This survey took place between 27-30 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 for a selection of 800 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:

                4.1% for indicators around 50%

                3.6% for indicators around 25%

                2.5% for indicators around 10%

                1.8% for indicators around 5%

FOR MANY YEARS THE CONTESTED ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHERN KURIL RIDGE HAVE BEEN A POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN. WOULD YOU BE FOR OR AGAINST RUSSIA TRANSFERRING THESE ISLANDS TO JAPAN?

WOULD YOU BE FOR OR AGAINST COMPROMISING BY TRANSFERRING TO JAPAN TWO LESSER ISLANDS (HABOMAI AND SHIKOTAN) AND RETAINING THE LARGER ISLANDS OF URUP AND ITURUP FOR RUSSIA?

 THERE IS ANOTHER SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM: ADMIT THAT THE ISLANDS ARE JAPANESE, BUT MAINTAIN DE FACTO RUSSIAN CONTROL OF THEM FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WOULD YOU BE FOR OR AGAINST SUCH A SOLUTION?

IN YOUR OPINION, HOW WILL VLADIMIR PUTIN’S CREDIBILITY IN THE EYES OF THE RUSSIAN POPULATION BE AFFECTED IF HE DECIDES TO RETURN THE CONTESTED KURIL RIDGE ISLANDS TO JAPAN?

 * Question was given in the following form: “HOW WOULD VLADIMIR PUTIN’S CREDIBILITY CHANGE FOR YOU IF HE WERE TO SIGN A TREATY WITH JAPAN, FORGOING FOUR ISLANDS OF THE KURIL RIDGE?”

**  Question was given in the following form: “HOW WOULD YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS VLADIMIR PUTIN CHANGE IF HE CONCLUDED A TREATY WITH JAPAN AND AGREED TO RETURN FOUR CONTESTED ISLANDS?”

YOU MAY KNOW THAT AFTER WORLD WAR II, A PEACE TREATY WAS NOT SIGNED BETWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW IMPORTANT FOR RUSSIA IS CONCLUDING A PEACE TREATY WITH JAPAN?

FOR MANY YEARS THE CONTESTED ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHERN KURIL RIDGE, HISTORICALLY JAPANESE BUT ABSORBED BY THE USSR AFTER WORLD WAR II, HAVE BEEN A POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW SHOULD THIS PROBLEM BE SOLVED? (one answer)

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR RUSSIA TODAY: SIGNING A PEACE TREATY WITH JAPAN AND RECEIVING JAPANESE CREDIT AND TECHNOLOGY, OR KEEPING THE CONTESTED SOUTHERN KURIL RIDGE ISLANDS?

Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly  Monterey Institute of International Studies).