Russian Public Opinion | Levada Update

And here is an update on Russian views, made available by the Levada Center on the 22nd of September. As previously stated, this indicates that Russian public opinion generally supports the government’s course.

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In September 12-15, 2008, the Analytical Center of Yuri Levada conducted a poll among 1600 Russian respondents in 128 settlements of 46 regions. Margin of error is ± 3%.

When we talk about Abkhazia and South Ossetia – in your opinion, is the situation intensifying, staying tense, or tension is decreasing and life becomes more peaceful?

Situation is intensifying      6

Situation is staying tense 57

Tension is decreasing and life becomes more peaceful 30

Hard to answer     7


In your opinion, should Russia keep its military forces in South Ossetia or should they withdraw their forces?


Keep its military forces in South Ossetia 56

Withdraw its military forces from South Ossetia 27

Hard to answer 17

In your opinion, Russia’s recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will benefit Russia, will harm Russia, or will neither benefit nor harm Russia?

Benefit 40

Harm 15

Neither benefit nor harm  28

Hard to answer 18


What do you think about annexation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia into the Russian Federation?


This should be done as soon as possible 20

Probably this should be done, but later, when the tense will go away 26

This decision should be well thought, is it worth doing it or not 25

This should not be done 12

Hard to answer 18


What do you think of inclusion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia into the Union of Russia and Belarus?


This should be done as soon as possible 20

Probably this should be done, but later, when the tense will go away 20

This decision should be well thought, is it worth doing it or 24

This should not be done 14

Hard to answer 22


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Now what would be interesting to test is how much average Russians actually know about the conflict. As has been reported somewhere (unfortunately we lost trace of the exact source), Russians typically overestimate the number of Georgians, Ossetians and Abkhaz. (One Moscow-based friend believed that Abkhaz and Ossetians together numbered 2 million, when the real combined number is unlikely to be beyond 300.000.)


So: what do Russians otherwise know? Do they believe that there were mass killings of Ossetians? Are they aware that there were several Georgian peace initiatives? Do they know that Georgia has experienced significant progress since 2004? It would be interesting to find that out.
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