MOSCOW, April 27, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Сenter presents the data describing how well Russians know the history of the Great Patriotic War (the World War II), what view about this war they take, what Victory Parades mean for them and whether the WWII veterans receive the promised apartments before the 65th anniversary of the Victory.

What we remember about this war.

Russians are unanimous in their opinion about who started the Second World War: 88% report it was Germany, rarer mention the USSR (4%), France, Great Britain and the United States (1% for each).

Only 22% know that the Second World War started in 1939. The majority of respondents (63%) report wrong date: 58% are confident that the war started in 1941; other 5% give different answers.  The proportion of those who do not know when the WWII started is 8%.

Every third respondent (34%) give the right answer about when the Stalingrad Battle began - 1942. An overwhelming majority of respondents wrongly say it was in 1943 (26%). Other 4% think it was in 1941; 2% - in 1944. Every third is hard to tell (34%).

Asked when the Siege of Leningrad was raised, 35% give the right answer, pointing out 1944.  However, 26% think it happened in 1943. Rarer Russians report that it was in 1942 - 4%, in 1945 - 2%. One-third of respondents cannot give the answer to this question (33%).

Half of Russians are right to name who commanded the Red Army during the war: 49% say it was Joseph Stalin. Nevertheless, one-third of respondents say it was Georgy Zhukov (31%).

Russians also correctly point out the allies of the Soviet Union: 62% - the U.S., 53% - Great Britain, 30% - France and et cet.  Other 5% mention Poland, 2% - China, 1% - Italy, and 1% - Czechoslovakia. Russians wrongly point out Spain and Ukraine which was part of the Soviet Union (1% for each). 

Most Russians correctly identify the enemies of the Soviet Union in WWII: 82% - Germany, 30% - Japan, 22% - Italy, 5% - Romania, 3% - Finland, 1% - Bulgaria and others. Austria-Hungary, Poland (3% for each), Spain, China (2% for each), the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia (1% for each) were among wrong answers.

Two-thirds of respondents (68%) report the Stalingrad battle to have been the most important battle of WWII. Almost half of respondents say it was Kursk battle (49%) instead. Fewer Russians mention the battle of Moscow (46%). One-third of respondents (34%) say it was the Siege of Leningrad. Respondents incorrectly indicate the Berlin battle (13%), the battle of Rzhev, the Belarusian operation (4% for each) and the Budapest operation (3%).

It is the Stalingrad battle that is regarded to have been the radical turning point in the course of the Second World War, - 31% of Russians say so. The number of those who say it was the battle of Kursk (17%) and the battle of Moscow (15%) are twice lower. Those who think that it was the Siege of Leningrad (5%) or the capture of Berlin (1%) that changed the military situation are in the minority.

War discussions

Russians believe that Germany`s revenge for the defeat in the First World War is the main cause of the WWII (47%). The distribution of colonies and markets among imperialist states is the second popular answer among Russians (30%). Rarer Russians mention the unwillingness of the Western countries to establish the system of collective security together with the USSR (18%), world economic crisis - the Great Depression (17%), the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (13%), and policy of appeasement toward Germany by Great Britain and France (10%). Least popular answer is the willingness of the USSR to spread communism across Europe and the intransigence of Poland to accept the territorial claims of Germany (7% и 6% respectively).

Most of Russians say that the causes of the WWII lie in the weakness of the League of Nations in 1933-38 (28%). Respondents also point out the unwillingness of the U.K. and France to conclude the Anti-Hitler coalition with the Soviet Union that predetermined the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - 20%. Other 17% indicate the Munich treaty. Least popular cause of the war that Russians mention is the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (14%).

As before, Russians are confident that the Soviet Union could have won this war without allies, however the share of such respondents has been declining since 2001 (from 71 to 63%). The proportion of those who have the opposite point of view is 23%. The share of the undecided ones has been doubled over the recent years (from 7 to 15%).

Russians are unanimous in their opinion about the USSR`s policy toward Eastern-European countries after 1945: the majority (70%) say that the USSR upheld the liberty and independence and played a crucial role in saving peoples of Europe and Asia by defeating the fascist aggressor. Only 9% say that the victory of the Soviet Union was another occupation of the Eastern Europe. And finally, 15% share both views.

Historical memory

Most of Russians (58%) believe that the WWII victory was the biggest for Russia in its history, and the role of it will only be increasing. Forty percent have the opposite view and think that new generations of Russians have started to forget about the WWII.

To help keep the memory about this war, the lessons of memory should be introduced at schools (63%). Russians also propose to pay more attention to this subject in mass media (46%) and conduct regular tours for children on places of glory (44%). Thirty-six percent say that museums and memorial complexes should be financed; 19% advise to regularly carry on special events; 13% - to erect new monuments.

The most important places concerning the WWII that Russians would bring their children to are Volgograd (ex-Stalingrad), and Saint-Petersburg (ex-Leningrad) - 48 and 46% respectively. Thirty-seven percent point out the Brest Fortress, 31% - Moscow, 29% - Sevastopol, and finally 18 and 15% - Berlin and Novorossiysk respectively.

Victory Parade

Most Russians show interest in the Victory parade (83%): 73% watch it live on TV, and every tenth is personally present at the parade (10%). Only 13% are not interested in this event.

The attitude of Russians towards the resumption of the victory parade on the Red Square involving military vehicles has got more positive over the recent two years: the share of those who support this idea has increased from 70 to 78%. Only 12% have the opposite stance.

An overwhelming majority of Russians are confident that such parades are needed for Russia (82%). Only 12% do not share this point of view.

Most Russians think that Victory parades are mainly held for veterans (39%).  However, the majority of Russians says it is done for new generations (29%). A relative majority thinks that the parades are for the authorities (7%), military officials and international community representatives (5% for each). Only 1% thinks there is no need for victory parades.

The basic reason for conducting parades is keeping the memory about the heroic deed of the Soviet people (31%). Twenty percent think it is a tribute to those killed; for 18% it is a possibility to show the military power; 11% think that parades are aimed at patriotic education of youth; 9% think it is a way to make veterans happy, and for 8% parades mean unification of people. Rarer Russians say that parades are just a good tradition (4%) and meaningless action (2%).   

About veterans

Every third Russians have veterans around them (33%). Two-thirds of respondents (63%) think that veterans should be paid more attention.

A relative majority of Russians (44%) have no idea about how veterans live today. Rest of respondents say that (37%) most of them live in good conditions. Only 12% are confident that there are too many veterans living poor.

Russians are well informed about the provision of housing for veterans: 41% are well informed, 48% heard something about that. Only 10% do not know anything about this program.

Most Russians believe that veterans will receive the promised apartments before the Victory Day (47%). However, 38% are pessimistic about that.

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted in 2007- 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4 %.

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