Most Russians intending to vote for Vladimir Putin in Sunday’s election say stability is at the root of their faith in their candidate – though many young voters believe it’s time for a change of leader.

Putin, 65, is expected to win a fourth term in office with 69 per cent of the vote, according to the latest survey by a state-run pollster.

Reuters correspondents and photographers who travelled around the country talking to voters ahead of the 18 March election found nothing to contradict expectation of an emphatic Putin victory.

In Crimea, participating in a Russian presidential election for the first time since the territory was annexed from Ukraine in 2014, engineer Andrei Lukinykh says Putin is the only candidate who can provide stability in tough times.

“As the saying goes, you don’t change your horses mid-stream. Unlike the others, my candidate can provide the stability that’s needed,” Lukinykh says.

For Muscovite student Yulia Dyuzheva, economic progress during Putin’s 17 years in office won him her vote.

“As a representative of the younger generation, I can say that for us, young Russians, all the doors are open. Everyone is able to grab the opportunities presented and make the most of themselves, in whatever town or region,” she says.

But others believe Russia is ready for a change.

Russia goes to vote: a political portrait Show all 15 1 /15 Russia goes to vote: a political portrait Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘Things are getting worse and worse, unfortunately... We have to change the constitution, so that power never again finds itself in the hands of a single person’ – Vitaly Zubenko, 45, lawyer Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘There's something of a shift, but I want real changes, which will improve our lives’ – student Svyatoslav Lomakin, 19, poses for a picture with Vladimir Zhirinovsky Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I don't expect Putin to change things, and history proves this to be true’ – Maxim Gubsky, 21, student Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘The most important thing for me is that our foreign policy stays the same’ – Alexei Gruk, 45, mechanic Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I am 26. Eighteen of those years, all of my conscious life, I have lived under a single president’ – Vitaly Bespalov, 26, journalist Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘This is not a country of the future, it’s a country stuck in the past. I can’t visualise the future right now’ – Grigory Kulikovskikh, 26, IT specialist Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I want change, of course. First of all, in how this country is run. I hope that something will change’ – Anastasia Shevchenko, 38, head of the election campaign team for presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I am going to vote, because I want stability’ – Andrei Lukinykh, 46, engineer and supporter of Putin Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘We, the Arat people, farmers, need to be able to be confident about what tomorrow will look like. We need this in order to expand and develop our farmsteads’ – Tanzurun Darisyu, 51, head of a private farm and supporter of Putin Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘It’s hard to say what the future will look like’ – Andrei Vorontsov, 42, ataman of a local Cossack society Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘Among the candidates right now, in my opinion no one can compete with our current President’ – Alexander Reshetnyak, 42, Cossack ataman Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I’d draw your attention to the colossal support of young people for the current government’ – Yulia Dyuzheva, 22, student and supervisor of the SUPERPUTIN exhibition in Moscow Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘I don’t think that this will be Putin’s final term in office. In fact I see a sort of messianic energy in Putin’ – Vasily Slonov, 48, artist Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘The idea that things have improved, I’m not seeing it. Things have gotten worse. They have started to control what people think even more than during the Communist era’ – Natalia Dementieva, 44, an accountant who is currently unemployed Reuters Russia goes to vote: a political portrait ‘If I go to the polls, I will vote against everyone and especially against Putin. His policies have not given us anything good over the years’ – Veronika Baikova, 41, Russian citizen who plans to boycott the election Reuters

Accountant Natalia Dementieva, also from Moscow, says she is casting a vote for TV personality Ksenia Sobchak – one of seven other candidates – because she supported more freedoms.

“Speaks the truth, openly,” Dementieva explains. “She doesn’t lie. She raises issues which are taboo under our government.

“The next generation to rule this country were born between 1982 and 1987. There’s a lot of them and they don’t remember what it was like in the Soviet Union. So they’re less afraid.”

Sobchak is expected to garner 2 per cent of the vote, according to a 9 March poll by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Centre.

That’s less than the 3 per cent who plan to stay at home, some of whom may be heeding opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s call to boycott the vote after he was barred from being on the ballot.

From the Communist Party, wealthy farm boss Pavel Grudinin, 57, is set for a stronger showing, at 7 per cent.

For Alexei Gruk, a mechanic from St Petersburg, voting for the Communist Party sends the signal that things need to change at home, but he wants Russia’s foreign policy to stay the same.

“To hell with the sanctions,” Gruk says. “So what if they don’t bring foreign stuff here anymore? As if that means we have to give in. I don’t care.”

Nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a veteran lawmaker, is expected to garner 5 per cent of votes, according to latest polls, while liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky should receive 1 per cent.