A sense of belonging to the great nation, the love of country and national symbols are key things uniting Russians.
MOSCOW, November 03, 2020. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to National Unity Day.
The survey suggests that the main Russian symbols for Russians are the Russian people (10%), love of country and patriotism (8%), national flag (8%) and coat of arms (7%). Five percent of Russians pointed to the country’s grandeur and power, vast territory and the current president Putin.
The book that unites Russians is “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy (12%). Fewer respondents cited A.Pushkin (4%). Less popular books are as follows: “And Quiet Flows the Don” by M.Sholokhov and “Eugene Onegin” by A.Pushkin, “Crime and Punishment” by F. Dostoevsky, “The Master and Margarita” by M.Bulgakov, Leo Tolstoy’s works and classical Russian literature, as well as the Constitution (2% for each).
Most of respondents consider Oblomov (from a I.Goncharov’s novel) to be the character representing the typical Russian (4%). Other popular literary characters are Pushkin characters (3%), Alexey Maresyev from “The Story of a Real Man” (2%), “Ivan the Fool” from a popular fairy tale (2%), Pavel Korchagin from “How the Steel was Tempered” (2%) and Pierre Bezukhov from the Tolstoy’s famous literary masterpiece (2%).
“The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath” (E.Ryazanov) is the movie that unites most Russians (11%). Respondents also mentioned “Operation Y and Shurik’s other adventures” (8%; +4 p.p. over two years), “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” (6%), and also military movies (6%).
According to 16% of Russians, the piece of music that brings most Russians closer is the national anthem. This is followed by the “Victory Day” song (10%); “Katyusha” is ranked third (7%). Four percent of Russians pointed to the songs of O. Gazmanov. The “Sacred War” song was mentioned by 3%; the same percentage of Russians mentioned military songs in general.
The most popular festive table dish is olivier salad (49%). More than one-quarter of respondents (28%) think that the dish that unites most of Russians is dressed herring; 25% mentioned pelmeni. Eighteen percent of Russians think that every Russian adores borsch.
The most significant historic event is the victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) (69% of respondents). Another important day is the New Year Eve (7%). Six percent of Russians pointed to the Crimea’s incorporation; 5% consider the October Revolution to be the biggest historic event; the same percentage of respondents considers the dissolution of the Soviet Union to be the most important event.
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on October 31, 2020. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was 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 to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
In your opinion, what embodies Russia, what is Russia’s symbol? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers, answers of at least 2% of respondents. % of total answers) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
People / nation | 9 | 10 |
True love of country / Motherland / patriotism / my home, my country | 8 | 8 |
Flag / tricolor | 7 | 8 |
Coat of arms / two-headed eagle | 6 | 7 |
Power / strength / great country | 5 | 5 |
Vast territory | 3 | 5 |
President / Putin | 3 | 5 |
Unity / cohesion | 4 | 4 |
Bear | 3 | 4 |
Nature / rich nature | 3 | 4 |
Anthem | 4 | 3 |
Oil, gas / natural resources | 2 | 3 |
Army / military power / arms | 5 | 2 |
Place where I was born and live / my city / my home | 1 | 2 |
Justice / equality | 1 | 2 |
Culture / rich cultural heritage / art / cultural figures | 1 | 2 |
History / historical heritage | 1 | 2 |
Traditions / values | 1 | 2 |
Poverty / unemployment | 1 | 2 |
Independence / territorial integrity | 1 | 2 |
Multi-ethnic | - | 2 |
Kremlin | 1 | 2 |
None | 2 | 2 |
Other | 31 | 38 |
Don’t know | 33 | 33 |
In your opinion, are there books that unite Russians, books that almost any of us have read and like? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 2% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
Tolstoy’s War and Peace | 11 | 12 |
Pushkin’s works | 4 | 4 |
Sholokhov’s And Quiet Flows the Don | 3 | 2 |
Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin | 1 | 2 |
Russian Constitution / legislation / Criminal Code | 1 | 2 |
Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment | 2 | 2 |
Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita | 2 | 2 |
Classic literature / Russian classics | 2 | 2 |
Tolstoy’s works | 2 | 2 |
Other | 28 | 33 |
None | 23 | 20 |
Don’t know | 45 | 47 |
In your opinion, what literary characters best embody typical traits of a Russian person? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 2% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
Oblomov | 4 | 4 |
Pushkin’s characters | 2 | 3 |
Alexey Meresyev (from The Story of a Real Man) | 2 | 2 |
Ivan the Fool | 2 | 2 |
Pavel Korchagin (How the Steel Was Tempered) | 2 | 2 |
Pierre Bezukhov | 1 | 2 |
Other | 23 | 42 |
None | 3 | 3 |
Don’t know | 66 | 62 |
In your opinion, are there movies that unite Russians, movies that almost any of us have seen and adore? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 2% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! | 9 | 11 |
Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures | 4 | 8 |
Moscow Does not Believe in Tears | 5 | 6 |
Military movies / about Great Patriotic War | 4 | 6 |
They Fought for Their Country | 3 | 5 |
Soviet/old movies | 3 | 5 |
The Diamond Arm | 4 | 4 |
Only "Old Men" Are Going Into Battle | 4 | 4 |
Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future | 4 | 4 |
Love and Dove | 4 | 4 |
Seventeen Moments of Spring | 3 | 3 |
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style | 2 | 3 |
Officers | 2 | 3 |
Going Vertical | 4 | 2 |
And Quiet Flows the Don | 3 | 2 |
The Dawns Here are Quiet | 2 | 2 |
The Girls | 2 | 2 |
Gentlemen of Fortune | 2 | 2 |
Legend no.17 | 2 | 2 |
Office romance | 2 | 2 |
TV series | 2 | 2 |
Vechny Zov (Eternal Call) | 1 | 2 |
War and Peace | 1 | 2 |
Soviet comedies | 1 | 2 |
Historical movies | 1 | 2 |
Russian movies | - | 2 |
T-34 | - | 2 |
None | 13 | 13 |
Other | 31 | 25 |
Don’t know | 30 | 30 |
In your opinion, are there pieces of music that unite Russians, that almost any of us are aware of and like? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 1% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
Anthem | 20 | 16 |
Victory Day | 8 | 10 |
Katyusha | 7 | 7 |
Gazmanov’s songs: “Gospoda ofitsery”, “Moskva, zvonyat kolokola” | 5 | 4 |
The Sacred War | 3 | 3 |
Military songs | 1 | 3 |
Podmoskovnye vechera (Moscow nights) | 2 | 2 |
Folk songs / Cossack songs | 3 | 1 |
Kalinka | 2 | 1 |
Oy moroz, moroz | 2 | 1 |
Lyube | 2 | 1 |
Soviet / old songs | 2 | 1 |
Patriotic songs / about home country / about Russia | 2 | 1 |
USSR anthem | 1 | 1 |
Proschanie slavyanki (Farewell of Slavyanka) | 1 | 1 |
S chego nachinaetsya Rodina | 1 | 1 |
Shiroka strana moya rodnaya | 1 | 1 |
Oy tsvetet kalina | 1 | 1 |
Smuglyanka | 1 | 1 |
Tsoy / Kino band | 1 | 1 |
Temnaya noch | - | 1 |
None | 17 | 18 |
Other | 11 | 24 |
Don’t know | 32 | 33 |
In your opinion, are there dishes that bring Russians closer today, that almost any of us prefer to have on the festive table, that are common to treat guests with? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 2% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
Olivier salad | 51 | 49 |
Dressed herring | 28 | 28 |
Pelmeni | 25 | 25 |
Borsch | 17 | 18 |
Shashlyk | 8 | 8 |
Aspic / jellied meat | 7 | 8 |
Pies | 4 | 6 |
Potato | 8 | 5 |
Blini (pancakes) | 6 | 5 |
Vinegret | 5 | 4 |
Okroshka | 3 | 4 |
Plov | 3 | 3 |
Cutlets | 2 | 3 |
Chicken | 3 | 2 |
Fried potatoes | 2 | 2 |
Mashed potato | 2 | 2 |
Roast meat | 2 | 2 |
Herring | 1 | 2 |
None | 4 | 4 |
Other | 32 | 27 |
Don’t know | 10 | 13 |
In your opinion, are there historic events that bring Russians together, that any of us remember, that are important to all the Russians? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers; answers of at least 2% of respondents; % of total respondents) | ||
| 2018 | 2020 |
Victory in Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) | 63 | 69 |
Crimea’s incorporation | 12 | 6 |
New Year Eve | 5 | 7 |
October Revolution | 8 | 5 |
USSR dissolution / coup | 5 | 5 |
WWII | - | 4 |
Gagarin’s flight in space | 5 | 4 |
1812 | 5 | 3 |
Unity Day | 2 | 3 |
Chechen wars | 3 | 2 |
May 1st | 2 | 2 |
Russia Day | 2 | 2 |
Afghan War | 2 | 2 |
International Women’s Day | 1 | 2 |
None | 4 | 3 |
Other | 29 | 26 |
Don’t know | 15 | 14 |
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.