According to the typical features of Russian ecological culture, the environment is perceived not as an independent value, but as a condition for comfortable life.

MOSCOW, January 20, 2011. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the study devoted to the assessment of environmental measures implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, the performance of non-governmental organizations, as well as the level of the green culture among Russians today.

Every fifth Russian believes the green measures implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources are effective (19%). Most positive assessments are expressed by Volga district residents (23%), Siberians (22%), residents of small, middle cities and rural area (20-24%), young people aged 18-24 (24%), as well as residents of Sverdlovsk region (41%).

Almost one-third of Russians are aware of the activities of ecological organizations (29%).   The highest level of awareness is observed among residents of the Sverdlovsk (46%) and Samara (42%) regions, as well as Moscow region (42%).

Most of Russians support the activity of ecological organizations. Those who approve of their activities are residents of Kemerovo and Irkutsk regions - 60% (for each region). This figure makes up not less than 51% in other regions of Russia (except Tyumen region - 34%).

Residents of Irkutsk region stress the high effectiveness of activities of non-governmental organizations: more than one-third of Russians (37%) regard them as being productive.  This indicator is high in Sverdlovsk region (31%). The share of such respondents in the rest of the Russian subjects is fluctuating within 24-29%, excepting for Tyumen region where this indicator makes up 7% due to law awareness of residents of the region about ecological campaigns.

The qualitative research revealed two types of ecological culture (i.e. set of rules, attitudes and beliefs that characterize the attitude of society, social groups and humans toward environment): 1) reproducing - aimed at keeping the society within the given ecological culture; 2) developmental - aimed at the development of ecological culture.

The reproducing type of ecoculture is dominant. It can be seen through adapting ecological behavior to modern life circumstances. The study revealed the followingpeculiarities of the reproducing type of culture: the environment is perceived not as an independent value, but as a condition for a certain life; the state of environment is closely tied to the state of health; requirements to the environment are based on personal human interests; natural diversity is not perceived as an obligatory factor of the everyday life; the perception of ecology is schematic.

The developmental type of ecological culture is typical for the small part of Russians (not more than 2%). This type of culture is based on the ability of human to comprehend and understand the ecological information and develop behavioral standards.

Public ecological consciousness (set of ecological views about the relationship between human and nature  and within nature as well as the existing strategies and technologies of communication with nature) can be characterized by  three basic parameters such as: 1) psychological "opposition/inclusion" (either human stands behind/above nature or human is a part of nature); 2) "object/subject" perception of nature (human perceives nature as a object that is devoid of independent value , or as an equal subject of interaction); 3) "pragmatic/non-pragmatic" character of interaction (interaction with nature serves to satisfy only pragmatic needs of human or to satisfy his non-pragmatic, spiritual needs).

The survey concludes that consumer settings are dominant in environmental issues. Consumerism determines all three levels of consciousness. The main characteristics of the state of ecological consciousness today are ecological dependency and personal distance of the vast part of population from participating in solving the environmental issues.  

Regional peculiarities of ecological consciousness are based on two major factors: structure of ecological local problems and settlement structure. Those who assess ecological situation positively tend to reside in small settlements or rural area, whereas residents of big cities are most dissatisfied with ecological situation. There are also differences in defining the problem field: residents of cities put attention to the state of air, water and problem of waste, whereas rural area residents evaluate disafforestation, problem of waste and then - the impact of industry on nature.

During the qualitative research we found out that the attitudes of the population towards ecological issues and nature conservation activity are structured by means of the definition of relation, actualization of the problem field with regard to the following objects: physiological programs, nutrition programs, lifestyle programs, information search programs, programs of organizations of territorial communities, programs of self-conservation. Despite the apparent character of the patterns of ecological behavior, we should acknowledge that the patterns only partially can be determinants; the ecological behavior is shaped by the comfort and economic well-being.

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on 11-12 December, 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Regional polls were conducted in December 2010 in Moscow, Moscow, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Kemerovo, Irkutsk and Bryansk regions of Russia. 600 respondents aged 18 and above were polled in each region.

Qualitative research (14 focus groups - 2 per each region) was conducted in December 2010. 

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