AT a recent awards ceremony at the Kremlin for scientists, artists and public intellectuals, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia couldn’t help but recount his country’s achievements. But he also offered a word of caution. “We still have a lot of unsolved problems and questions,” he said. “It is certainly no time for us to be ‘dizzy with success.’”

Don’t be deceived by such expressions of humility. Many Russians view Mr. Putin as highly successful — and the president himself very much agrees. His approval rating has reached levels upward of 80 percent for nearly two years, and few, certainly none at a Kremlin event, are making a public case for redefining or even amending the notion of what constitutes a Moscow leader’s success.

Take the economy. Throughout the years of oil-driven growth, economic performance was a measure of “success.” No longer. Russian officials project that the economy will contract 1 percent to 1.5 percent this year, provided oil prices stay within the $35-$40 range per barrel, after having shrunk 3.7 percent in 2015. Growth isn’t expected to arrive until 2017 — and only if the price of oil averages $52 or more a barrel, by no means a certainty.

The news gets worse. Real incomes are falling for the second year now. The country’s infrastructure is in terrible shape, while investment is going down for the fourth year in a row. People are losing jobs and Russia is losing talent. But even if some people recognize these things as failures, they are not generally viewed as Mr. Putin’s responsibility. The outcomes may be unpopular but the decisions that caused them are not.