Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

Over the last few years the interest of Russians in the Great Patriotic War has intensified.

MOSCOW, June 22, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of an annual survey devoted to the anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War (Day of Remembrance and Sorrow).

Sixty-nine percent of Russians know the exact date of the start of the Great Patriotic War (June 22, 1941); however there is a substantial difference in the responses of young, middle-aged and older persons: only 40% of those aged 18-24 give the right answer, unlike those aged 45-59 (83%).

About one-third of respondents (35%) remember stories told by their relatives who were participants in the Great Patriotic War; a further 55% know that their relatives participated in the war but are not aware of any details or only know that the relatives died or disappeared during the war.

Over the past few years Russians have had more interest in the Great Patriotic War: 45% of respondents meet veterans (35% in 2014); 61% go to sites of military glory, war museums (vs 30% in 2014), 51% to military burial sites (vs 28%). An overwhelming majority of respondents watch movies about war (88%); however the topic-related books are less popular: currently 23% of respondents are interested in such books, and this share has decreased since 2014 (from 30%).

On Day of Remembrance and Sorrow about half of respondents remember about people’s heroism and victims of war. Russians often commemorate their relatives who were in the war, go to cemeteries (18%), memorials and military monuments (16%).

The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on June 18-19, 2018, and involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and 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 in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

The 2004-2014 results are based on household surveys.

Let us talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact data when the GPW started? Please name year, day and month  (open-ended question, one answer % of total respondents)

 

2007

2018

22 June 1941

65

69

Other date

29

25

Don’t know 

0

3

Hard to tell  

6

3

Let us talk about the Great Patriotic War. Do you know the exact data when the GPW started? Please name year, day and month  (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) 2018

 

Total respondents

Aged 18-24

Aged 25-34

Aged 35-44

Aged 45-59

Aged 60 and over

22 June 1941

69

40

46

70

83

80

Other date

25

43

42

22

15

19

Don’t know 

3

12

5

3

1

0

Hard to tell   

3

5

7

5

1

1

  

Did you have any relatives who were participants in the Great Patriotic War? If yes, do you know any details about their life during the war? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)

 

2004

2005

2007

2010

2014

2018

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

50

46

45

34

42

35

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

31

31

32

32

31

37

I have relatives who participated in the war but they died or disappeared during the war, and I know nothing about them

10

12

14

17

15

18

None of my relatives participated in the war  

4

6

6

8

6

7

I do not know if any of my relatives participated in the war

4

4

3

6

6

2

Don’t know 

1

1

0

3

0

1

Over the recent year have you … 

(closed-ended question, one answer for each statement, % of total respondents)

Watched any movie about the Great Patriotic War?

 

2007

2010

2014

2018

Yes

89

85

86

88

No

10

14

14

11

Don’t know 

1

1

0

1

Visited veterans?

 

2007

2010

2014

2018

Yes

38

34

35

45

No

61

63

64

54

Don’t know 

1

3

1

1

Read books about  the Great Patriotic War?

 

2007

2010

2014

2018

Yes

32

32

30

23

No

67

67

69

76

Don’t know 

1

1

1

1

Visited places of military glory, museums and memorials?

 

2007

2010

2014

2018

Yes

32

29

30

61

No

67

68

69

39

Don’t know 

1

3

1

0

Visited cemeteries, military burial sites?

 

2007

2010

2014

2018

Yes

32

27

28

51

No

67

70

71

49

Don’t know 

1

3

1

0

                                      

June 22 marks the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Tell me, please, what you do on this day to honor the memory of those died during the Great Patriotic War? (open-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) 2018

 

Total respondents

I commemorate my relatives who were in the war, I go to cemeteries  

18

I go to rally, lay flowers at the tomb of Unknown Soldier or a memorial, go to  military monuments

16

I commemorate the beginning  of the Great Patriotic War, war events

3

I commemorate this day/Day of Remembrance and Sorrow

3

I watch military movies, read books, watch TV, sing songs  

2

I go to church, I pray, put a candle

2

I participate in Immortal regiment March

2

I have dinner with friends and family  

1

I tell my children / grandchildren about those events on that day  

1

I congratulate the veterans

1

Moment of silence

1

I drink

1

I help to clean monuments

1

I work on that day

1

Other

1

I do not do anything special

43

Don’t know 

4

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory! 

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