MOSCOW, April, 25, 2007. In connection with the first president of Russia B.Yeltsin's passing away, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center submits data concerning the attitudes of Russians to the epoch of his governing. Answering a direct question "What epoch would you like to live in, if you had such opportunity?" the majority of respondents (39%) said they would like to live in modern Russia; a bit less of respondents (31%) prefer L. Brezhnev's times. All other historical periods have only a handful of supporters: 1% of respondents would like to live during Yeltsin's epoch, Stalin's time got 6%, 4% would like to live in the beginning of the 20th century.
When it comes to an estimation of the general vector of development of the country, opinions of respondents are practically equally divided between three epochs of the XX century - the ones of Lenin, Nicholas II and Brezhnev. Other periods are perceived mainly negatively (Stalin's, Khrushev's, Gorbachev's and Yeltsin's epoch) or positively (Putin's). The closer the estimated historical epoch is, the more consolidated the opinions of respondents are: thus, Gorbachev's vector of country's development is condemned by 72% of respondents (and supported by 15%), Yeltsin's one is condemned by 80 % (supported by 9%), Putin's one is supported by 67% of interviewed (and condemned by 20 %).
After B.Yeltsin's apology to Russian nation about failing the expectations of Russians and his resignation, opinions of the majority (65%) of respondents did not change; 27% of interviewed respond that their attitude to this politician improved; and only 5% said that their attitude became worse.
40% of respondents considered a condition of first president health as a reason of his resignation, 28% think it was done to secure V. Putin's chances in struggle for a post of the head of the state on elections. Less often resignation is connected with B. Yeltsin's desire to release a place to the young politicians, capable to lead the country from crisis, or with criticism from the different political forces of Russian society (13-14%).
All-Russia opinion polls were conducted by VCIOM, January, 6-10, 2000, October, 15-16, 2005 and October, 22-23, 2005. Each poll included 1600 respondents interviewed in 153 population centers of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error doesn't not exceed 3.4%.
What epoch would you like to live in, if you had such opportunity? | ||||||
| Total respondents | Age, years | ||||
18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 и старше | ||
In modern Russia | 39 | 62 | 47 | 37 | 31 | 27 |
In the USSR of L. Brezhnev's period | 31 | 10 | 22 | 34 | 39 | 41 |
In the USSR of I. Stalin's period | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
In Russia of last third of XIX - the beginnings of XX centuries | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
In Russia of B. Yeltsin's period | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
During some other epoch | 13 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 8 |
Difficult to answer | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
With which leader as a head of the country has Russia been developing more likely in a right way in last 100 years? And in the wrong way? | ||||||||
| Nicholas II | Lenin | Stalin | Khrushev | Brezhnev | Gorbachev | Yeltsin | Putin |
More likely in right way | 33 | 39 | 37 | 34 | 43 | 15 | 9 | 67 |
More likely in wrong way | 33 | 42 | 48 | 46 | 42 | 72 | 80 | 20 |
Difficult to answer | 34 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 |
Did your attitude to Boris Yeltsin change after Boris Yeltsin's apology to Russian nation about failing the expectations of Russians' and his resignation? If so, in which way? | |
Changed for the better | 27 |
Did not change | 65 |
Changed for the worse | 5 |
Difficult to answer | 3 |
Which of the following positions concerning Yeltsin's resignation is the closest one to yours? | |
Yeltsin has resigned because of the pressure of criticism from practically all political forces of the Russian society | 14 |
B. Yeltsin has resigned because of his desire to release a place to young politicians, capable to lead the country from crisis | 13 |
Yeltsin has resigned because of his illnesses and inability to act as the President of Russia | 40 |
Yeltsin has resigned to secure V. Putin's chances in struggle for the post of the head of the state on elections | 28 |
Other | 2 |
Difficult to answer | 4 |