Most of Russians are proud of the Russian national symbols and think everyone should know them.
MOSCOW, August 22, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to Russia’s National Flag Day.
Flag, coat of arms and anthem: Russia’s pride
Over the recent thirteen years Russian national symbols evoke pride, admiration ad liking in Russians. In particular, 63% of Russians are proud of national symbols; 22% appreciate them. The number of respondents who express pride, admiration and liking were changing over the years. Over the entire measurement period the number of those who felt dislike did not exceed 1%; the share of those who expressed irritation and shame did not exceed 3%.
An average share of those indifferent towards Russian national symbols’ declined from 15% to 10% in 2014, and has been fluctuating within 9-12% since then. based on the 2019 data, 84% of Russians feel pride, admiration and liking when they see the Russian flag; 81%, when they see the coat of arms; 85%, when they hear the Russian anthem.
Knowledge test
Most of Russians are familiar with the color of the Russian national flag (87%); however 50% failed to arrange the colors in correct order. Those who correctly guess the colors and arrange them are young Russians aged 18-24 (72%) and 25-34 (63%), as well as respondents with higher education diplomas (55%). Thirty-seven percent of Russians know the colors of the flag but fail to arrange them correctly; they are mainly Russians aged 45-59 (41%) and those aged 60 and over (45%).
Most of Russians are aware what is pictured in the coat of arms of Russia (73%). Those who know exactly what it looks like are young respondents aged 18-24 (82%), 25-34 (76%) and 35-44 (79%), as well as those respondents who have higher education diplomas (82%); respondents aged 45-59 (70%) and those aged over 60 (67%) are less likely to know what it looks like.
Seventeen percent of Russians could reproduce the first words of the Russian national anthem (mainly the 18-24-year-olds (42%) and the 25-34-year-olds (35%)). Forty percent could remember the first line of the anthem but the words were wrong. They are mainly persons aged over 60 who remember the years when the anthem sounded differently. Forty-two percent failed to provide any answer; they are basically respondents aged 45-59 (46%) and over 60 (49%).
Lack of knowledge is bad
At the same time, the majority are confident that it is inappropriate not to now the national symbols under any circumstances (53%). This opinion is often shared by respondents aged 45-59 and those aged over 60 (57%, for each). Another one-fifth of respondents consider that knowing the national symbols is a private business. This stance is mainly supported by young respondents aged 18-24 (36%) and 25-34 (26%). Nineteen percent admit that it is appropriate not to know the national symbols in certain cases; those who think it is normal are in the minority (6%).
VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on August 20, 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.
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.