For many Russians the Sochi Olympics Winter Games is a reason to be proud of Russia. The large-scale sport event improved Russia’s image and helped develop sport in the country.
MOSCOW, February 5th, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the Russian assessments of the Sochi Olympic Games a year after the event.
Most of Russians watched the Olympic Games a year ago (63%) including 27% of those who watched the sport events live regularly and 15% of those who were interested in particular competitions.
Today most of Russian fans remember the eye-catching opening and closing ceremonies (31%), whereas a year ago they were impressed mainly by the victory of the Russian figure skaters (44%). Among all athletes, most of Russians remember the performance of Yuliya Lipnitskaya (16% vs 33% in 2014) and Viktor Ahn (16%).
Two-thirds of Russians (64%) regard the Sochi Olympics as one of the most prestigious world-scale event. It was a big holiday for 46%; every fifth (20%) could break the routine. Those who give negative assessment often mention that the organization was expensive (14%). Two percent of Russians believe that Russia failed to host the Olympic Games with dignity; 1% of Russians think that the broadcasts were too boring and took all the air time.
According to Russians, the Olympic Games had more positive effects than negative ones. Every second respondent who watched the Games (54%) think that such a large-scale event helped develop physical culture and sport. Other 49% are confident that the Russia`s image has improved, and its positions have strengthened. According to 36% of Russians, the Olympic Games raised patriotic feelings among Russians. The city of Sochi had an opportunity to become a world class resort (21%). Negative consequences include huge costs (13%), increase of prices for real estate in the region (13%), and creation of the infrastructure objects that will not be used in the future (7%).
Three-quarters of Russians support the idea to hold big sport events in Russia after the Sochi Olympic Games (75%). They are opposed by 16% of respondents.
Three out of ten Russians (30%) report that they would like to see how the city changed. Every sixth Russian (16%) would visit Sochi anyway irrespective of its Olympics status. Four percent of respondents have visited the city after the Games; 41% are not planning to visit Sochi.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on January 24-25, 2015. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 132 communities in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.
Did you follow the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||
| February 1-2, 2014* | February 22-23, 2014 | 2015 |
Yes, I watched the competitions regularly | 26 | 28 | 27 |
Yes, I watched /read about those competitions Russian team had chances to win | 10 | 19 | 15 |
Yes, I watched /read about those competitions I was interested in | 37 | 34 | 21 |
No, I did not watch the Games | 24 | 18 | 36 |
Don`t know | 3 | <1 | 1 |
*On February 1-2, 2014 the question was as follows: “One week is left before the start of the Olympic Games. Will you watch the Olympics Games or not?”
Name, please, two or three most important memories of the Sochi Olympic Games? (open-ended question, not more than three answers, % of those who followed the Olympic Games) | ||
| 2014 | 2015 |
Opening and Closing Ceremonies | 18 | 31 |
First rankings in figure skating | 44 | 19 |
First ranking in overall score | 7 | 12 |
Performance of Russian biathlonists (victory) | 12 | 11 |
Hockey team failure | 15 | 8 |
Performance of speed skating and short track athletes, gold medals of Viktor Ahn | 10 | 8 |
Victory of skiers (50 km mass start won by Russians) | 18 | 6 |
Bobsleigh athletes` performance | 5 | 3 |
Refusal of Plyuschenko to take part in the competition | 4 | 3 |
The entire Olympic Games, perfect organization (visual appeal, infrastructure) | 2 | 3 |
Ring not opened during the Opening ceremony | - | 3 |
Victory of Paralympic athletes | -* | 3 |
Performance of luge athletes | 2 | 1 |
Victory in snowbird | 2 | 1 |
Gold in skeleton, Zubkov`s triumph | 1 | 1 |
Freestyle | 1 | 1 |
Performances of naturalized athletes (Vik Wild) | - | 1 |
Women curling | 1 | - |
Other | 1 | 4 |
Don`t know | 9 | 31 |
* In 2014 the survey was conducted before the start of the Paralympics
Name Russian athletes whose performances you are proud of. | ||
| 2014 | 2015 |
Yulia Lipnitskaya | 33 | 16 |
Viktor Ahn | 15 | 16 |
Adelina Sotnikova | 29 | 10 |
Anton Shipulin | 5 | 8 |
Evgeny Plyuschenko | 11 | 7 |
Alexander Zubkov, Aleksey Voevoda | 4 | 5 |
Alexander Legkov | 4 | 4 |
All figure skaters | 6 | 3 |
Everyone was good | 2 | 3 |
Tatiana Volosozhar, Maxim Trankov | 7 | 2 |
All biathlonists | 1 | 2 |
Hockey team | <1 | 2 |
Vic Wild | 3 | 1 |
Alexander Tretiakov | 1 | 1 |
Dmitry Malyshko | 1 | 1 |
Olga Zaitseva | 1 | 1 |
Olga Vilukhina | <1 | 1 |
Albert Demchenko | 1 | 1 |
Evgeny Ustyugov | 1 | 1 |
Evgeny Garanichev | <1 | 1 |
Other | 7 | 7 |
Don`t know | 20 | 45 |
The Sochi Olympic Games for you are … (close-ended question, not more than two answers, % of those who watched the Olympic Games) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St.Petersburg | Million cities | More than 500 ths | 100–500 ths | Less than 100 ths | Rural area |
Prestigious international event organized by Russia | 64 | 79 | 62 | 56 | 62 | 62 | 60 |
Celebration, reason to be proud of Russia and Russian athletes | 46 | 56 | 47 | 40 | 41 | 44 | 51 |
Amazing sport event, and any other things pale into insignificance | 20 | 26 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 21 |
Very expensive world sport event | 14 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Something that proves Russia` inability to hold international event with dignity | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Tiring broadcasts that captured all air time | 1 | <1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | <1 | 1 |
Other | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 |
Don`t know | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
In your opinion, did the Olympic games have any impact on Russia? (close-ended question, not more than three answers, % of those who watched the Olympic Games) | |
| Total respondents |
They facilitated the development of physical culture and sports | 54 |
They improved Russia` prestige, strengthened its position in the international arena | 49 |
National self-identification and patriotic feelings of Russians have strengthened | 36 |
The Sochi region started to develop and became an internationally recognized resort | 21 |
Russian government does not have enough money to pay for other projects (social et cet.) | 13 |
Prices for accommodation and real estate and land have increased in the Sochi region | 13 |
Many objects and premises will stand idle; their maintenance will have to be paid | 7 |
Other | <1 |
Don`t know | 3 |
Do you think it is important or Russia to hold other large-scale sports events? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institute), higher education |
Definitely yes | 43 | 39 | 39 | 44 | 47 |
Rather yes | 32 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 32 |
Rather no | 10 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
Definitely no | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Don`t know | 9 | 18 | 14 | 6 | 5 |
Did the Sochi Winter Olympic Games incite your desire to spend your vacation in Sochi? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | 60 and over |
Yes, they did. It is interesting to see how the city has changed | 30 | 35 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 24 |
I would like to spend my vacation in Sochi but it is not related to the Olympic Games | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 11 |
No, they did not | 41 | 35 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 51 |
I have already visited Sochi after the Olympics | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Other | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Don`t know | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
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