The collapse of the USSR, the war in Chechnya, elections and referendums, monetization of benefits, pension reform, the first all-Russian poll of Roma—this is far from a complete list of the important topics for society that sociologists study. In front of you is the first part of a documentary account of the most important and dramatic moments in the study of public opinion in modern Russia. From a new perspective, the authors show the historical and political processes—focusing on how polls influenced managerial decision-making, what happens when people’s opinions are ignored, and how the government’s attitude toward polls changed.