Results of our studies

MOSCOW, 22 June 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a study to mark Day of Sorrow and Remembrance.

Three-quarters of Russians know when the Great Patriotic War started - June 22, 1941 (73%). Most of them are older generations (88%). Forty-eight percent of the 18-34–year-olds cite the date correctly - this percentage is twice as lower than that of respondents aged 60 and older. On the whole, the share of those who know the exact date when the war started has increased over fifteen years (+8 p.p. compared to 2007).

Fifty-eight percent of respondents honor the memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War in some way or another on Day of Sorrow (74% of older Russians).  Most of Russians honor the memory of their relatives who fought in the war (11%), remember the relatives who participated in the war (9%), lay flowers at the Eternal Flame or monuments, visit the graves of their relatives (7%). Respondents also watch war movies, hold discussions with children and grandchildren about the war and visit the memorials (4% each). Eighteen percent of respondents say they do not do anything special on this day. Older generations are more likely to engage in commemorative activities: every tenth respondent aged over 60 goes to the cemetery (11%), 33%  remember the family members or honor the memory of those who died in the war (4% among the 18-24–year-olds) .  

Forty percent of Russians know details about their relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War from family archives and family stories. This percentage is also high among young respondents aged 18-24 (31% vs 48% among those aged 60 and older). Half of Russians are aware that someone in their family fought in the war but do not know if they went missing or died in the war (49%). The share of those who are well aware that their relatives fought in the Great Patriotic War is gradually declining; this percentage has reduced by 10 p.p. since 2004.

Over the recent year 88% of Russians have watched movies about the Great Patriotic War. This kind of movies attracts older respondents (94%), and more than half of young respondents aged 18-24 (64%). Every second Russian have visited sites of military glory, museums, memorials (51%); 44% have visited military burials; 41% have read books about the Great Patriotic War. Respondents appear less likely to have attended meetings with veterans (21%).

Sites of military glory and museums, meetings with veterans are equally popular across all age groups. Visiting military burials, watching military movies and reading books are more in demand among older age groups. Over a year the above-mentioned forms of collective memory have not lost popularity.

 

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted June 14, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. The data were weighted according to social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

June 14, 2022 survey key effectiveness indicators: cooperation rate (COOP1)* = 0.8357; minimum response rate (RR1)** = 0.0232; response rate (RR3)*** = 0.1568.

* The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers where it is unknown whether the subscribers meet the selected criteria or not.

*** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers with respect to the assessment of the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of cases of unknown eligibility.

 

Let’s talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact date when the war started? Can you name the year, date and month? 

(open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

2007

2018

2020

2022

22 June 1941

65

69

68

73

Another date

29

25

24

17

No idea

0

3

4

5

Don’t know

6

3

4

5

Let’s talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact date when the war started? Can you name the year, date and month (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Men

Women

Ages 18-24

25-34

35-44

45-59

60 and older

22 June 1941

73

74

72

48

48

68

85

88

Another date

17

18

17

34

25

20

12

11

No idea

5

5

5

9

13

7

1

0

Don’t know

5

4

6

9

14

5

2

1

June 22d marks the anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. Do you do anything to honor the memory of those who died in this war? If you do, can you say what exactly? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers; % of respondents)

 

Total respondents

Men

Women

Ages 18-24

25-34

35-44

45-59

60 and older

I honor their memory / remember those who died / praying / I have it in my mind

11

13

9

3

7

10

13

15

Remember the relatives / grandparents / father / uncle

9

7

10

1

2

4

10

18

Wreath-laying / memorial wreaths  /  eternal flame

7

8

7

2

7

9

7

7

Going to the cemetery / graves of the relatives

7

6

8

2

3

6

7

11

Visiting monuments/memorials/eternal flame

4

3

5

1

4

4

5

5

I tell children, grandchildren about it / conversation with children about GPW/ about veterans

4

3

5

1

1

7

4

5

Watching war movies

4

3

5

2

1

4

7

4

Remembering with the family / meeting relatives

3

2

4

8

3

4

1

3

Gatherings/ rallies/ demonstrations

3

1

4

0

2

3

3

3

Participation in events / gatherings

2

1

3

1

2

1

2

3

Memory candle / lighting a candle

2

1

3

1

1

2

2

3

Watching TV / TV shows about the GPW / parade

2

1

2

0

1

2

2

3

Feast / dinner / gathering / setting the table

2

1

2

0

1

1

5

1

Drinking / drinking a shot in memory

2

3

0

0

0

1

2

3

Mourning / Day of mourn / crying

1

1

2

0

0

1

2

2

Parades

1

0

2

4

2

1

0

1

Veterans / celebrating veterans / meetings with veterans / helping veterans

1

2

1

1

0

2

1

1

Going to church / service in remembrance / memorial service

1

1

1

0

0

1

2

1

Immortal regiment

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

A moment of Silence

1

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

Listening to wartime songs / singing military songs

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

0

Memorial Event

1

1

0

0

1

2

0

0

Pray

1

1

1

0

0

1

0

1

Concert

1

0

1

0

1

1

1

1

Communicating with friends, colleagues

1

1

0

0

0

1

1

1

Celebrating

0

1

0

0

0

1

1

0

I’ll be working

0

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

Wearing St George ribbon / St George ribbon action

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

0

Tidying up the graves/ memorials

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Hanging the flags

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Visiting museums

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

I say “thank you” / showing gratitude to the veterans

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Nothing

18

18

18

25

28

20

17

9

Other

4

3

5

12

2

4

3

4

Don’t know

24

27

21

36

38

25

17

17

Did anyone in your family participate in the Great Patriotic War? If yes, do you know any details about their life during the war years?  (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

2004

2005

2007

2010

2014

2018

2020

2022

Yes, I know a lot from stories of my relatives, family archives (letters, photos) 

50

46

45

34

42

35

38

40

I know that my relatives participated in the war but I do not know any details

31

31

32

32

31

37

37

37

Some of my relatives participated in the war but they died or went missing; I know nothing about them

10

12

14

17

15

18

13

12

None of my relatives participated in the war

4

6

6

8

6

7

6

5

I do not know if anyone in my family participated in this war

4

4

3

6

6

2

6

5

Don’t know

1

1

0

3

0

1

0

1

Did anyone in your family participate in the Great Patriotic War? If yes, do you know any details about their life during the war years?  (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Men

Women

Ages 18-24

25-34

35-44

45-59

60 and older

Yes, I know a lot from stories of my relatives, family archives (letters, photos)  

40

42

38

31

23

38

47

48

I know that my relatives participated in the war but I do not know any details

37

37

37

40

43

42

31

34

Some of my relatives participated in the war but they died or went missing; I know nothing about them

12

9

14

5

14

11

15

11

None of my relatives participated in the war

5

5

5

9

9

3

3

4

I do not know if anyone in my family participated in the war

5

6

5

15

10

6

2

2

Don’t know

1

1

1

0

0

0

2

1

 

Which of these things have you happened to do over the recent year, i.e. since last June?  (closed-ended question, one answer in each line, % of total respondents)

 

2021

2022

Reading books about the Great Patriotic War

Yes

39

41

No

60

59

Don’t know

1

0

Watching movies about the Great Patriotic War

Yes

87

88

No

13

11

Don’t know

0

0

Attending meetings with veterans

Yes

21

21

No

79

79

Don’t know

0

0

Visiting places of military glory, museums, memorials

Yes

50

51

No

50

48

Don’t know

0

0

Visiting  cemeteries, burial sites  

Yes

48

44

No

52

56

Don’t know

0

0

 

Which of these things have you happened to do over the recent year, i.e. since last June?

(closed-ended question, one answer in each line, % of total respondents) 

 

Total respondents

Men

Women

Ages 18-24

25-34

35-44

45-59

60 and older

Reading books about the Great Patriotic War

Yes

41

42

41

32

28

36

49

50

No

59

58

59

68

72

64

51

50

Don’t know

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Watching movies about the Great Patriotic War

Yes

88

88

89

64

83

91

93

94

No

11

12

11

35

17

9

7

6

Don’t know

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Attending meetings with veterans

Yes

21

19

21

21

15

24

22

20

No

79

80

78

79

85

76

77

80

Don’t know

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Visiting places of military glory, museums, memorials

Yes

51

51

52

47

53

58

54

45

No

48

49

48

52

47

42

46

55

Don’t know

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Visiting  cemeteries, burial sites 

Yes

44

43

44

24

33

43

51

51

No

56

57

55

76

67

57

49

49

Don’t know

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0