18 August 2021. VCIOM presents the data of a survey devoted to the 30th anniversary of the GKChP (State Committee on the State of Emergency).
Twenty-one percent of respondents could say correctly what “GKChP” stands for (State Committee on the State of Emergency) (28% of the 45-59-year-olds; 26% of the 35-44-year-olds). Over the recent four years the share of correct answers has increased by 5 p.p. (16% in 2017).
Respondents could recall the GKChP members, such as D.Yazov (11%; 8% in 2011), G.Yanaev (6%; 5% in 2011) and B. Pugo (5%; 4% in 2011) V. Kryuchkov (4%; 4% in 2011). Remarkably, a certain part of respondents were wrong to point to B.Yeltsin (10%), A.Rutskoy (6%), R. Khasbulatov (2%) and M.Gorbachev (2%) as the GKChP members.
Based on the survey findings, the August coup failed for the following reasons: it was not supported by people (20%); the organizers were not prepared (12%); they were not strong enough (5%); people wanted changes (5%); the GKChP members were not firm enough (4%).
The GKChP victory may have caused the following consequences: 10% of Russians pointed to negative consequences; 8% said it would have helped avoid the USSR’s dissolution; 7% say people would live better.
Thirteen percent of Russians say that their life would have improved if the GKChP had retained the power; 17% say the opposite; 32% say nothing would change much.
Of those who say their life would have improved if the GKChP had succeeded, 23% say that the USSR would have survived. Twelve percent consider that the living standards would not have dropped; 6% say their today’s life would have been better, the country would not have collapsed, that life would have been stable, and industries and kolkhozes would not have been destroyed.
Those respondents who believe that in case the GKCHP had won their life would have been worse give the following responses: a civil war might have started (10%); the economic situation would have been worse; (8%) any upheavals always bring about bad consequences (8%); there would be no democracy; they do not like the GKChP participants; and things would have been worse (7% each).
In relation to the motives the GKChP participants were driven by, opinions equally divided: 38% consider they were pursuing personal goals; 41% say they took care of the sate trying to prevent the USSR’s collapse.
Russians perceive the August coup in the following way: 47% believe it was an episode related to the struggle for power in the Russian political establishment; 31% say it was tragic events with disastrous effects for the country; 7% say it was the democratic revolution victory that put an end to the CPSU.
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on August 11, 2021. A total of 1,600 of Russians aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Results are based on telephone interviews. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. 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 to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Are you aware or unaware of what the GKChP acronym stands for? If you are, can you say what it means? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||
| 2017 | 2021 | Ages 18-24 | Ages 25-34 | Ages 35-44 | Ages 45-59 | Ages 60 + |
State Committee on the State of Emergency | 16 | 21 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 28 | 21 |
Other (specify) | 29 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
Don’t know | 55 | 64 | 76 | 77 | 62 | 56 | 59 |
Do you know the names of at least several GKChP members? If so, name them please. (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of those who heard of the August coup; answers of at least 2% of respondents) | ||
| 2011* | 2021 |
Yazov | 8 | 11 |
Yeltsin | 3 | 10 |
Yanaev | 5 | 6 |
Rutskoy | 4 | 6 |
Pugo | 4 | 5 |
Kryuchkov | 4 | 4 |
Khasbulatov | 3 | 2 |
Gorbachev | 2 | 2 |
Other | 1 | 16 |
Don’t know / Hard to say | 72 | 63 |
In 2011, the question wording was “Do you remember the surnames of at least several participants of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt (GKChP)?
On August 22, 1991 the GKChP collapsed, and its members were arrested. In your opinion, why did the 1991 coup d’état attempt fail? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who heard about the August coup; answers of at least 3% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
People did not support them / did not trust them / they did not propose anything to people | 20 |
They were not prepared / spontaneously / not organized | 12 |
They were a minority / not strong enough / the authorities were quick to react | 5 |
People were tired / they want changes / they were fed up with communism / USSR outlived itself | 5 |
GKChP members were not firm enough / coward | 4 |
Mess / people did not understand what was happening / people were not informed / low political engagement | 3 |
The army did not support them / suppressed by law enforcement agencies | 3 |
Other | 22 |
Don’t know | 43 |
Based on what you have heard about the 1991 August coup, what consequences for Russia could the GKChP victory have caused? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who heard about the August coup; answers of at least 2% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Nothing good / negative / awful / things might been worse | 10 |
It would have prevented the USSR’s dissolution | 8 |
Positive / our life would be better than it is now | 7 |
None / life would be the same | 5 |
Civil war / revolution / unrest | 4 |
Country’s breakdown would have been prevented / the country would have kept developing / economic increase / there would have been no agricultural and industrial breakdown | 3 |
We would have returned to socialism / communism / we would have followed the China’s way | 2 |
Country’s complete dissolution | 2 |
Economic crisis / economic decline / no stability | 2 |
Anarchy / mess / havoc | 2 |
Changes in country’s’ internal course / reforms / dictatorship | 2 |
USSR’s dissolution sooner or later | 2 |
Other | 10 |
Don’t know | 53 |
In your opinion, in what way would your life have changed, if the GKChP had succeeded in seizing and retaining the power in 1991? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who heard about the August coup) | ||
| 2011 | 2021 |
My life would have changed for the better | 14 | 13 |
My life would have changed for the worse | 17 | 17 |
It would not have changed considerably | 32 | 32 |
Don’t know | 37 | 38 |
You have said that your life would have changed for the better if the GKChP had seized and retained the power in 1991? Why do you think so? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who heard about the August coup and those who consider that their life would change for the better; answers of at least 3% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
There would have been the USSR / Soviet power / communism / I lived in the USSR, I know what I am talking about / We had a good life in the Soviet times | 23 |
Living standards would not have fallen / there would not have been an economic failure / prices would not have bene rising | 12 |
Life would have been better / we have a bad life today | 6 |
We would have a better quality healthcare and education / free education and healthcare as in the USSR | 6 |
Dissolution of the country / breakup / collapse in the country | 6 |
There would have been stability | 6 |
Kolkhozes/sovkhozes/ industries would not have been ruined | 6 |
There would have been less theft / the country got plundered / less corruption | 4 |
Closer to people / better attitudes to people | 4 |
I do not like the current authorities / there would have been other people at power | 4 |
There would have been jobs / there would have been no unemployment / people would have kept their jobs | 3 |
Social policies would have been better | 3 |
There would be no dependence on the West | 3 |
There would be no capitalism | 3 |
Other | 21 |
Don’t know | 17 |
You have said that your life would have changed for the worse if the GKChP had seized and retained the power in 1991? Why do you think so? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who heard about the August coup and those who consider that their life would change for the worse; answers of at least 3% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
There would have been a war / civil war / violence | 10 |
Economy would have been worse / deficit / living standards | 8 |
Against coups / any coup d’état leads to worse outcomes | 8 |
There would not be democracy / freedom | 7 |
I do not like the participants | 7 |
There would have been worse outcomes / today we live better | 7 |
There would have been no country’s development / there would be a havoc | 5 |
Against getting back to the USSR / against communist regime | 4 |
I disagree with their program/policies | 4 |
Fighting for power / seizure / against the will of people | 3 |
We would have lost our jobs / there would have been unemployment | 3 |
Dependence on the West / other countries’ interference / conflicts with other countries | 3 |
Other | 19 |
Don’t know | 31 |
I will read out two statements; tell me which one do you agree with the most? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who heard about the August coup) | |
| Total respondents |
The GKChP participants were pursuing personal goals trying to strengthen their own political position | 38 |
The GKChP participants took care of the state trying to prevent the USSR’s collapse | 41 |
Don’t know | 21 |
What is your perception of what happened on August 19-21,1991? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who heard about the August coup) | |
| Total respondents |
Victory of democratic revolution, breaking free of the CPSU | 7 |
Tragic event with fatal consequences to the country | 31 |
It is just another episode in the struggle for power in the establishment | 47 |
Don’t know | 15 |