MOSCOW, 5 May 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a monitoring study devoted to the Russian perceptions of Victory Day.

Over the recent five years Victory Day has remained the most important holiday for Russians (67%).

Certain word associations around the Victory anniversary make the holiday recognizable and create an atmosphere that makes everyone feel a sense of belonging to the May 1945 events when the Victory Banner was raised on the Reichstag. Today this symbol is not the most popular among respondents (37% mention it). More popular symbols are military parade (63%) and the Immortal Regiment march (60%); over a year the number of Russians who mention those have increased by 7 p.p. and 17 p.p. (respectively) (in 2021 56% chose military parade, 43%, Immortal regiment). More than half of respondents mentioned the ribbon of St George (a five-point increase compared to the previous year: 55% vs 50% in 2021). Eternal flame and wartime music and songs were mentioned by 48% (each); fireworks were chosen by 40%. Slightly fewer Russians pointed to orders and medals (30%) and red carnations (29%). Less popular symbols are soldier’s porridge (19%) and narkom’s 100 grams (12%).

After the two-year pandemic restrictions, public interest in face-to-face holiday celebrations is reviving: 40% of Russians are going to participate in festive celebrations on May 9^th (+ 8 p.p. over a year). Twenty-eight percent of Russians are going to watch the fireworks; this share has doubled compared to 2021 (16%).   

Russians are going to spend the holiday in the open air: 23% will have a rest in the nature (+7 p.p. since 2021). Twenty-seven percent of Russians will watch TV; every fifth will work at the garden plot or do house chores (19% and 20% respectively); 20% will have friends over or pay a social visit (+ 11 p.p. since 2020).

Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik telephone survey was conducted on April 23, 2022. A total of 1,600 of Russians aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. 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 2020 the answer was “I’m going to watch the ceremonial fireworks on TV or on the Internet.