MOSCOW, 22 June 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a study to mark Day of Sorrow and Remembrance.
Three-quarters of Russians know when the Great Patriotic War started - June 22, 1941 (73%). Most of them are older generations (88%). Forty-eight percent of the 18-34–year-olds cite the date correctly - this percentage is twice as lower than that of respondents aged 60 and older. On the whole, the share of those who know the exact date when the war started has increased over fifteen years (+8 p.p. compared to 2007).
Fifty-eight percent of respondents honor the memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War in some way or another on Day of Sorrow (74% of older Russians). Most of Russians honor the memory of their relatives who fought in the war (11%), remember the relatives who participated in the war (9%), lay flowers at the Eternal Flame or monuments, visit the graves of their relatives (7%). Respondents also watch war movies, hold discussions with children and grandchildren about the war and visit the memorials (4% each). Eighteen percent of respondents say they do not do anything special on this day. Older generations are more likely to engage in commemorative activities: every tenth respondent aged over 60 goes to the cemetery (11%), 33% remember the family members or honor the memory of those who died in the war (4% among the 18-24–year-olds) .
Forty percent of Russians know details about their relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War from family archives and family stories. This percentage is also high among young respondents aged 18-24 (31% vs 48% among those aged 60 and older). Half of Russians are aware that someone in their family fought in the war but do not know if they went missing or died in the war (49%). The share of those who are well aware that their relatives fought in the Great Patriotic War is gradually declining; this percentage has reduced by 10 p.p. since 2004.
Over the recent year 88% of Russians have watched movies about the Great Patriotic War. This kind of movies attracts older respondents (94%), and more than half of young respondents aged 18-24 (64%). Every second Russian have visited sites of military glory, museums, memorials (51%); 44% have visited military burials; 41% have read books about the Great Patriotic War. Respondents appear less likely to have attended meetings with veterans (21%).
Sites of military glory and museums, meetings with veterans are equally popular across all age groups. Visiting military burials, watching military movies and reading books are more in demand among older age groups. Over a year the above-mentioned forms of collective memory have not lost popularity.
VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted June 14, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. The data were weighted according to 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.
June 14, 2022 survey key effectiveness indicators: cooperation rate (COOP1)* = 0.8357; minimum response rate (RR1)** = 0.0232; response rate (RR3)*** = 0.1568.
* The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.
** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers where it is unknown whether the subscribers meet the selected criteria or not.
*** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers with respect to the assessment of the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of cases of unknown eligibility.
Let’s talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact date when the war started? Can you name the year, date and month? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2007 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 |
22 June 1941 | 65 | 69 | 68 | 73 |
Another date | 29 | 25 | 24 | 17 |
No idea | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Don’t know | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Let’s talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact date when the war started? Can you name the year, date and month (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older |
22 June 1941 | 73 | 74 | 72 | 48 | 48 | 68 | 85 | 88 |
Another date | 17 | 18 | 17 | 34 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 11 |
No idea | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Don’t know | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
June 22d marks the anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. Do you do anything to honor the memory of those who died in this war? If you do, can you say what exactly? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers; % of respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older |
I honor their memory / remember those who died / praying / I have it in my mind | 11 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
Remember the relatives / grandparents / father / uncle | 9 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 18 |
Wreath-laying / memorial wreaths / eternal flame | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
Going to the cemetery / graves of the relatives | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
Visiting monuments/memorials/eternal flame | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
I tell children, grandchildren about it / conversation with children about GPW/ about veterans | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
Watching war movies | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
Remembering with the family / meeting relatives | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Gatherings/ rallies/ demonstrations | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Participation in events / gatherings | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Memory candle / lighting a candle | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Watching TV / TV shows about the GPW / parade | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Feast / dinner / gathering / setting the table | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Drinking / drinking a shot in memory | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Mourning / Day of mourn / crying | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Parades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Veterans / celebrating veterans / meetings with veterans / helping veterans | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Going to church / service in remembrance / memorial service | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Immortal regiment | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
A moment of Silence | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Listening to wartime songs / singing military songs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Memorial Event | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Pray | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Concert | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Communicating with friends, colleagues | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Celebrating | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
I’ll be working | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Wearing St George ribbon / St George ribbon action | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Tidying up the graves/ memorials | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Hanging the flags | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Visiting museums | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
I say “thank you” / showing gratitude to the veterans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nothing | 18 | 18 | 18 | 25 | 28 | 20 | 17 | 9 |
Other | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Don’t know | 24 | 27 | 21 | 36 | 38 | 25 | 17 | 17 |
Did anyone in your family participate in the Great Patriotic War? If yes, do you know any details about their life during the war years? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2007 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 |
Yes, I know a lot from stories of my relatives, family archives (letters, photos) | 50 | 46 | 45 | 34 | 42 | 35 | 38 | 40 |
I know that my relatives participated in the war but I do not know any details | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 37 | 37 | 37 |
Some of my relatives participated in the war but they died or went missing; I know nothing about them | 10 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 12 |
None of my relatives participated in the war | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
I do not know if anyone in my family participated in this war | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Did anyone in your family participate in the Great Patriotic War? If yes, do you know any details about their life during the war years? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older |
Yes, I know a lot from stories of my relatives, family archives (letters, photos) | 40 | 42 | 38 | 31 | 23 | 38 | 47 | 48 |
I know that my relatives participated in the war but I do not know any details | 37 | 37 | 37 | 40 | 43 | 42 | 31 | 34 |
Some of my relatives participated in the war but they died or went missing; I know nothing about them | 12 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 11 |
None of my relatives participated in the war | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
I do not know if anyone in my family participated in the war | 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Which of these things have you happened to do over the recent year, i.e. since last June? (closed-ended question, one answer in each line, % of total respondents) | ||
| 2021 | 2022 |
Reading books about the Great Patriotic War | ||
Yes | 39 | 41 |
No | 60 | 59 |
Don’t know | 1 | 0 |
Watching movies about the Great Patriotic War | ||
Yes | 87 | 88 |
No | 13 | 11 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 |
Attending meetings with veterans | ||
Yes | 21 | 21 |
No | 79 | 79 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 |
Visiting places of military glory, museums, memorials | ||
Yes | 50 | 51 |
No | 50 | 48 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 |
Visiting cemeteries, burial sites | ||
Yes | 48 | 44 |
No | 52 | 56 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 |
Which of these things have you happened to do over the recent year, i.e. since last June? (closed-ended question, one answer in each line, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older |
Reading books about the Great Patriotic War | ||||||||
Yes | 41 | 42 | 41 | 32 | 28 | 36 | 49 | 50 |
No | 59 | 58 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 64 | 51 | 50 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Watching movies about the Great Patriotic War | ||||||||
Yes | 88 | 88 | 89 | 64 | 83 | 91 | 93 | 94 |
No | 11 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Attending meetings with veterans | ||||||||
Yes | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 20 |
No | 79 | 80 | 78 | 79 | 85 | 76 | 77 | 80 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Visiting places of military glory, museums, memorials | ||||||||
Yes | 51 | 51 | 52 | 47 | 53 | 58 | 54 | 45 |
No | 48 | 49 | 48 | 52 | 47 | 42 | 46 | 55 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Visiting cemeteries, burial sites | ||||||||
Yes | 44 | 43 | 44 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 51 | 51 |
No | 56 | 57 | 55 | 76 | 67 | 57 | 49 | 49 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |