Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

Most of Russians believe that there is a group of people who try to destroy the moral values of the Russian people and to rewrite the Russian history.  

MOSCOW, August 20, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey describing the views of Russians on conspiracy theory.

Two-thirds of Russians (66%) consider that there is a group of people which strives to rewrite the Russian history, to falsify the historical facts in order to harm Russia and to diminish its importance. The share of those who think so is higher among the 45-59-year-olds and people aged 60 and over (72%, for each).

One quarter of respondents (26%) are confident that such people do not exist. This stance is often shared by young people aged 18-24 (47%) and those with incomplete secondary education level (42%) who say that certain historians rewrite the Russian history to discover the truth.

Most of Russians (63%) believe that there is an organization which tries to destroy the moral values of Russians through the propaganda on non-traditional sexual relationships. This viewpoint is popular among persons aged 45-59 (69%) and those with specialized secondary education level (67%).

One quarter of Russians (24%) oppose them saying that there is no propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships in Russia. Young respondents (aged 18-24) are more likely to say that people who advocate for the rights of sexual minorities in Russia do not pursue any destructive aims (48%).

The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on May 29-30, 2018, and involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was 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 2.2%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

Which of the following statements do you agree with the most?

 (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Elementary (incomplete secondary) education

Secondary education (school, vocational school)

Specialized secondary education  (technical school)

Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher  education

There is a group of people who try to rewrite the Russian history, to falsify historical facts  in order to harm Russia, to downplay its grandeur

66

51

64

68

66

There is no any group of people who try to rewrite the Russian history. Those historians do falsify historical facts just want to get to the bottom of

26

42

27

23

27

Don’t know

8

7

9

9

7

Which of the following statements do you agree with the most?

 (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Aged 18-24

Aged 25-34

Aged 35-44

Aged 45-59

Aged 60 and over

There is a group of people who try to rewrite the Russian history, to falsify historical facts  in order to harm Russia, to downplay its grandeur

66

51

56

65

72

72

There is no any group of people who try to rewrite the Russian history. Those historians do falsify historical facts just want to get to the bottom of

26

47

34

27

21

18

Don’t know

8

2

10

8

7

10

Which of the following statements do you agree with the most?

 (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Elementary (incomplete secondary) education

Secondary education (school, vocational school)

Specialized secondary education  (technical school)

Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher  education

There is a group of people who try to destroy the moral values of Russians through the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships

63

48

58

67

65

There is no any propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships in Russia. Those people who advocate for the rights of sexual minorities in Russia do not pursue  destructive aims

24

29

24

20

26

Don’t know

13

23

18

13

9

Which of the following statements do you agree with the most?

(closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Aged 18-24

Aged 25-34

Aged 35-44

Aged 45-59

Aged 60 and over

There is a group of people who try to destroy the moral values of Russians through the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships

63

44

56

67

69

67

There is no any propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships in Russia. Those people who advocate for the rights of sexual minorities in Russia do not pursue  destructive aims

24

48

28

21

21

18

Don’t know

13

8

16

12

10

15

 

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! 

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