This survey took place between 20 and 23 May 2016 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 800 people over the age of 18 in 137 localities of 48 of the country’s regions. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the number of participants along with data from previous surveys. The statistical error of these studies does not exceed 4.1%.
WHAT DOES THE MAY 9 HOLIDAY SIGNIFY MORE THAN ANYTHING TO YOU? (one answer)
| May 13 | May 15 | May 16 | |
| The day of the Soviet people’s victory over German fascism | 59 | 67 | 63 |
| The day of the USSR (Russia)’s victory over Germany | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| A day of memory for friends and relatives who perished in the war | 11 | 7 | 6 |
| The day of the anti-Hitler coalition’s victory over Nazi Germany | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| A day of mourning for those lost in World War II | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| A day of memory for victims of Nazism | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Other | <1 | <1 | <1 |
| It is difficult to say | 1 | 1 | 2 |
DID YOU WATCH THE MOSCOW MAY 9 PARADE ON TELEVISION?
| May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | |
| Yes | 65 | 66 | 67 |
| No | 35 | 35 | 34 |
DID YOU ENJOY THE PARADE? (as a percentage of respondents who watched the parade on television)
| May 11 | May 16 | |
| 1 Didn’t enjoy it at all | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | 9 | 2 |
| 4 | 32 | 20 |
| 5 Really enjoyed it | 52 | 76 |
DID YOU WEAR A ST. GEORGE’S RIBBON ON MAY 9?*
| May 14** | May 15 | May 16 | |
| Yes | 49 | 60 | 55 |
| No | 51 | 40 | 45 |
*In 2014 and 2015 this question was given in the following form: “Do you wear a St. George’s Ribbon?”
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE “IMMORTAL REGIMENT” EVENT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN MANY CITIES ON MAY 9, AND, IF SO, WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE REGIMENT?
| May 15 | May 16 | |
| Definitely positive | 63 | 72 |
| Probably positive | 26 | 19 |
| Probably negative | 3 | 4 |
| Definitely negative | <1 | 1 |
| I don’t know about this event | 6 | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 2 | 2 |
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING OPINIONS ON THE “IMMORTAL REGIMENT” IS CLOSEST TO YOUR OWN? (as a percentage of those respondents, who know about the event)
| May 15 | May 16 | |
| It is an event in support of Russia’s present leadership | 8 | 8 |
| This event is a tribute to those who secured victory in World War II | 88 | 88 |
| It is difficult to say | 4 | 3 |
WOULD YOU YOURSELF LIKE TO TAKE PART IN NEXT YEAR’S “IMMORTAL REGIMENT”? (as a percentage of those respondents who know about the event)
| May 15 | May 16 | |
| Definitely yes | 26 | 29 |
| Probably yes | 40 | 38 |
| Probably no | 15 | 16 |
| Definitely no | 4 | 6 |
| It is difficult to say | 15 | 11 |
WHICH EVENTS FROM THE LAST FOUR WEEKS WERE THE MOST MEMORABLE FOR YOU? (respondents were not given a list of events; respondents named events which they remembered themselves; multiple answers; N=1600)
| May 16 | |
| May 9 celebrations | 48 |
| ”Immortal Regiment” march | 28 |
| Holiday parade | 26 |
| Crash of the Egyptian airplane over the Mediterranean | 24 |
| Rising prices and tariffs/currency devaluation | 23 |
| Eurovision contest/Eurovision final | 23 |
| Hockey World Championship in Moscow | 16 |
| Brawl at Moscow’s Khovansky cemetery | 14 |
| Celebration of Easter | 14 |
| Celebration of May 1st | 14 |
| Influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa into Europe | 13 |
| Direct Line with Vladimir Putin | 12 |
| Military action in Syria | 11 |
| Doping scandal with Russian athletes/banning of Russian athletes from international competitions | 9 |
| Withdrawal of Russian Air Force from Syria | 8 |
| Murder of ex-chief of police in Syzran A. Gosht and members of his family | 6 |
| United Russia primaries | 6 |
| Alexander Prokhorenko’s heroism in Palmyra | 6 |
| Ice drift and floods in Siberia and the north of Russia’s European part | 6 |
| Anniversary of Crimea joining the RF | 5 |
| Final round of the Russian Football Championship | 5 |
| Formula-1 race in Sochi | 4 |
| Russian Cup final between Zenit and CSKA | 4 |
| Nadya Savchenko sentencing | 4 |
| Most recent armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh | 4 |
| Symphonic concert in Palmyra | 4 |
| CSKA victory in Euroleague basketball | 3 |
| Earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador | 3 |
| Celebrating Cosmonauts’ Day | 3 |
| Cannes film festival | 2 |
| Ban of Crimean Tatar Mejlis in Russia | 2 |
| Attack on Navalny’s group by Cossacks in Anapa | 2 |
| RBK leadership’s leaving of their positions | 1 |
| Other | 4 |
|
It is difficult to say |
8 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).