This survey took place between 9-12 December 2016 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600 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 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%
WHICH EVENTS OF 2016 DO YOU CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT? (respondents were presented with a card; multiple answers)
| 1. Rising prices/currency devaluation | 30 |
| 2. Election of Donald Trump to US presidency | 28 |
| 3-4. Doping scandal and ban of Russian athletes from Rio de Janeiro Olympics/Paralympics | 23 |
| 3-4. Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro | 23 |
| 5. Armed conflict in Syria | 22 |
| 6. Death of children at Karelian lake | 20 |
| 7. Arrest of Minister of Economic Development Aleksey Ulyukaev for accepting bribes | 18 |
| 8. May 9 celebrations/Victory Day parade/Immortal Regiment march | 17 |
| 9-10.Vladimir Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly of Russia | 15 |
| 9-10. Armed conflict in Donbass | 15 |
| Influx of Middle Eastern and African refugees to Europe | 14 |
| Russian State Duma Deputy elections | 13 |
| Arrest of Dmitry Zakharchenko, deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Anti-corruption Committee/seizure of 9 billion rubles | 13 |
| Reestablishment of relations with Turkey/Resumed Russian tourism to Turkey | 13 |
| Boeing crash in Rostov-on-Don | 12 |
| Extension of anti-Russian sanctions | 11 |
| Vladimir Putin’s Direct Line program | 10 |
| UEFA European Championship (2016 Euros) | 10 |
| Replacing pension indexing with one-time 5,000 ruble payout | 10 |
| Attempted coup d’etat in Turkey | 8 |
| Referendum on Great Britain leaving the EU, June 23 | 7 |
| Belgium/Brussels/Nice terror attacks | 7 |
| Eurovision contest/Eurovision final | 6 |
| Patriarch Kirill’s meeting with Pope Francis in Cuba | 5 |
| Nadiya Savchenko trial | 5 |
| Earthquake in Italy | 4 |
| Increased pressure on NGOs | 3 |
| United Russia primaries | 2 |
| Panama offshore scandal | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 11 |
* Survey was conducted before information about the assassination of Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Berlin terrorist attack, or mass poisoning by hawthorn extract in Irkutsk became available.
See 2015’s ranking of the year’s most memorable events here.
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
The ANO Levada Center has been included in the register of non-commercial organizations acting as foreign agents. See the Director of the Levada Center’s statement of disagreement with this decision here.