Although Muscovites consider that Moscow needs more monuments, they prefer the pedestrian area arrangement rather than the construction of the monument to Dzerzhinsky.
MOSCOW, July 30, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information describing the opinions of Moscow residents on the monuments: whom the monuments should be devoted to, and where they should be built.
When asked about the historical characters to dedicate the monuments to, every third Muscovite (36%) opted for Russian military commanders and warlords. A further 36% would build monuments to Russian scientists. Every third (32%) cites artists and literary figures. One-quarter of respondents (26%) would set up a monument devoted to the Russian pre-revolutionary public officials; only every tenth Muscovite (10%) would like to see a monument to one of the distinguished Soviet public figures. Three percent approve of the construction of the monument dedicated to the modern Russian political figures.
Every third resident of Moscow (37%) supports the idea to restore the monument of Felix Dzerzhinsky proposed by the CPRF. They are mainly elderly respondents - every second is aged 60 and over (55%). The idea is also approved by 42% of Muscovites aged 45-59. Only every third Moscow resident aged 35-44 (32%) would like to see Dzerzhinsky in Lubyanka Square. Those who share this stance are 23% of the 25-34-year-olds and 29% of those aged 18-24. Nevertheless, most of Muscovites (56%) appreciate the reciprocal initiative proposed by the United Russia party - to arrange the Lubyanka pedestrian area, a fountain and a public garden that go from the Detsky Mir to the Polytechnic Museum. This idea is supported by 64% of Moscow residents aged 18-24, 70% of persons aged 25-34, 62% of the 35-44-year-olds, 51% of those aged 45-59 and only 39% of people aged 60 and more.
The initiative to return the Dzerzhinsky statue is approved by Muscovites with elementary and incomplete secondary education (63%). Forty-two percent of Moscow residents with secondary general education and the same share of those with secondary special education also support the idea. Only every third Muscovite (32%) with complete and incomplete higher education diplomas thinks that the Dzerzhinsky statue should be returned to the Square. At the same time, every fifth Moscow resident (23%) with elementary and incomplete secondary education and every second (51%) with secondary general and secondary special education as well as an overwhelming majority of Muscovites (61%) with complete and incomplete higher education favor the construction of the pedestrian area.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted in Moscow, July 23-26, 2015; 1200 respondents were interviewed via landline and mobile phones. The margin of error does not exceed 3.7%.
Discussions are well under way regarding Moscow monuments. If it was your choice, what historical characters would you choose to build a monument for? (semi-open question, up to two answer options, %) | ||||||
|
| Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and more |
Great Russian military commanders and warlords | 36 | 41 | 40 | 44 | 32 | 29 |
Great Russian scientists | 36 | 47 | 42 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
Great people of art and literature | 32 | 45 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 22 |
Great Russian prerevolutionary public officials | 26 | 22 | 21 | 28 | 31 | 25 |
Great Soviet public officials | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 14 |
Great characters who contributed to the development of Moscow | 10 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
Anyone who deserved it / who did much | 3 | >1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Monuments to modern politicians | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Dzerzhinsky | 1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 | 2 |
Stolypin | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 | 1 |
Brezhnev | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 | 1 |
War heroes | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 |
Artists | >1 | 1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 |
Zhukov | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 |
Reconstruct old monuments | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 |
Vysotsky | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 |
Nicholas II | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 |
Vernadsky | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 |
Others | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | >1 | 1 |
The number of monuments is sufficient / there is no need to set up new monuments | 2 | 1 | >1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Nothing of the above-mentioned | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
Don`t know/ refusal to answer | 7 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 13 |
During the Soviet times there was a monument of Felix Dzerzhinsky in Lubyanka Square; today this place is empty. In your opinion, how should this square be transformed in the future? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| Total respondents | 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | 60 and over |
To return the monument of Felix Dzerzhinsky, as it was proposed by the CPRF | 37 | 29 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 55 |
To arrange the pedestrian area , to set up a fountain and a public garden that go from the Detsky Mir to the Polytechnic Museum, as it was proposed by the United Russia party | 56 | 64 | 70 | 62 | 51 | 39 |
Don`t know | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
During the Soviet times there was a monument of Felix Dzerzhinsky in Lubyanka Square; today this place is empty. In your opinion, how should this square be transformed in the future? (closed-ended question, one answer,%) | |||||
| Total respondents | Incomplete secondary education | Secondary general education | Secondary special education | Incomplete higher, complete higher education |
To return the monument of Felix Dzerzhinsky, as it was proposed by the CPRF | 37 | 63 | 42 | 42 | 32 |
To arrange the pedestrian area , to set up a fountain and a public garden that go from the Detsky Mir to the Polytechnic Museum, as it was proposed by the United Russia party | 56 | 23 | 51 | 51 | 62 |
Don`t know | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
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!