15 December 2021. VCIOM presents the findings of a survey among Russians on authorities.
An overwhelming majority of Russians (85%) believe that people need respected authorities; 11% disagree with them.
V.Putin (16%), S.Shoygu (5%), S.Lavrov (4%), M.Mishustin (3%), scientists and academicians as well as family members (3%, each group) enjoy a great deal of respect among Russians. Twenty percent of Russians mentioned no authorities; 27% failed to provide an answer.
When asked whether they have anyone among their friends, acquaintances or relatives who they look up to, 35% of Russians say they look up to their parents; 29% listen to the opinions of friends; 17% of respondents (in each group) listen to their children and grandchildren; and 20% look up to other relatives. Twenty percent of respondents do not have anyone in their circle they look up to.
Two-thirds of Russians (69%) are confident that there are persons among their friends, relatives and colleagues who consider them as an authority and listen to their opinions. Fourteen percent of respondents think there are no such people.
Three-quarters of Russians (75%) have children. A vast majority of those who have children (82%) believe they have authority with their children. Eleven percent of respondents say other persons have authority with their children; 7% are undecided.
All-Russian VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted November 24, 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.
Let us talk about authorities - persons who people respect and listen to. In your opinion, do people need an authority, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
| Total |
Likely yes | 85 |
Likely no | 11 |
Don’t know | 4 |
What famous Russians do you consider as an authority? They can be scientists, writers, singers, bloggers, public figures or anyone else. (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents, answers of at least 1% of respondents) | |
| Total |
V.V. Putin | 16 |
Sergey Shoygu | 5 |
Sergey Lavrov | 4 |
Mikhail Mishustin | 3 |
Family (father, mother, grandmother, grandfather, children) | 3 |
Scientists / academicians | 3 |
Singers / performers | 2 |
Government / politicians | 2 |
Nikita Mikhalkov | 2 |
Vladimir Zhirinovsky | 2 |
Joseph Stalin | 2 |
Nikolay Bondarenko | 2 |
Aleksey Navalny | 2 |
Maria Shukshina | 1 |
Nikolay Platoshkin | 1 |
Leonid Roshal | 1 |
Vladimir Solovyov | 1 |
A.S. Pushkin | 1 |
Mikhail Delyagin | 1 |
Bloggers | 1 |
Yekaterina Shulman | 1 |
Irina Khakamada | 1 |
Dmitry Mendeleev | 1 |
Konstantin Khabensky | 1 |
Alla Pugacheva | 1 |
Sergei Furgal | 1 |
L.N.Tolstoy | 1 |
Marshal Zhukov | 1 |
Writers | 1 |
Gennady Zyuganov | 1 |
Athletes / coaches | 1 |
Fyodor Dostoevsky | 1 |
Aleksandr Myasnikov | 1 |
Sergey Mikheev | 1 |
Vladimir Lenin | 1 |
Vladimir Pozner | 1 |
Sergey Ginzburg | 1 |
Yury Gagarin | 1 |
Pavel Grudinin | 1 |
Governors / mayor | 1 |
А. Mironov | 1 |
Public figures | 1 |
No one | 20 |
Other | 13 |
Don’t know | 27 |
Among your friends or relatives, is there anyone you look up to, or are there not? If yes, who are they? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | |
| Total |
Friends | 29 |
Colleagues | 14 |
Acquaintances | 6 |
Parents | 35 |
My grandmothers, grandfathers | 8 |
Children/grandchildren | 17 |
My brothers, sisters | 17 |
Other relatives | 20 |
No one | 20 |
Someone else | 5 |
Don’t know | 3 |
Is there anyone among your relatives, friends or colleagues who considers you as an authority, who listens to your opinion, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
| Total |
Yes | 69 |
No | 14 |
Don’t know | 17 |
Let us talk about your (elder) child. Do you think you have authority with him/her?* (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who have children) | |
| Total |
Yes | 82 |
No | 11 |
Don’t know | 7 |
* People having several children were asked about the eldest child.