Most Russians (84%) know about the Pussy Riot” punk prayer”; 29% were keeping a close eye on the trial.
MOSCOW, August 29, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing the attitudes of Russians towards the Pussy Riot “punk prayer” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; whether they kept an eye on the trial over the members of this group.
The awareness of Russians about the Pussy Riot action has increased from 71% in April to 84% in August, mostly at the expense of the increase in the share of those who are informed in general (35% in April against 47% in August 2012). The action drew a wide public response among Muscovites and St. Petersburgians (96%) and Russians with high level of education (90%). At the same time, the number of respondents who heard about that for the first time has decreased from 29% to 15%. They are mainly rural area residents (20%).
Respondents rarer assess the “punk prayer” as hooliganism (46% in April versus 34% in August). However, there is an increase in the share of those who believe that the action insulted religious sanctity (from 21% in April to 24% in August), or that it was an attempt to attract public attention (10% and 15, respectively). Every tenth Russian (11%) considers the action a political protest (in April 13%); 7% think the action is extremist (in April 4%); 1% thinks the action was a performance.
Twenty-nine percent of Russians were keeping a close eye on the Pussy Riot trial 29%. Those who were interested most are metropolitan residents (47% versus 23-24% among residents of small cities and rural area), as well as Russians with high level of education (38% versus 18% among Russians with incomplete secondary education). More than half of respondents (58%) report that the trial did not attract their attention. They usually have secondary or secondary special education diplomas (60-61%), or they are residents of small cities and rural area (60-62%). Twelve percent of Russians report that they hear for the first time about the trial over the Pussy Riot band.
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on August 25-26, 2012. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
Do you personally know/ have you heard or do you hear for the first time about the Pussy Riot action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior where the girls sang “Virgin Mary, put Putin away”? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||
| April 2012 | August 2012 |
Yes, I know that | 36 | 37 |
I heard something about that, but I do not know the details | 35 | 47 |
I hear for the first time | 29 | 15 |
Hard to tell | 1 | 1 |
Do you personally know/ have you heard or do you hear for the first time about the Pussy Riot action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior where the girls sang “Virgin Mary, put Putin away”? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||||
Total respondents | Moscow and St.Petersburg | Million cities | More than 500 thousand | 100 - 500 thousand | Less than 100 thousand | Rural area | |
Yes, I know that | 37 | 54 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 34 | 29 |
I heard something about that, but I do not know the details | 47 | 42 | 54 | 44 | 41 | 49 | 50 |
I hear for the first time | 15 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 20 |
Hard to tell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The action was ambiguously assessed by the public. Some assess it as hooliganism. Others - as political protest or a form of contemporary art. Which of these statements is closer to yours? | ||
Апрель 2012 | Август 2012 | |
Hooliganism | 46 | 34 |
Sacrilege, insult of religious sanctity | 21 | 24 |
PR, attempt to become famous or to attract attention | 10 | 15 |
Political protest | 13 | 11 |
Extremism, inciting hatred and hostility towards Orthodox believers and priests | 4 | 7 |
Contemporary art, performance, art self-realization | 1 | 1 |
Other | 1 | 2 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 6 |
Did you keep an eye on the Pussy Riot trial? (close-ended question, one answer) | |
Yes, I did | 29 |
No, did not | 58 |
I heat for the first time about that | 12 |
Hard to tell | 1 |
Did you keep an eye on the Pussy Riot trial? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||
Total respondents | Elementary, or lower, incomplete secondary education | Secondary (school, technical college) | Secondary special (college) | Incomplete higher (not less than 3 years), higher | |
Yes, I did | 29 | 18 | 24 | 28 | 38 |
No, did not | 58 | 54 | 61 | 60 | 53 |
I heat for the first time about that | 12 | 26 | 14 | 11 | 7 |
Hard to tell | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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!