Russians Equally Divided on Whether They are United, Polls Show

Paul Goble

            Staunton, November 3 – On the eve of Russia’s Day of National Unity, a new VTsIOM poll shows that Russians are equally divided on whether they are united, with 44 percent saying that there is national unity in Russia today and 44 percent saying that such unity does not now exist (wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=115933).

            Among those who say they are united, 16 percent spoke about the peaceful coexistence of national and ethnic groups, 15 percent about the ability of the people to come together in difficult times, nine percent about the special features of the Russian mentality, nine percent about support of Vladimir Putin, and eight percent about the love citizens have for Russia.

            Those who said such unity was lacking pointed to the efforts of people to defend their particular interests (26 percent), the low standard of living and social differentiation (16 percent), the multi-ethic quality of society (six percent), the large number of immigrants from Central Asia (three percent), and the variety of religions and cultures (two percent).

            But despite the disagreement about just how much unity there is or whether it even exists, the VTsIOM poll did find that the Day of National Unity was the most awaited holiday in November with 15 percent of the sample identifying it in that way. Only six percent named the Day of the October Revolution, and only one percent, the Day of Internal Affairs Workers.