VCIOM Press-release

23.04.2007

Press-release No. 680

LIFE ABROAD: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT IT

Moscow, April 3, 2007. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) has studied whether Russians are interested in how people in other countries live and a world politics; what parts of a foreign life are of interest the interviewed in the first place, where do they get the information about life and politics of foreign countries; what countries have they visited within last 10 years and which would they like to go to, whether they have relatives and friends abroad.

The way of life in other countries interests Russians much more (77%), than world politics (53%). And the part of those who actively searches information about life in other states, is twice as much as the part of those showing similar interest in a world politics (30% and 16%).

Russians are mostly interested in customs and traditions of other countries (as 47% of interviewed say), economy and a social life (34%), recreational areas and tourist places (30%), the nature (29%). History (21%), art (18%), political life (15%), consumer goods (13%) and the literature (6%) interests Russians a bit less. The respondents who identify themselves as financially well-to-do focus on the following topics more likely than those who are considered financially unsuccessful: recreational areas and tourist places(42% and 21%), customs and traditions (51% and 44%). Both groups are interested practically to the same extent in the history (19-21%), art (16-18%), the literature (5-6%) and consumer goods (13%).

To learn about a life and the politician of other countries, 91% of respondents watch telecasts of Russian TV; 39% identify domestic newspapers as a source of the information, 25% listen to the Russian radio, 11% use the Internet. Generally, communication with friends, relatives and colleagues (on 6-8%) bring less information, as well as reading the Russian magazines (7%).

Within the last year the majority of Russians, 82%, scooped the information about the life of the different countries via telecasting; 24% have watched a foreign film; 21% have received data via radio broadcasting; 18% have communicated with friends and relatives who happened to live abroad; 15% read special newspapers and magazines concerning life and culture of other countries. Also within a year 6% of respondents have gone abroad; 6% have read a book of a foreign writer; 3% have visited an exhibition covering other country's culture aspects: 1% have visited a concert of a foreign performer.

Every fourth Russian person have been abroad within last 10 years. 4-5% of interviewed have been to Ukraine, to Egypt, Turkey during this time. Any other country is specified not more than by 2% of respondents.

Every fifth Russian citizen (19%) dreams of visiting France. By 12-13% of respondents would like to visit Italy, Germany and the USA; 8% would rather visit the Great Britain, 4-6% identified Egypt, Spain, India and Japan, China, Turkey, Greece, Australia. And only 4% of respondents say they don't want to go anywhere.29% of interviewed have relatives or friends abroad. The 'most globalized' are the respondents with higher and incomplete higher education (37%), the least globalized are those with incomplete secondary education (17%).

All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM, April, 14-15th, 2007. 1600 respondents interviewed in 153 population centers of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error doesn't not exceed 3,4%.

	Are you interested how the people of other countries live?	Are interested in international politics?
Strongly, yes	30	16
Somewhat, yes	47	37
Somewhat not	16	33
Strongly not	6	13
Diffucult to answer	2	1

Which aspects of foreign countries' life are you interested in the most? (Up to 3 responses)
	Total respondents	Wealth status
	Total respondents	Very good, good	Average	Bad, very bad
Customs and traditions	47	51	48	44
Economy and social life	34	31	35	33
Recreational areas	30	42	32	21
Nature	29	34	28	29
History	21	19	21	21
Art	18	18	18	16
Political life	15	17	16	13
Goods (clothes, electronics)	13	13	13	13
Literature	6	6	6	5
Difficult to answer	9	2	8	14

What information sources do you use the most in order to learn about a life and the politics of other countries?(Up to 3 responses)
Russian television	91
Russian papers	39
Russian radio	25
Russian magazines	7
Foreign papers and magazines	2
Foreign television	2
Foreign radio	1
Internet	11
Personal impressions	3
Communication with collegues	6
Communication with family and relatives	7
Communication with friends	8
Neither of listed above	4
Difficult to answer	1

How did you get information about life of different countries during the last year? (open-ended question, unlimited number of responses)
Watched telecasts	82
Watched foreign movie	24
Listened to radio	21
Communicated with friends and relatives who have been abroad	18
Read special publications (papers, magazines) about life and culture of other countries	15
Visited a foreign country	6
Read a book written by a foreign country	6
Visited an covering other country's culture aspects	3
Visited foreign artist's concert	1
Other	1
Difficult to answer	6

Which country have you been to within the last ten years? (open-ended question, unlimited number of responses)
Ukraine	5
Egypt	4
Turkey	4
Germany	2
China	2
Poland	2
Central Asia (Kirghizia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)	2
Belorussia	1
Great Britain	1
Greece	1
Transcaucasia (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia)	1
Italy	1
The Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)	1
Thailand	1
Finland	1
France	1
Czechia	1
Other	2
Neither	76
Difficult to answer	3

Which country would you like to visit if you had an opportunity? (Open-ended question, up to 3 responses)
France	19
Italy	13
Germany	12
USA	12
Great Britain	8
Egypt	6
Spain	6
India	5
Japan	5
Australia	4
Chjna	4
Turkey	4
Greece	4
Latin America countries	3
European countries	2
Israel	2
Canada	2
African countries (except for Egypt and Tunisia)	2
Ukraine	2
Switzerland	2
Sweden	2
Other	2
Do not want to go anywhere	4
Difficult to answer	25

Do you have any relatives or friends who live abroad?
	Total respondents	Education
	Total respondents	Incomplete secondary	Complete secondary (including PTU)	Complete specialized secondary (technikum)	Incomplete higher(3 years min.), higher
Yes	29	17	22	32	37
No	70	82	75	67	60
Difficult to answer	1	1	3	1	3

Category: Tourism, travel

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Did you experience any pressure (or restrictions) from federal, regional, or local authorities in 2009 when deciding on the following issues...? (close-ended question, any number of answers, answer "yes")

1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.
The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

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