Eighty-five percent of Orthodox Russians are aware or heard of the Christmas Fast; every tenth is going to follow the fast.
MOSCOW, November 29, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey describing how many Russians consider themselves Orthodox Christians, and what Orthodox fasts they follow.
Today the majority of Russians consider themselves Orthodox adherents (67%). They are mostly women (74%), respondents aged 45-59 (71%) and those aged 60 (73%). Eighty-three percent of Orthodox adherents go to church with varying degrees of frequency. They are represented by 70% of those who go to church from time to time, basically women (82%), young people aged 18-24 (82%), those aged 35-44 (81%), and people living in large cities (74% of metropolitan residents; 74% of respondents living in the cities with a million-plus population; 75% of those living in the cities with 500-950 thousand inhabitants). A further 13% visit church at least once a month. Seventeen percent of Orthodox adherents do not go to church – mainly men (26%) and rural area residents (21%).
Simultaneously, one-third of Orthodox adherents follow Orthodox fasts with varying degrees of frequency (30%); that is a 5-point increase over the recent six months (25%). Fifteen percent of them say they only follow the Great Lent; 14% say they follow most of the fasts but not all. Two percent of respondents say they strictly observe every fast. Sixty-nine percent of Orthodox Christians do not follow fasts; however this percentage has decreased by 6 p.p. since March 2019.
The share of Orthodox adherents who know or heard of the Christmas Fast is 85%. Only one-third of respondents tried to identify the starting date (30%); 7% of them could identify this date correctly (November 28).
In the Russian mind, the Christmas Fast is associated with food and alcohol restrictions (14%), spiritual abstinence and self-improvement (11%), as well as with the Christmas holiday itself (10%). A further 7% mention positive feelings – joy and happiness; 6% point to a feeling of great holiday and the related preparations.
Nine percent of Orthodox Christians are going to follow the fasting from November 28 to January 6; they are mainly people living in the million-plus cities (16%). One-quarter of respondents remain undecided (25%): mainly young people aged 18-24 (36%) and 25-34 (30%), as well as rural area residents (35%). However, 64% of Orthodox Russians are not going to observe the Christmas Fast: basically men (70%), respondents aged 35-44 (68%), metropolitan residents (80%) and people living in the cities with 500-950 thousand inhabitants (70%).
Nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on November 27, 2019. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
In your opinion, what religion do you belong to? (closed-ended question, one answer, %, answer by at least 1% of respondents) | |||
| Total respondents | Men | Women |
Orthodox Christianity | 67 | 57 | 74 |
Non-believer | 12 | 17 | 9 |
Fluctuating between faith and non-faith | 6 | 8 | 4 |
Muslim | 5 | 5 | 4 |
I am a believer but I do not belong to any religion | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Buddhism | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Other | 4 | 6 | 2 |
Don’ t know | 1 | 3 | 2 |
In your opinion, what religion do you belong to? (closed-ended question, one answer, %, answer by at least 1% of respondents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
Orthodox Christianity | 67 | 52 | 58 | 67 | 71 | 73 |
Non-believer | 12 | 19 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
Fluctuating between faith and non-faith | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
Muslim | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
I am a believer but I do not belong to any religion | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Buddhism | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Don’ t know | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Do you go to church, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | |||
| Total respondents | Men | Women |
I don’t go to church | 17 | 26 | 10 |
I go to church from time to time | 70 | 64 | 75 |
I go to church regularly, at least once a month | 13 | 10 | 15 |
Do you go to church, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
I don’t go to church | 17 | 13 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 19 |
I go to church from time to time | 70 | 82 | 64 | 81 | 70 | 65 |
I go to church regularly, at least once a month | 13 | 5 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 16 |
Do you go to church, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St Petersburg | Million cities | 500-950 thousand inhabitants | 100—500 thousand inhabitants | Less than 100 thousand inhabitants | Rural area |
I don’t go to church | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 21 |
I go to church from time to time | 70 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 72 | 67 | 67 |
I go to church regularly, at least once a month | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 12 |
Do you usually follow the Orthodox fasting, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | |||
| 2018 | March 2019 | November 2019 |
I do not follow | 71 | 75 | 69 |
I only follow the Great Lent | 13 | 14 | 15 |
I follow almost every Orthodox fast but not all | 12 | 9 | 14 |
I strictly follow every Orthodox fast | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Refusal to answer | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Do you know/did you hear/ do you hear for the first time about the Christmas Fasting? If yes, when does it start? (open-ended question, one answer, %, answers by at least 2% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
November 28 | 7 |
January 7 | 5 |
In December | 5 |
December 25 | 2 |
November 27 | 2 |
I heard something but I do not know any details/ I do not remember the time period | 55 |
This is the first time I hear about the Christmas fasting | 12 |
Other | 3 |
What thoughts, associations come to your mind when you hear “the Christmas Fast”? Several answers are possible (open-ended question, up to 2 answers, %, answers by at least 2% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Food and alcohol restrictions / abstinence from food / diet / lent diet | 14 |
Abstinence / spiritual self-improvement / not to sin / purification / humility | 11 |
Christmas is coming soon / Christmas celebrations / it ends on the Christmas Day | 10 |
Positive feelings / joy / happiness | 7 |
A big holiday / great holiday / preparations for the holiday / holiday mood | 6 |
New Year / New Year is coming soon | 3 |
Good behavior / to do good | 3 |
The birth of Jesus Christ | 3 |
Going to church / Praying | 2 |
Orthodox Christianity / Orthodox tradition / Orthodox holiday / religion | 2 |
Grace / sainthood / highness / spirituality | 2 |
People observe the fast / for the believers | 2 |
Faith / faith in God | 2 |
No associations | 3 |
Other | 3 |
Don’ t know | 37 |
The Christmas Fast is observed from November 28 to January 6. Will you follow the next Christmas Fast, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | |||
| Total respondents | Men | Women |
I have not decided yet | 25 | 23 | 27 |
I will follow it | 9 | 7 | 11 |
I will not follow it | 64 | 70 | 61 |
Don’ t know | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The Christmas Fast is observed from November 28 to January 6. Will you follow the next Christmas Fast, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
I have not decided yet | 25 | 36 | 30 | 23 | 26 | 22 |
I will follow it | 9 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 14 |
I will not follow it | 64 | 62 | 66 | 68 | 64 | 63 |
Don’ t know | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Christmas Fast is observed from November 28 to January 6. Will you follow the next Christmas Fast, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Orthodox adherents) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St Petersburg | Million cities | 500-950 thousand inhabitants | 100—500 thousand inhabitants | Less than 100 thousand inhabitants | Rural area |
I have not decided yet | 25 | 14 | 17 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 35 |
I will follow it | 9 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 11 |
I will not follow it | 64 | 80 | 66 | 70 | 66 | 65 | 53 |
Don’ t know | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
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.