Results of our studies

MOSCOW, 3 November 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to Unity Day.

There is place for a holiday as well as for unity

Seventy-one percent of Russians recognize the importance of public holidays. One-third of them are confident in that (32%), which is an eight-point increase compared to 2019 (24%). Twenty-six percent of respondents have the opposite view.

·    Holidays are generally appreciated by women (75% vs. 66% men), young respondents aged 18-24 (77% vs. 70% of those aged 45-59), residents of rural area and small settlements (75% vs. 64% of residents of Moscow, St Petersburg, big cities with the population of over 500-950 inhabitants). The percentage is also higher in Southern and North-Caucasian federal districts (77% and 79%, respectively).

·    A sense of national unity also shapes perception of a holiday:  most of those who experience this feeling support celebrations (86%); every eighth opposes them (12%). Russians who say there is no national unity are divided in their opinions:  50% of them consider this holiday is important, 47% oppose them.

Compared to the previous year, the percentage of those who think that the Russian society is cohesive has considerably increased. Whereas in 2021 only one-third of Russians said that there was unity in Russia (31%), today this opinion is shared by 56% (+25 p.p. over a year). This is an all-time high. This figure is close to the 2015 and 2017 percentages when half of respondents also reported social cohesion (54%, each). Overall, over ten years the share of those who recognize unity has increased 2.5-fold (23% vs. 56%). In 2012 the opposite stance was dominant (“there is likely no national unity” (56%)); today 37% of respondents support this viewpoint (−19p.p. compared to ten years ago).

All socio-demographic groups feel national cohesiveness in an equal way. Place of living makes more difference. The “there is likely national unity” viewpoint is more popular in small settlements (under 100 thousand inhabitants) and rural are rather than in metropolitan areas (62% and 60% vs. 45% in Moscow and St Petersburg).

Positive changes are also mentioned by Russians themselves. According to every second respondent, over the recent year national unity has strengthened (49%). A quarter of respondents say it has not changed (28%); 17% say it has weakened.

Sources of cohesion

Russians think that the source of consolidation in the Russian society is the special military operation. Russians who say that national unity is present in Russia (56%) bring forward the following arguments: Western position towards Russia, conduct of the special military operation and mobilization (28%). Fifteen percent of Russians think that this is confirmed by the fact that all the nations cohabitate peacefully in Russia (15%). Certain respondents also point out Russians’ ability to get united in hard times and the majority’s support for one leader and his/her policies (9%, each). Another 8% say that national unity is rooted in the mentality, culture, education, and history.

Despite the fact that young respondents aged 18-24 appreciate public holidays, half of them find it difficult to determine the sources of unity (53%). The key argument in this group is that “all the nations live in harmony” (19%).

 

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted October 28, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. 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.

 

Key effectiveness indicators, October 28, 2022 survey:  cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8258; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0200; response rate (RR)*** = 0.1375.  Calculations are based on the corporate standard: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/

 

* 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.

 

November 4th marks Unity Day in Russia. In your opinion, is it important to celebrate holidays such as Unity Day, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

2017*

2019

2022

Very important

37

24

32

Likely important

41

44

39

Likely unimportant

8

13

11

Unimportant

10

14

15

Don’t know

4

5

3

 * In 2017 the question was as follows: “In your opinion, is it import to celebrate such holidays as People’s Unity Day, Russia’s Day, or not?”

Surveys were conducted through face-to-face household interviews (“Express” project) ; stratified multi-stage sample;  quotas based on socio-demographic parameters ; representative of the Russian population aged 18+ by settlement type, gender, age, education and federal district; Sample size: 1,600 respondents.

 

Let’s change the topic. Is there national unity in Russia today, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

2012

2014

2015

2016

2017*

2019

2021

2022

Likely yes

23

44

54

44

54

37

31

56

Likely not

56

35

35

44

40

54

61

37

Don’t know

21

21

11

12

6

9

8

7

In your opinion, over the recent year has national unity strengthened, weakened or not changed? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Strengthened

49

Weakened

17

Not changed

28

Don’t know

6

If you think that three is people’s unity in Russia, why do you think so? Several answers are possible  (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of those who consider that “there is people’s unity”, answers of at least 2% of respondents)  

 

Total respondents

Attitudes of the Western countries towards Russia / special operation in Ukraine / mobilization

28

All the nations get along with each other / there is unity

15

In hard times Russia gets united / patriotism

9

A majority supports one leader and his/her policies

9

It’s our mentality, culture, education, history

8

People try to help each other / more unity

7

All the people seek common goals  / solution to problems

6

Development of the country and economy / life improvements

3

This is due to Putin’s policies, government’s policies

2

People love their country

2

People have similar views

2

Other

3

Don’t know

24

Topics:
Culture