MOSCOW, 2 November 2023. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to National Unity Day.
An important day in national history
Three-quarters of Russians recognize the importance of celebrating National Unity Day (75%); 39% report about it with full confidence, which is an all-time high. Four years ago, during the COVID-19 restrictions, this holiday was far less important: only a quarter of respondents considered it a significant holiday (24% in 2019). However, the following year (2022) the percentage approached the pre-pandemic level of 32%.
On the contrary, the share of those who believe that holidays similar to National Unity Day are unlikely to be important has decreased by 5 p.p. over the recent year (21% in 2023 vs 26% in 2022).
What do we celebrate?
Although an overwhelming majority of Russians still recognize the importance of National Unity Day, few know its origins. Every fourth Russian (24%) is aware of the fact that this day marks the expulsion of Polish invaders (24%); alternative responses (Day of 1917 October Revolution, collapse of the Soviet Union; Constitution Day, etc) roughly gained 16%; more than half of respondents are undecided (59%).
At first glance, the current level of awareness of the holiday’s origins may look rather insufficient, however this is an all-time high. As early as 15 years ago 13% of Russians remember about the liberation of Moscow by Minin and Pozharsky, meaning that the number of those who are well aware was twice as low compared to 2023. On the contrary, the share of the undecided has been exceeding the current levels by 11-12 p.p. throughout the previous surveys.
Knowing the origins of the holiday has nothing to do with its perception. Both those who consider it important to celebrate this holiday (23%) and those who do not (29%) are equally aware of the liberation of the capital from the Polish invaders on November the 4th.
On the contrary, the share of the undecided is higher among younger respondents aged 18-24 (75%), those with incomplete secondary education (83%) and those who prefer only television (63%) or only the Internet (63%). |
In search of unity
Over a year the number of those who are experiencing national unity has doubled (from 31% in 2021 to 56% 2022). The October 2023 survey shows that 58% of Russians say there is people’s unity in Russia; they are opposed by 35% (37% in 2022). On the whole, the number of those who point to the existence of national unity has been changing in a non-linear manner (since 2012), thus, a pronounced trend is not evident. The lowest cohesion was reported in 2021 (61% vs 31% of those who said there was cohesion).
The number of those with a definite answer has grown over the entire period of measurement: the number of the undecided has been at 6-9% over the recent six years (7% in 2023) compared to 21% in 2012 and 2014.
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Forty-five percent of Russians point out strengthening of unity over the recent year (49% in 2022); 21% have noticed weakening (vs 17% in 2022). A quarter of the respondents say nothing has changed.
VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted October 28, 2023. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18+ were surveyed. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-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.
Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 28 October, 2023: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.7931; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0176; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0919. calculations are based on corporate standards: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/
Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 13 October, 2023: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.7809; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0169; response rate (RR)*** = 0.1022.
* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.
** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.
** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.
On November 4th Russia marks National Unity Day. In your opinion, is it important or unimportant to celebrate holidays similar to National Unity Day? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
2017* | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | |
Very important | 37 | 24 | 32 | 39 |
Likely important | 41 | 44 | 39 | 36 |
Likely unimportant | 8 | 13 | 11 | 8 |
Not at all important | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Don’t know | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
* In 2017 the question was formulated in this way: “In your opinion, is it important or unimportant to celebrate holidays similar to National Unity Day, Russia Day?” Household face-to-face interviews were conducted (“Express” project); stratified multistage sample with quotas based on socio-demographic parameters; representative of the Russian population aged 18 and older according to the type of settlement, gender, age, education and federal district. Sample size: 1,600 respondents
What happened on November 4th to celebrate it as a national holiday? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||
| 2008* | 2010* | 2011* | 2013* | 2023 |
Day of the liberation of Moscow from the Polish intervention led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky | 13 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 24 |
1917 October Revolution Day | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
People’s Unity Day / Day of people’ s cohesion | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Day of Unity /Russia’s unification | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Collapse of the Soviet Union | - | - | - | - | 1 |
Mother of God of Kazan Day | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Russia Independence Day/Russia Day | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Constitution Day | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Coup, 1990s coup d’etat | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 |
Battle of Kulikovo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <1 |
Day of Reunification of the Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic | - | - | - | - | <1 |
A day to replace November 7th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - |
Other | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Don’t know | 76 | 80 | 77 | 70 | 59 |
* Household face-to-face interviews were conducted (“Express” project); stratified multistage sample with quotas based on socio-demographic parameters; representative of the Russian population aged 18 and older according to the type of settlement, gender, age, education and federal district. Sample size: 1,600 respondents
In your opinion, is there national unity in Russia today, or not? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
| 2012* | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Likely yes | 23 | 44 | 54 | 44 | 54 | 37 | 31 | 56 | 58 |
Likely not | 56 | 35 | 35 | 44 | 40 | 54 | 61 | 37 | 35 |
Don’t know | 21 | 21 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
* Household face-to-face interviews were conducted (“Express” project); stratified multistage sample with quotas based on socio-demographic parameters; representative of the Russian population aged 18 and older according to the type of settlement, gender, age, education and federal district. Sample size: 1,600 respondents
In your opinion, over the recent year has national unity strengthened, weakened, or not changed in Russia? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| 2022 | 2023 |
It has strengthened | 49 | 45 |
It has weakened | 17 | 21 |
No change | 28 | 25 |
Don’t know | 6 | 9 |