Understanding happiness in the mass consciousness of Russians during pandemic period

The article provides a brief overview of the concept of "happiness" in such sciences as philosophy (Aristotle, Democritus Plato, Socrates, Kant), psychology and sociology. Particular attention is paid to the sociological interpretation of happiness. A comparison of the indicators of the index of happiness obtained through monitoring conducted by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion is carried out. The main indicators of the index for the selected time period are considered. The main reasons for a person's feeling of being happy or unhappy are characterized. The analysis of changes in the index indicators from the point of view of the influence of the epidemiological situation is carried out. The data studied showed that people began to feel less happy since the beginning of the pandemic. It was revealed that for Russians, the following are gaining importance: their own health and the health of loved ones, family and children. It was concluded that the pandemic had a significant impact on the social well-being of Russians. The number of people who consider themselves happy has decreased, but, although not significantly, the social index of happiness has increased. The increase in the index value is possible only after the end of the pandemic. However, the expected stabilization of values should be noted, due to a more loyal change in the perception of the pandemic over time.