Few people on the streets of
Moscow on Thursday had heard of Mikhail Mishustin, the former Federal Tax Service chief plucked from relative obscurity by President
Vladimir Putin this week to serve as new prime minister.
"Our authorities aren't completely stupid, they understand some changes are needed," said theater actor Artyom Dadyvov, 22.
Dmitry Medvedev, the outgoing prime minister, has presided over the
economy since 2012, a turbulent period that saw real wages start to fall after
Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and living standards eroded as prices rose.