As the soviet and communist symbolics is being banned in Baltic States and Ukraine, Russians are increasingly tolerant towards all kinds of symbols. The only exclusion is swastika.   

MOSCOW, August 7, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the Russian attitudes towards symbols.

Most of Russians perceive positively the symbol of the five-pointed star.  Relatively positive attitudes towards the hammer and sickle are expressed by 73% of Russians, and relatively negative attitudes – by 11%. Six percent do not know what this symbol means. The same attitudes are expressed towards the five-pointed star; 66% treat it rather positively, and only 11% - rather negatively. Every tenth Russian does not know what this star means (10%).

Whereas Soviet symbols are known and perceived positively by Russians, this is not true for religious, international and foreign symbols: either Russians perceive them worse or do not know at all. Slightly less than half of Russians (44%) perceive the United Nations symbol in a positive way. Simultaneously, 17% of respondents treat this symbol negatively. Every fourth Russian (24%) does not understand what the UN symbol stands for.

The Muslim crescent is perceived positively by only 41% of Russians; every fourth (23%) has negative attitudes.  Every fifth Russian (19%) does not understand the meaning of the Muslim crescent. At the same time, only every third Russian (32%) perceives the Star of David positively. About the same share of respondents have negative attitudes towards this symbol (28%).  Every fifth Russian does not know what the Star of David stands for (22%).

More than one-quarter of Russians perceive positively the Ukrainian coat of arms (27%). Only every third perceives it negatively (34%). Twenty-three percent of Russians do not understand its meaning. Sixteen percent find it hard to give an answer. However, Russians share the same point view on swastika. Most of respondents treat it negatively (74%), and only 8% - positively. Seven percent do not know what this symbol means.  

Most of Russians think that the swastika symbol should be banned (62%). Every fifth opposes this ban (19%). Twenty percent would not allow using Ukrainian coat of arm as a symbol. Less than half of Russians (46%) oppose them. One-third of Russians do not know what should be done with the Ukrainian coat of arms because they do not know what it means (17%) or find it hard to give an answer (17%).

The Star of David should not be banned, according to every second Russian (50%).Sixteen percent oppose them. One-third of Russians remain undecided because they do not know what this star means (17%), or they find it hard to answer the question (17%).  Every tenth Russian supports the ban on the Muslim crescent (12%); but more Russians oppose such a ban (55%). Only 7% of Russians agree that the use of the Soviet hammer and sickle should be prohibited.  At the same time, many Russians oppose this ban (72%). The same is true for the red five-pointed star: 68% of Russians oppose the ban to use this symbol.

The VCIOM opinion poll was commissioned conducted May 2-3, 2015; 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 settlements in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.           

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!