MOSCOW, January 15, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information on who Russians consider to be the politician, sportsman, artist, musician and writer of the year.

A. Pugacheva leads in the rating of Russians´s most favourite people 2007, her name was mentioned by 5% of respondents. Even though respondents were asked not to take politicians and government officials into consideration, 4% of respondents did mention President of our country V. Putin as one of their favourite compatriots. A. Abdulov, M. Galkin and N. Mikhalkov are also among the top five favourites. 3% of respondents admitted to have them as favourites.

An overwhelming majority of Russians (87%) gave V. Putin the honorary title of the politician of the year (among respondents who did not find it hard to provide an answer to this question). His "successor", the first deputy Prime Minister D. Medvedev, occupies the second place in the rating having received 19% of the respondents´ vote. The third place belongs to the LDPR leader V. Zhirinovsky (7%). Head of Government V. Zubkov and his first deputy Prime Minister S. Ivanov, whose chances to become President turned out to be equal to nothing have gathered 4% each. The leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation G. Zyuganov and Governor of the Kemerovo area A.Tuleyev got 2% each.

Showmen and politicians are considered to be the best sportsmen. The last-year winner a figure-skater and TV star from St. Petersburg E. Plushenko also has a strong lead in the rating 2007 (21%). His old competitor A. Yagudin (9%) occupies the second place. Players of Russia national football team R. Pavlyuchenko (7%), D. Sychev (6%) and A. Arshavin (6%) could not cut in between the two figure skaters. Other people who also have their places among the leaders of the rating are the tennis player and the habitué of a society column M. Sharapova (6 %), figure skater and show-woman I. Slutskaya (6%), as well as the star of boxing and TV commercials N. Valuev (5%). Deputy of the State Duma A. Kabaeva and the star of the ice show T. Navka received 4% of the vote each.

Russians consider A. Abdulov who died right at the start of 2008, to be the best actor-2007 (8% of respondents who could provide an answer to the question given), they also pointed out "the beautiful nanny" A. Zavorotnyuk (7%). Each K. Khabensky and A. Snatkina received 6% of the respondents´ vote. Each of S. Bezrukov, M. Galkin, V. Mashkov and Ch. Khamatova obtained 5%; M. Basharov and M. Porechenkov got 4% each.

Just as in 2006, the first line of the „Singer of the year" rating belongs to D. Bilan (14%), N. Baskov and A. Pugacheva received 13% each. S. Rotaru with her 9% of the rating lags a little behind of the leading triad. Each of F. Kirkorov and L. Leshenko obtained 7%. The singer Maxim got the support of 4% of Russians. 3% is what the rating brought for Valeria, N. Kadysheva, I. Krutoy, I. Kobzon, L. Dolina, V. Meladze.

Authors of detectives are now recognized as best writers. D. Dontsova who was the leader of the last-year rating occupied the first place for a second time, every third respondent (31%) called her the writer of the year. The second place belongs to B. Akunin (12%), T. Ustinova occupies the third place (10%). A. Marinina lags a little behind with her 6% of the vote, as well as P. Dashkova with her 4% does. A. Solzhenitsyn who has a "slightly" different style of writing cuts between them with 5% of the vote. It is interesting to note that 2% of respondents included the Russian classic F. Dostoevsky into the list of "writers of the year".

The initiative all-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on December 22-23, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.