestic product and average life expectancy. The environmental and social situation and the level of corruption are also taken into account.”

I agree that today more and more scientists are inclined to think that countries should be measured not by strength, not by wealth, but by the happiness of their inhabitants. As a resident and citizen of Moldova, I could be proud of such happiness, but as a scientist, I would really like to look at the formula by which the calculation was carried out. Of course, happiness is a matter too ephemeral and difficult to measure, but nevertheless it is interesting how the country with the lowest GDP in Europe and the most high level corruption (probably everyone is still hearing how 1 billion dollars were stolen from the country’s budget last year) occupies such an honorable place. Maybe in the case of Moldova, someone made a mistake and confused the numerator with the denominator, and even though we are not yet ahead of the rest, we are clearly not on par with Bhutan. Let’s analyze why.

It turns out that Bhutan is the only state in the world where the Ministry of Happiness exists. Thus, happiness is placed at the forefront of national policy. The government was instructed to produce the happiness of the people. Scientists say that happiness greatly depends on the small things in our lives. Psychologists advise smiling more often, sleeping at least 6 hours, finding a job close to home and doing something new every day. In addition, experts say that a person feels happier when he gives small gifts to others rather than buying something for himself.

This is a truly amazing country without hunger and crime, where people live in joy, without knowing wars and poverty. The Bhutanese themselves, of whom, unlike other countries in the region, are quite small, are open, hospitable, and not at all spoiled modern world and carefully preserve their unique culture.

Happy people

It is forbidden to kill animals here, and therefore almost everyone is vegetarian. The import of chemical fertilizers is prohibited here, and everything that grows on this land is itself environmentally friendly. More interesting feature This state can be considered to mean that forests in Bhutan are not cut down, but rather planted. It is not enough to say that this is a country of Buddhism, it is a country of purity and enlightenment. The country is still very little studied, and vast territories in the south and central part are completely undeveloped by people and are huge reserves with amazing animals and flora.

The Kingdom is fully self-sufficient in organic food and clothing.

The streets are very clean. Compared with neighboring countries- just perfect cleanliness! Garbage is collected separately here! Food waste is collected in green containers, plastic, glass and metal in blue. (Let me make a small clarification. When compared with neighboring countries, they mean dirty India, China and Nepal. In many other Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea This won’t surprise anyone - everything they have, and most importantly, has been perfectly clean for a long time!)

Unfortunately, tourism and mountaineering are limited in the country. Any travel around the country outside the capital, only as part of organized groups according to programs compiled by Bhutan tour operators, with an official guide.

Compared to neighboring Nepal, which remains at the peak of its popularity, Bhutan remains relatively untouched thanks to its government's fiscal policy of upscale tourism. In addition to processing numerous documents and visas, this is an expensive pleasure. Tourists are charged $250 for each day they stay in the country. Until the mid-1970s, foreigners could only enter Bhutan with a personal invitation from the king or queen. Now the country has a state tourism corporation, which oversees no more than a hundred private travel agencies. In 1974, 287 tourists visited Bhutan. Since then, the number of tourists visiting the country annually has been increasing and by 2000 reached 7,000. Compared to other countries, this is very little, but the country’s budget began to be significantly replenished from tourists.

The main tourist attraction of the country is Buddhist monastery Paro Taktsang, also known as Taktsang-lakhang (Tiger's Nest or Tiger's Lair). The first temple was built on this rock in 1692. Meditations have been carried out in these caves for a long time.

The rock on which the monastery is located has a height of 3,120 m and is located above the Paro Valley. To get here, you first need to travel by car, then on short, shaggy horses. The highlight of the trip is a multi-hour climb on foot along a stone staircase carved into the rock.

Bhutan has preserved many interesting and unusual things.

Until the end of the 20th century, television was banned in the country; in 1999, Bhutan became the last country on the planet that began television broadcasting - when the only state television channel began operating.

Since 2004, Bhutan has completely banned the sale and use of tobacco. Cigarettes cannot be brought into the country.

The most noticeable difference is that Bhutan carefully protects its centuries-old cultural traditions. Sometimes it’s funny, for example, one of the laws requires Bhutanese to wear national clothes.

Another curiosity is that one of the national symbols of Bhutan is the phallus. It also serves as a local souvenir. If a small “Eiffel Tower” is brought from Paris as a gift, then many people bring phalluses from Bhutan.

Souvenirs from Bhutan

The monks in the monastery use these wooden phalluses to bless the future children who come, tapping them on the head.

In Bhutan, phalluses are even painted on the walls of houses and shops, in the hope that the Divine phallus will ward off evil spirits.

Einstein was right that everything in this world is relative! In our country, such a drawing in public places is punished for hooliganism, but in Bhutan they are proud of it!

Like this unusual country this Bhutan

Various Internet sources were used when working on this article.

The Ministry of Happiness was created by the Government of Bhutan, which considered it absurd to rely on financial indicators (GDP) as the level of well-being of the country. The Bhutanese leadership is guided by the Gross National Happiness Index. The Nationwide Happiness Index is seen as a key element in building an economy for the Kingdom of Bhutan that is consistent with Buddhist spiritual values.

The Ministry of Happiness held several international conferences, to which many Western economists were invited (including Nobel laureates in economics), with the aim of developing methods for calculating the NHI (National Happiness Index) based on a combination of the economic situation in the country and the life satisfaction of the population.

The smile of the population is one of the indicators in the developed formulas.

What else is characteristic of a country that considers the happiness of the population to be a category of economic development? This information is worth spreading.

The most noticeable difference is that Bhutan carefully protects its age-old cultural traditions. Sometimes it’s funny: for example, one of the laws requires Bhutanese to wear national clothes. Tourism and mountaineering are limited in the country. Expensive, non-extendable visas: 2 weeks - $100. Any travel around the country outside the capital only in organized groups with an official guide. Until the end of the 20th century, television was banned in the country; in 1999, Bhutan became the last country on the planet to begin television broadcasting, when the only state television channel began operating

There is virtually no corruption in Bhutan. In the 2006 Transparency International ranking, Bhutan ranks 32nd in the world for corruption, behind only Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and the UAE in Asia.

Lawyers are illegal! According to the king’s decree: “Do not allow people into the courtroom who can make black white and white black.”

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the youngest monarch in the world (born 1980), is very popular at home and abroad. Throughout Asia, and not only in it, there are clubs for fans of the young monarch, from India to Indonesia, brochures and posters dedicated to him are sold everywhere, and several societies of girls in love with him operate on the Internet. The royal wedding raised Bhutan's happiness index by several points.

His Majesty is fighting for the health of his subjects - Bhutan has become the only country in the world where smoking is prohibited throughout its territory.

The government is actively concerned about the environment (half of Bhutan’s territory has been declared national parks, in which, for example, hunting is prohibited), for this reason the development of industry is not included in the plans of the Bhutanese authorities.

And the streets are very clean. Compared to neighboring countries - simply ideal cleanliness! Garbage is collected separately here! Food waste is collected in green containers, plastic, glass and metal in blue. As I already said, they are very concerned about the environment here, so garbage is recycled and not scattered on the side of the roads, as in Nepal or India.

Bhutan is an agricultural country. For more than 80% of the population, agriculture and forestry are the main source of income. There are practically no large industrial enterprises in the kingdom. There are several wood processing and food industry enterprises

The first penetration of globalization is the Coca-Cola bottling plant. The main export products are organic rice, fruits and electricity generated by hydroelectric power plants.

Perhaps this is a country with an amazing culture for us, an incomprehensible rhythm of life and truly happiness. It is known to be in the dark.

Bhutan is the only state in the world whose official religion, Tantric Buddhism is proclaimed the “spiritual heritage”. Therefore, its main goal the government declares the pursuit of happiness for each of its citizens; this is enshrined in Article 9 of the Constitution. On August 24, 2008, the state “Gross National Happiness Commission” was created, headed by the Prime Minister. The question “Are you happy?” asked during population censuses. In the last census in 2005, 45.2% of the population answered this question “very happy”, 51.6% “happy”, and only 3.3% “not very happy”.

Interestingly, the generally accepted concept of gross domestic product has been replaced in Bhutan by a more relevant indicator - “gross national happiness”. This is the only state in the world in which there is a Ministry of Happiness, thus placing happiness at the forefront of national policy.

This is a truly amazing country without hunger and crime, where people live in joy, without knowing wars and poverty. The Bhutanese themselves, of whom, unlike other countries in the region, are quite small, are open, hospitable, completely uncorrupted by the modern world and carefully preserve their unique culture.

It is forbidden to kill animals here, and therefore almost everyone is vegetarian. The import of chemical fertilizers is prohibited here, and everything that grows on this land is itself environmentally friendly. Another interesting feature of this state is that forests in Bhutan are not cut down, but rather planted. It is not enough to say that this is a country of Buddhism, it is a country of purity and enlightenment. The country is still very little studied, and vast territories in the south and central part are completely undeveloped by people and represent huge reserves with amazing flora and fauna. Bhutan has preserved all this for very simple reasons - hunting is prohibited and deforestation is practically not carried out. The kingdom is fully self-sufficient in food and clothing. At the same time, almost the entire population wears national clothes - kho.

About Bhutan visa

The visa is issued only to organized tourists traveling in accordance with programs developed by Bhutanese tour operators accredited by the Department of Tourism of Bhutan, or to persons traveling to Bhutan at the invitation of government organizations. The Kingdom of Bhutan does not provide visas for individual travelers. All visas are processed through the Bhutan Tourism Corporation (BTCL). Traveling around the country beyond the scope of the program developed by the host party, or without the accompaniment of a guide, is prohibited.

The visa fee is $20 and will be collected in US dollars directly at the Bhutan airport.

Tourists are prohibited from accessing the area of ​​large monasteries and the territory of most nature reserves. Rock climbing is also prohibited in Bhutan.

Happiness is an elusive thing. But scientists are still trying to measure it in order to understand how the country’s successes and failures affect the lives of ordinary people. The most authoritative report on the World Happiness Index is compiled by researchers working under the auspices of the UN. Russia is a strong middle peasant in it: according to the latest data, it ranks 59th out of 156 countries, and in 2017 it was 49th. So, over the course of a year, we have all become more unhappy together? But that’s not a fact! It all depends on what you mean by happiness and by what criteria you evaluate it.

Two views on happiness

“The UN Index (see infographic) focuses mainly on objective criteria,” explains Vyacheslav Bobkov, head of the laboratory for problems of level and quality of life at the Institute of Socio-Economic Problems of Population of the Russian Academy of Sciences. - Russia received the highest rating for social support of the population. In terms of healthy life expectancy, it is at the threshold beyond which countries with high indicators begin. But as a result of the recent crisis, domestic gross product

countries - GDP. This forced experts to lower their estimates.”

Well, here the researchers didn’t discover America to us: we’ve already been living for five years, tightening our belts. If there were a Ministry of Happiness in Russia, its leaders would be worth resigning for such results. But, firstly, such a ministry exists in only one country in the world - Bhutan. Secondly, this Himalayan kingdom also does not shine in the UN ranking: its place is lower than that of Russia. And thirdly, we open another happiness index, calculated by the international research association Gallup International, and find out: in Russia from 2013 to 2017, on the contrary, it increased and is now even slightly higher than the world average! “Analysis of the world happiness index indicates that there is no direct dependence on income and overall well-being,” explains the situation Vice President of Gallup International Andrey Milekhin

This means that the point is not in playing with numbers, but in the balance between wealth and the effort it takes to achieve it, in how calm and joyful your soul is. Isn’t this what we usually mean by the concept of “happiness”? It is no coincidence that among the leaders of the indices, the creators of which are guided by subjective assessments, are the countries of Latin America and Oceania. “In all likelihood, life there is such that people’s needs are limited and they can satisfy them naturally without straining,” Bobkov believes.

Why do the rich cry

But are there many people in Russia who would like to exchange their country for Fiji or Colombia? We dream of enjoying life here and now. And the material factor cannot be discounted at all. How much money do you need to be happy? Scientists have an answer to this sacramental question.

The Institute of Socio-Economic Problems of Population of the Russian Academy of Sciences calculated that in order for a family of 4 to not experience any financial difficulties, two adults should earn 100 thousand rubles each. in the provinces and 160 thousand rubles. in Moscow. In this case, she can be considered middle class without reservation. And only those who earn more than 240 thousand rubles can provide truly high income for their loved ones.

The average salary in the country today is only 42.5 thousand rubles, in the capital - 80 thousand. But this does not mean that Muscovites are twice as happy as residents of other regions. And in general, as the series reminds us, the rich cry no less than the poor. Why? American economist Richard Easterlin found: life satisfaction grows significantly only until income reaches the average. Beyond this limit, money does not add happiness or makes you happy in a completely different way than before. So something else is needed.

The main sources of joy

Everyone who considers themselves happy has an incalculable resource: loved ones, good health and a job they love. Family is especially important: 30% of residents of the Russian Federation, surveyed by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), name it as a source of happiness. This sociological organization also publishes its index.

“The happiness indicator that we determine reflects people’s subjective moods. He is influenced much more strongly by the situation in his personal life than by events in the economy and politics,” comments Head of the Research Department of VTsIOM Stepan Lvov. In December 2017, the happiness index in Russia, according to this center, reached its maximum of 76 points (see infographic), and then began to decline. What's happened? 2018 turned out to be much more alarming than the previous one: the threat of new economic sanctions, the fall in the exchange rate of the ruble, etc. “Most of the VTsIOM indices reflecting social well-being are stable. But we noticed a drop in the level of optimism and confidence in the future,” notes Lvov.