1 July, 2020
The results of a representative survey across all of Russia, conducted between June 16 and June 25, 2020, have shown the people’s real opinion on Vladimir Putin and the emotional state of the citizens of the world’s largest country.
Brief resume:
The results of the OMF survey show that the emotional state of Russian citizens is utterly fragile with unpredicted consequences.
Today Vladimir Putin doesn`t elicit hope in the masses as he did 6 ago after the annexation of Crimea: only 45,2% of Russians live in with hope for tomorrow, the opinion poll showed.
54% of Russian citizens over 18 do not want to see Vladimir Putin to stay President for another 16 years. Only a third of them support the President`s confrontational policy towards Ukraine.
These were the only two direct questions asked in the poll which started on June, 16-th and finished on June, 25-th, the opening day of the all-Russia plebiscite on constitutional amendments that could allow President Vladimir Putin stay in power until 2036 started.
Would you like Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036?
Open Mind Foundation studies the impact of mass emotions on political and social activity of citizens in different countries. The researchers monitor the level of three basic mass emotions: hope for tomorrow, fear of tomorrow and humiliation caused by the conditions the people live in.
Method and sample
The sample consisted of 1600 respondents, all over 18 years of age.
The survey was done over the phone by dialing random numbers. Mobile phones and landlines were equally represented. The survey was representative of the country’s demographics based on gender, age, region, and type of dwelling, town\village. The margin of error was less than 3%. OMF hired the “Independent Research Agency”, a private company, to conduct the interviews, and specialists of Sergey Belanovsky’s independent research group to assist in data analyzes. The Russian sociologist Sergey Belanovsky predicted the uprising in Moscow’s in 2012.
Comparison of the emotional state of Russians and Ukrainians
At first glance, when comparing the emotional state of Russians and Ukrainians, there is little emotional difference between the two neighboring countries which are currently in an undeclared war with each other.
At the beginning of 2020 (February-March), on average, 70% of Ukrainians lived with hope for the coming day. Their confidence in the future dropped suddenly with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent quarantine in the country. Nonetheless, Ukraine’s citizens are still more hopeful for the future than Russians.
The emotional state of women in both countries was almost identical at the end of June. However, Russian men are in a much more negative state than Ukrainians. Their levels of hope are 10 points lower than that of their neighbors to the west. Russian men were much more likely to say they felt humiliated by the conditions they live in.
According to the results of our survey, men were more likely than women to disapprove of Vladimir Putin’s policy towards Ukraine. 64% of men do not want Putin to remain in power, which is a third more than among women. China remembers its Century of Humiliation all too well. What will come of the humiliation Russian men are experiencing today?
The OMF studies suggest that in order to have a stable society three out of four citizens (75%) have to live with hope for tomorrow.
The emotional state of Russian and Ukrainian men
Among the emotions you feel, which one prevails today?
The emotional state of Russian and Ukrainian women
Among the emotions you feel, which one prevails today?
About the author of the research:
Savik Shuster - the president of the Open Mind Foundation, war reporter, researcher, writer, the author of the most popular political talk show in Ukraine and Russia with unique sociological format.
Contacts to get detailed information:
Ekaterina Vasina, executive producer of the research
Mob.tel. +38 098 8108518, email: vasina@omf.fund
Basic results of the survey in Russian Federation conducted from 16 to 25-th June
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