According to most of Russians, patriotism does not require unanimity but one should meet certain characteristics of patriotic behavior to be a civil servant.
MOSCOW, February 20, 2020. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of a study devoted to the Russian patriotic moods.
Patriotism, first and foremost, means love for the home country: an absolute majority of Russians consider that those who do not have love for their country cannot be patriots (85%; a 8-point increase compared to 2017). Russians show similar levels of unanimity (80%) regarding those people who are involved in corruption schemes: regardless of whether they give or receive bribes they cannot be qualified as patriots.
Two-thirds of Russians think that those who avoid civil obligations, such as military service (65%) or paying taxes (64%), cannot be considered patriots.
Connections with other countries, both actual and desired, are also a manifestation of non-periodic behavior; the number of those who perceive such connections negatively has increased over two years. Indeed, more than half of Russians say that those who dream of moving to another country (64%, a 12-point increase over two years), have foreign bank accounts (57%, a 7-point increase compared to 2017) or dual citizenship (50%, a 20-point increase over two years) as well as those who work for an organization viewed as “foreign agent” (47%) cannot be Russian patriots. However, only 19% of Russians consider it unpatriotic to marry a foreign citizen.
Not knowing the national symbols is a sign of unpatriotic behavior according to 59% of Russians. At the same time oppositionist or protest behavior is less often perceived as unpatriotic: 46% of Russians consider it unpatriotic to refrain from participation in elections, and only 23%, to publicly express an opinion contrary to the official stance (a 13-point decrease over two years).
Generally, only one-third of Russians (30%) condemn public expression of oppositionist opinion and perceive it as something that should be socially condemned (21%), while more than half of respondents think this is a person’s private affairs, and neither state nor society should intervene (58%). Unpatriotic behavior not violating the law is considered as person’s private affairs by 53% of respondents, but one-third of Russians think such behavior should be socially condemned (34%).
As two years ago, more than half of Russians believe that unpatriotic behavior concern everyone, and society should react to it (62%). An overwhelming majority of respondents are confident that unpatriotic people cannot be admitted to civil service (79%). However, 82% consider that there is no need to expel such people from their own country because of their lack of patriotism.
Russian VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted February 16, 2020. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. A stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers is used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and 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 in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2014 results are based on household survey.
In your opinion, can we call a patriot someone who … (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| 2014 | 2017 | 2020 |
Does not feel love for Russia | |||
Yes | 13 | 19 | 10 |
No | 84 | 77 | 85 |
Don’t know | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Gives and accepts bribes | |||
Yes | 23 | 19 | 14 |
No | 66 | 77 | 80 |
Don’t know | 11 | 4 | 6 |
Refrains from military service | |||
Yes | 26 | 26 | 29 |
No | 66 | 69 | 65 |
Don’t know | 8 | 5 | 6 |
Refrains from paying taxes | |||
Yes | 29 | 30 | 29 |
No | 63 | 61 | 64 |
Don’t know | 8 | 9 | 7 |
Wants to move to another country | |||
Yes | 25 | 41 | 29 |
No | 68 | 52 | 64 |
Don’t know | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Does not know the Russian national symbols | |||
Yes | 28 | 33 | 35 |
No | 65 | 61 | 59 |
Don’t know | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Has foreign bank accounts | |||
Yes | 37 | 43 | 35 |
No | 53 | 50 | 57 |
Don’t know | 10 | 7 | 8 |
Has dual citizenship | |||
Yes | 48 | 61 | 42 |
No | 43 | 30 | 50 |
Don’t know | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Works at an NGO - “a foreign agent” | |||
Yes | 33 | 35 | 40 |
No | 52 | 52 | 47 |
Don’t know | 15 | 13 | 13 |
Refrains from participation in elections | |||
Yes | 40 | 44 | 46 |
No | 51 | 48 | 46 |
Don’t know | 9 | 8 | 8 |
Publicly expresses an opinion which runs counter the government’s official stance | |||
Yes | 44 | 59 | 68 |
No | 47 | 36 | 23 |
Don’t know | 9 | 5 | 9 |
Works for a foreign company | |||
Yes | 65 | 76 | 69 |
No | 29 | 17 | 23 |
Don’t know | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Wants to marry a foreigner | |||
Yes | 62 | 69 | 72 |
No | 30 | 21 | 19 |
Don’t know | 8 | 10 | 9 |
in your opinion, how should state and society react to public expression of opinions which run counter the government’s official stance? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| 2014 | 2017 | 2020 |
Criminal liability should be imposed | 5 | 6 | 2 |
Penalty should be charged | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Such behavior should be socially condemned | 28 | 22 | 21 |
State and society should not intervene; this is a private matter | 47 | 52 | 58 |
Don’t know | 11 | 11 | 12 |
in your opinion, how should state and society react to unpatriotic behavior if it does not violate the law (for example, a man not trying to stand for the Russian national anthem)? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| 2014 | 2017 | 2020 |
Criminal liability should be imposed | 4 | 4 | 1 |
Penalty should be charged | 11 | 10 | 7 |
Such behavior should be socially condemned | 38 | 33 | 34 |
State and society should not intervene; this is a private matter | 37 | 48 | 53 |
Don’t know | 10 | 5 | 5 |
Which of the following statements about people who allow themselves to utter unpatriotic statements or commit unpatriotic acts do you agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| 2014 | 2017 | 2020 |
Unpatriotic acts or statements | |||
Unpatriotic acts or statements are a person’s private affair; society should not react to them | 40 | 23 | 25 |
Unpatriotic acts or statements concern everyone; society should react to them | 53 | 68 | 62 |
Don’t know | 7 | 9 | 13 |
Unpatriotic people and civil service | |||
Unpatriotic people should not be admitted to civil service | 77 | 83 | 79 |
Unpatriotic people can be admitted to civil service | 17 | 12 | 13 |
Don’t know | 6 | 5 | 8 |
Stay in a country | |||
Unpatriotic people should be expelled from Russia | 14 | 14 | 8 |
Unpatriotic people should not be expelled from Russia | 72 | 80 | 82 |
Don’t know | 14 | 6 | 10 |
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.