MOSCOW, October 03, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information concerning how well Russians know the history of their own country and are able to answer the questions given in EGE.
39% Russians confess that they are interested in history; this includes no more than 7% who are greatly interested in it, i.e. read history books, watch historical films, go to museums; and one third of respondents (32%) who show occasional interest in history. 54% of respondents do not show any particular interest in the topic, including 36% of respondents who mention that they used to exercise an interest in history while at school (university), but do not really have specific time or desire to do the same now; and 18% who have never been interested in the country's history. Respondents over 60 years of age indicate their interest in this sphere more frequently (12%) than younger respondents do (5-8%).
Only 1% of Russians would give themselves an "excellent" mark in history; 18% assume that they know this subject well; nearly one half of the respondents, 45%, estimate their knowledge of history as satisfactory and every fourth respondent (26%) thinks that he/she deserves a bad mark. The higher level of education the respondents had, the higher they estimated their history knowledge: thus, 10% of respondents with less than secondary education and 25% with higher and uncompleted higher education think that they should have a "good" mark.
The respondents received 8 questions taken from the demonstration version of the EGE 2007 on the History of Russia for the 11th grade. Only 2% of respondents managed to answer all eight questions correctly (5% in the group with higher and uncompleted higher education). Another 4% answered 7 questions correctly and 8% managed to give correct answers to 6 questions. 14% of respondents failed to provide a single correct answer.
23% to 57% of respondents provide accurate answers to one question or another. The higher the level of education of the respondents is, the bigger the share correct answers that they were able to give: the share of accurate responses ranges from 15% to 46% in the group with the level of education less than secondary whereas in the group with higher and uncompleted higher education it equals from 33% to 66%.
Russians are somewhat better familiar with the history of the XX century than with earlier epochs. One fourth of respondents know that "prikazes" in XVI-XVIII centuries were central administrative offices (23%: starting from 15% in the group of respondents with the level of education lower than secondary to 33% with higher and uncompleted higher education); 28% of respondents acknowledge that Russia was proclaimed Empire in the XVIII century (from 16% to 37% in different educational groups); 34% assume that liberation of the serfs from the bond service happened at the time of reign of Alexander II (from 27% to 47%); 33% know that representatives of public thought of the XIX century, which denied the values of previous generations as well of the society of their time, were called nihilists; 43% are aware of the fact that as a result of the retreat of Russian troops at the beginning of the War of 1812 our armies could join near Smolensk (from 25% to 56%); 53% had the idea that the transition of enterprises, ground, etc. into the property of the state carried out in 1917-1918 is called nationalization (from 46% to 66%); 57% knew that collectivization in the USSR brought about unification of individual peasant farms (from 46% to 66%); 35% were aware of the fact that an article concerning building developed socialism was introduced into the Constitution of the USSR of 1977 (from 25% to 46%).
The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on September 1-2, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.
Are you generally interested in history? | ||||||
| Total respondents | Age, years | ||||
18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older | ||
I am greatly interested, I read history books, watch historical films, go to museums | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
I am occasionally interested in history, when I have time and an opportunity | 32 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 25 |
I used to exercise an interest in history while at school (university), but do not really have specific time or desire to do the same now | 36 | 33 | 34 | 39 | 39 | 36 |
I was never interested in history, neither am I so now | 18 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 19 |
Hard to say | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
How well do you know the history of our country? | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Excellent | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Good | 18 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 26 |
Satisfactory | 45 | 34 | 45 | 46 | 48 |
Bad | 26 | 45 | 29 | 25 | 13 |
Hard to say | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Let us remember something from the school history course. In the XVI and the beginning of XVIII cent. "prikazes" were...
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| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Orders sent out by the tzar | 27 | 21 | 30 | 25 | 28 |
Central administrative bodies | 23 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 33 |
Decisions made at the Land Diet | 10 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
Orders issued by the Council of Boyars | 9 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
Hard to say | 31 | 54 | 32 | 32 | 19 |
In what century was Russia proclaimed an empire? | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
XVI | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
XVII | 24 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 29 |
XVIII | 28 | 16 | 25 | 28 | 37 |
XIX | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
Hard to say | 35 | 58 | 38 | 35 | 21 |
Liberation of the serfs from the bond service took place at the time of reign of... | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Nicholas I | 9 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Nicholas II | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 15 |
Alexander II | 34 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 47 |
Alexander III | 8 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
Hard to say | 33 | 50 | 37 | 32 | 19 |
Representatives of public thought of the XIX century, which denied the values of previous generations as well of the society of their time who spoke against bond service, were called... | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Dissidents | 10 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
Heretics | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Old Believers | 16 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
Nihilists | 33 | 20 | 31 | 30 | 49 |
Hard to say | 32 | 56 | 35 | 30 | 21 |
As a result of the retreat of Russian troops at the beginning of the War of 1812... | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Napoleon managed to beat Russian armies one by one | 12 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 12 |
The French army occupied Kiew | 5 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
The French army went up to St. Petersburg | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
The Russian armies managed to join under Smolensk | 43 | 25 | 39 | 44 | 56 |
Hard to say | 33 | 55 | 36 | 32 | 21 |
the transition of enterprises, banks, transportation means, etc. into the property of the state carried out in 1917-1918 is called... | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Nationalization | 53 | 46 | 49 | 50 | 66 |
Privatization | 13 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 10 |
Socialization | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 |
Inventarization | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Hard to say | 18 | 31 | 21 | 19 | 10 |
Collectivization in the USSA led to... | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Creating a system of large agricultural cities | 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Unification of individual peasant farms | 57 | 46 | 57 | 54 | 66 |
Development of farms | 6 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
Resurrection of the peasant commune | 9 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
Hard to say | 19 | 33 | 21 | 19 | 14 |
What new article was introduced into the USSR Constitution approved in 1977? | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Condemning Stalin's personality cult | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Building a communist society within twenty years | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
Introducing the principle of separation of branches of power | 8 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
Building a developed socialism in the USSR | 35 | 25 | 34 | 32 | 46 |
Hard to say | 34 | 51 | 37 | 34 | 22 |
Correct answers to eight questions of the demonstration version of the EGE for the 11th grade of secondary school | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
Did not provide a single correct answer | 14 | 24 | 14 | 15 | 6 |
Gave a correct answer to one of the eight questions | 13 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 7 |
Gave correct answers to 2 of the eight questions | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Gave correct answers to 3 of the eight questions | 16 | 9 | 21 | 15 | 12 |
Gave correct answers to 4 of the eight questions | 15 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 18 |
Gave correct answers to 5 of the eight questions | 12 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
Gave correct answers to 6 of the eight questions | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 16 |
Gave correct answers to 7 of the eight questions | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Gave correct answers to all of the eight questions | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |