Alexander Rostov,

ticket sales agent

"I am not into politics very much, but when I heard of the new change in government, I was hardly surprised. One gets used to it after the fifth time, I suppose. Perhaps they just cannot get the right person, or there must be some ploy behind it. As for Putin himself, we hardly know anything about him. [President Boris] Yeltsin does it, but he himself is a matter of the past."

Vera Sizova,

student

"So far, I haven't even seen him on TV, and I don't know what to expect. It all seems like another trick - people come and go and then come back again. People like my family and me, we don't have money anyway, so whatever happens up there does not really bother us. ... When Primakov was prime minister, he perhaps was the only one inspiring confidence and respect."

Nelya Groznaya,

designer

"People just want stability. Constant changes in government might lead the country to another abyss. It's difficult to judge Putin so far - he is new to the post and we have little information on him. There have been others that were good and then they went so suddenly; they hardly had time enough to sort it out even for themselves. He [Putin] may go just as well. It's all so unpredictable."

Angelina Rodina,

pensioner

"He does not seem like a nice character. I liked the previous two a lot more. Primakov and Stepashin were both smart men and looked like they were the right people. Yeltsin just does not realize what he is doing to the country by changing [governments] so often. I respected Yeltsin before, but now I think it's the right time for him to go."

Alexander Ivankov,

parking attendant

"I don't know whether he is fit for the position at all. ... I was very surprised to hear that Yeltsin picked Putin. He's a KGB man. A prime minister needs something else. I am against this constant change. Yeltsin introduces a new man, and we have to deal with the consequences. Promises come with every new one, but we are still where we started - in the gutter. "

Yelizaveta VIyeva,

pensioner

"I can't say I have a high opinion of Putin. I remember that accident when his car ran over a kid and he drove off - this alone speaks against him. He'll be Yeltsin's puppet. Stepashin didn't have time to reveal himself ... This one will do what Yeltsin says. Of all of them, Primakov is the definite winner: He's an educated, clever man, worthy of respect and honor. I'd vote for him. Putin has no chance."