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.
