MOSCOW, August 6, 2009. On the 10th anniversary of the invasion of militants into Dagestan Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing what Russians think happened in Dagestan in August 1999, who was interested in the conflict, what played the greatest role in the successful resolution of the conflict.

Russians are divided in their attitude towards events that happened in August 1999 in Dagestan: more than a quarter of respondents  (29%) think hat it was the invasion of the Chechen and Arab militants trying to establish Islamic state; other quarter (25%) name Chechen militants conspiring with foreign special services to separate Northern Caucasus from Russia. Every tenth mention internal clashes between warring factions; and only 5% consider that there was a conspiracy of Russian authorities to launch a second war in Chechnya. Twenty-two percent of Russians said they first heard about these events.

Remarkably, the more educated Russians are, the more often they point at conspiracy plot to divide Russia and to separate Northern Caucasus from Russia (done by the Chechen militants in coordination with western special services) as the problem behind the situation in Dagestan-1999 (18% among Russians with primary education against 29% among high-educated Russians).

10 years after the events in Dagestan Russians think that those who were interested most in this conflict were international Islamic terrorist organizations (31%), clans of Chechen warlords seeking to redistribute power in Chechnya (29%) and American government (24%). Besides that, respondents also mentioned international oil companies seeking to transport Caspian oil bypassing Russia (17%), Muslim organizations seeking to spread Islam (14%), drug mafia in Central Asia and Caucasus (12%). Rarer respondents name Chechnya people and authorities (7% for each).

It is interesting to know that Russians with higher level of education consider international Islamic terrorists organizations (19% among respondents with low level of education and 34% of high-educated Russians) and Chechen warlords` clans (25% among Russians with lower level of education against 32% of high-educated ones) to have largest stake in the conflict. Those who point at the US government are respondents with lower level of education.

Russians think that the key to successful resolution of the conflict in Dagestan lies in the courage demonstrated by the Federal Army soldiers and political will of the prime-minister Vladimir Putin (42% and 29% respectively). Every fifth mention patriotism of the  residents of Dagestan (21%) and war skills of commanders (19%). Thirteen percent marked international public opinion, and 9% - political will of the President Boris Eltsin; 8% of Russians (for each) mentioned fatigue among terrorists themselves, as well as political will of the Chechen authorities. Every fifth were undecided.

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on July 25-26, 2009. 

1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.

The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM,

the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!