The article presents a look at the All-Russian Population Census 2020-2021. from the сensusists' point of view. General information about the population census as the most important state event is given: history, state of uncertainty and prospects are shown. The socio-economic and political background that accompanied the census is characterized. Based on empirical material obtained by the authors during a series of focus groups on the key points of the censusist' work. A portrait of the census taker was compiled, an assessment was made of such conditions of his work as security, tools for providing. The key problem is highlighted - a low level of population loyalty to the census. The socio-demographic specificity of motives and the inequality of positions in relation to participation/non-participation in the census of various groups of the population are presented. the adaptation strategies of census takers aimed at reducing mental and organizational difficulties, their occurrence in work were revealed. A general conclusion is made about censusists as a valuable object of research, a way of reflecting social problems.