Only 40% of respondents believe that the Pussy Riot band participants organized their action on their own. The same number of respondents (41%) believes that someone, for example the opposition, ordered the Pussy Riot action.
MOSCOW, October 26, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information concerning how Russians assess the action of the Pussy Riot punk group; who exactly benefits from that,; whether Russians believe that this is conspiracy.
Russians assess the Pussy Riot punk prayer at Christ the Savior Cathedral as hooliganism (39%), which is indictable offence (23%) rather than disorderly conduct falling under the administrative law (16%). Every fourth Russian regards the punk prayer as sacrilege (23%). Rarer the action is evaluated as an attempt to become famous (14%), or as political protest (10%). Those who believe that the Pussy Riot performance is a form of extremism (6%) or modern art (2%) are in an absolute minority.
The attitudes of Russians who know about the Pussy Riot punk prayer towards organizers of the actions are equally divided: 41% are confident that the girls are nothing but performers, and there is someone behind them; other 40% oppose them. Nevertheless, more than half of those who do not think that the girls organized their action by themselves fail to name potential organizers (56%). The remainder point out the opposition and Putin`s rivals (18%), Western countries (10%), enemies of the Russian Orthodox Church and sectarians (6%).
Only 32% of Russians see no hidden agenda behind the Pussy Riot action; at the same time, 45% are confident that the key problem is not the decision of the court, but the sign to society. According to Russians, by passing this sentence Russian government is trying to strengthen the status of the Orthodox Christianity and the Orthodox values in Russian society (37%) and to draw public attention away from actual social and economic problems (36%). The shares of those who say that this is the way the authorities are trying to intimidate the opposition and to increase the image of Putin among the believers are 30 % (for each group). The Pussy Riot conspiracy stating that the Pussy Riot`s sentence aims at weakening the image of the Orthodox Church and the Patriarch of Russia and to alienate the believers is least realistic (only 18% of Russians believe so).
More than half of Russians who know about the Pussy Riot action are ready to get involved in the destiny of these girls (53%). Twenty-two percent of them are ready to start collecting signatures to support the existing verdict. Other 17% are ready to use peaceful means to mitigate the sentence; on the contrary, 14% would toughen it. Those who are in favor of the mitigation of the sentence are basically young Russians, active Internet users (20%, for each), and atheists (25%). They are opposed by believers, whatever their faith (15-17%), respondents aged over 45 (15-17%), and those who do not use the Internet (16%).
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on September 1-2, 2012. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
In February girls wearing masks and colorful clothes performed at the altar in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior; they sang “Virgin Mary, put Putin away”. The girls called their action a punk prayer. The action was ambiguously assessed by public. Some regard it as hooliganism. Others – as political protest or a form of contemporary art. Which of these statements is closer to yours? (close-ended question, one answer) | |
Sacrilege, insult of religious sanctity | 23 |
Malicious hooliganism, indictable offence | 23 |
Minor hooliganism, administrative offence | 16 |
PR, attempt to become famous or to attract attention | 14 |
Political protest | 10 |
Extremism, inciting hatred and hostility towards Orthodox believers and priests | 6 |
Contemporary art, performance, art self-realization | 2 |
Other | 2 |
Hard to tell | 4 |
In your opinion, did the participants of the Pussy Riot band organize their action by themselves, or did someone order their performance? (close-ended question, one answer, % of those who know about Pussy Riot action) | ||
The girls organized their action by themselves | 40 | |
Someone ordered their performance | 41 | |
Hard to tell | 19 | |
If yes, who exactly? (open-ended question, any number of answers , % of those who know about Pussy Riot action and believe that someone ordered the performance) | |
Putin`s rivals and opposition | 18 |
American government; Western order | 10 |
They were paid for that | 7 |
Opponents of church, sectarians and extremists | 6 |
Those who want to spread discord | 3 |
Producers | 3 |
Other | 3 |
Those who fulfill someone`s will; those who are behind Pussy Riot | 56 |
Below are several statements about the Pussy Riot sentence. Which of these statements do you agree or disagree? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||
| Attempt to strengthen the status of Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox values in Russian society, to extend the influence of Russian Church | Attempt to draw public attention away from actual social and economic problems | The sentence has hidden agenda. This is a manifestation of the punitive character of Russian judicial system | Attempt of authorities and personally Putin to enlist the support of believers, to strengthen the image | Attempt to intimidate the opponents of Putin, opposition, to minimize the number of rallies and actions against authorities | Attempt to weaken the image of the ROC and the Patriarch, to alienate believers |
Rather agree | 37 | 36 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 18 |
Rather disagree | 46 | 46 | 45 | 52 | 53 | 63 |
Hard to tell | 17 | 18 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 19 |
After the Pussy Riot band was sentenced to two years, several public movements were launched to collect signatures. Some ask to mitigate the sentence; others support the verdict and even ask to toughen it. Would you sign any of these appeals? (close-ended question, one answer, % of those who know about Pussy Riot action) | ||||
| Total respondents | Orthodox Christians | Followers of other religions | Non-believers, fluctuating between belief and unbelief |
Yes, I am ready to sign the appeal to mitigate the sentence | 17 | 16 | 10 | 25 |
Yes, I am ready to sign the appeal to toughen the sentence | 14 | 15 | 17 | 10 |
Yes, I am ready to sign the appeal to preserve the existing sentence | 22 | 24 | 17 | 16 |
No, I would not sign any of these appeals | 39 | 38 | 48 | 42 |
I would sign another appeal | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Hard to tell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
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!