MOSCOW, 19 January 2024. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to the 100th anniversary of Lenin's death.

Proletariat’s leader or spy?

January 21^st marks the 100^th anniversary since the death of one of the most influential and controversial political figures of the 20th century – Vladimir Lenin. Even a century later, his name and heritage have been a topic of fierce discussion. Some see him as a great revolutionery and a creator of a just society, while others perceive him as a bloodthirsty tyrant and usurper.

Based on the findings of the survey, Russians are well aware of this historical figure: most of respondents found it easy to describe Vladimir Lenin in two or three words (88%). The 18-24-year-olds are slightly less aware (72% of informative answers). The March data reveal that only ten percent of respondents in this group call themselves national history enthusiasts (10% of those who are “very interested” vs 31% of total Russians).

The image of Lenin as a leader is fixed firmly in the mind of respondents, however compared to the 2016 findings today more Russians specify the details about him: 39% of respondents call Lenin a leader of the October revolution of 1917, 18% consider him “the leader of the proletariat”, and 15%, a leader of the USSR.  Eleven percent of respondents perceive him as a leader of communists; 8% consider him a great man; 6% appreciate his contribution into the development of the country. Attributes not related to his political activity are also mentioned: “well-educated and smart” (3%), “historical figure” (3%), “philosopher, thinker, writer, scientist” (3%). A minority have a bad opinion about him (9%); they say that he “destroyed the Russian empire/deposed the tzar» (3%), that he has a “negative personality” (3%), that he is a “dictator/tyrant” (2%), a “German spy/betrayer” (2%).  

Attitudes and performance assessments

Almost half of Russians have favorable attitudes to Lenin (47% of those who know who he is); 30% are indifferent; and only every seventh respondent has negative perceptions (15%).

The results of Lenin's activity also gained favorable opinions: 36% say he brought about more good to Russia (37% in 2022); a further 30% consider that he brought about both good and harm (32% in 2022); every fifth sees more harm (19%; 21% in 2022). Inhabitants of Moscow and St Petersburg are equally divided in their opinions: 26% see more good than harm (each); 32% see both good and harm.

Lenin in historical perspective

Although most respondents believe that in a century no one will remember Vladimir Lenin except for historians (31%), fewer respondents consider that he will be consigned to oblivion compared to the 2000s (36% in 2000; 39% in 2010). As to the image of Vladimir Lenin, respondents are more likely to remember him as a founder of the Soviet Union (24%; 32% in 2022) and a leader who prioritized the interests of the workers (23%; 26% in 2022). Every second respondent will remember Lenin as a tough-minded politician who was able to impose his will on a vast country (10%); this viewpoint is less common than a quarter of a century ago (19% in 1995). A further 9% consider that he will go down in history as a successful political adventurer; 7%, as a great thinker who correctly predicted the future. Only 6% are confident that in 40-50 years Vladimir Lenin will be remembered as a violent dictator    ready to sacrifice millions of lives (vs. 12% in 1995); this share is higher among those who think that his activity brought about more harm to Russia (19%).

Rebury or not to rebury

The study reveals that the public demand to rebury the leader as soon as possible steadily becomes a thing of the past. Opinions as to bury Lenin’s body or not are divided into three groups: 33% say that Lenin’s body should be kept in the mausoleum; 30% consider his body should be reburied at the cemetery as soon as possible (-13 p.p. since 2011); 27% say his body should be buried when the generation who remembers him is gone (+9 p.p. since 2011). Thus, more than half of Russians believe Lenin’s body should be buried (57%); it’s just a question of time.

An overwhelming majority of Russians still think that it is important not to facilitate the decision as to leave Lenin’s body in the mausoleum or not (55%, 61% in 2020). They are opposed by 32% of those who think that the decision should be made as soon as possible (32%; 27% in 2020).

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted 30 December 2023 and 17 January 2024. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18+ were surveyed. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

 Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 30 December 2023:  cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8144; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0200; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0879.  Calculations are based on corporate standards: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/

 Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 17 January 2024:  cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8025; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0186; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0968.  Calculations are based on corporate standards: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/

* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.

 ** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.

* Up to 2022 the “leader of the world proletariat” code and the “people’s leader” code were combined.  

** Up to 2022 the “He created/founded the USSR” code and “leader/head of the USSR” code were combined.

*** In 2022, the code was “Head/leader of the Communist party”. It is combined with the “Communist/he struggled for communism” code.

**** In 2022 the code was “He headed the country/ government/head of the state/leader”.

Before 2017 household face-to-face interviews were conducted (“Express” project); stratified multistage sample with quotas based on socio-demographic parameters; representative of the Russian population aged 18 and older according to the type of settlement, gender, age, education and federal district. Sample size: 1,600 respondents.