This survey took place between 2-6 March 2017 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%
SOME ARGUE THAT RUSSIA NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD AND NOT DWELL ON WHAT HAPPENED IN 1917. OTHERS SAY THAT RUSSIA NEEDS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PERIOD, IN ORDER TO AVOID REPEATING ITS MISTAKES. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS MOST ACCURATELY EXPRESSES YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW? (one response)
| Mar. 17 | |
| Russia needs to move forward and not dwell on what happened in 1917 | 34 |
| Russia needs to learn more about the period, in order to avoid repeating its mistakes | 44 |
| Studying the past is not harmful, but is not relevant to Russia’s present needs | 20 |
| It is difficult to say | 3 |
THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION IS APPROACHING. DO YOU THINK IT WAS INEVITABLE OR COULD IT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED?
| Apr. 06 | Mar. 17 | |
| It was inevitable | 53 | 48 |
| It could have been avoided | 31 | 32 |
| It is difficult to say | 15 | 21 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT LED TO THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION? (respondents were presented with a CARD; multiple answers)
| Oct. 90 | Oct. 97 | Nov. 01 | Oct. 07 | Oct. 11 | Mar. 17 | |
| The plight of workers | 66 | 57 | 60 | 57 | 53 | 50 |
| Government weakness | 36 | 40 | 39 | 35 | 34 | 45 |
| The extremism of political opportunists | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 19 |
| Spontaneous mob agression | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| A plot by enemies of the Russian people | 6 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 20 |
| Other | 2 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 7 |
DO YOU THINK THAT THE BOLSHEVIKS’ RISE TO POWER IN 1917 WAS LEGAL?
| Nov. 03 | Mar. 17 | |
| Definitely | 22 | 9 |
| Probably | 20 | 26 |
| Probably not | 22 | 31 |
| Definitely not | 17 | 14 |
| It is difficult to say | 19 | 19 |
DO YOU THINK THAT THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION PLAYED A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ROLE IN RUSSIA’S HISTORY?
| Nov. 96 | Oct. 99 | Oct. 00 | Mar. 14 | Mar. 17 | |
| Very positive | 19 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 10 |
| Mostly positive | 28 | 28 | 32 | 40 | 38 |
| Mostly negative | 21 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 25 |
| Very negative | 12 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 6 |
| It is difficult to say | 21 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 21 |
WITH WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING OPINIONS REGARDING THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION’S MEANING TO THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA WOULD YOU MOST LIKELY AGREE?
| Oct. 90 | Oct. 97 | Nov. 01 | Oct. 02 | Oct. 03 | Oct. 04 | Oct. 05 | Oct. 06 | Oct. 07 | Oct. 09 | Oct. 10 | Oct. 11 | Mar. 17 | |
| It opened a new era in the history of the peoples of Russia | 22 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 20 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
| It spurred their social and economic development | 24 | 26 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 36 |
| It stalled their development | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 21 |
| It was a catastrophe for them | 13 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| It is difficult to say | 22 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 13 |
SOME ARE OF THE OPINION THAT PRIOR TO 1917 RUSSIA HAD BEEN DEVELOPING ACCORDING TO ITS OWN INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. DO YOU THINK THAT RUSSIA CONTINUED TO DEVELOP IN KEEPING WITH ITS OWN TRADITIONS AND NATIONAL VALUES AFTER THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION OF 1917, OR DID IT TURN DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH, ONE ALIEN TO RUSSIA?
| Dec. 98 | Mar. 17 | |
| Russia continued to develop in keeping with its own traditions and national values | 27 | 50 |
| Russia turned down a different path, one alien to it | 46 | 35 |
| It is difficult to say | 28 | 15 |
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION…
CAUSED SERIOUS HARM TO RUSSIAN CULTURE?
| Oct. 90 | Mar. 17 | |
| Agree | 69 | 49 |
| Disagree | 17 | 41 |
| It is difficult to say | 14 | 10 |
CAUSED SERIOUS HARM TO RUSSIAN PEASANTS?
| Oct. 90 | Mar. 17 | |
| Agree | 68 | 48 |
| Disagree | 20 | 42 |
| It is difficult to say | 12 | 10 |
CAUSED SERIOUS HARM TO RELIGION AND THE CHURCH?
| Oct. 90 | Mar. 17 | |
| Agree | 85 | 69 |
| Disagree | 6 | 19 |
| It is difficult to say | 9 | 12 |
HOW GREAT A LOSS TO RUSSIA WAS THE OVERTHROW OF AUTOCRACY?
| Oct. 90 | Mar. 17 | |
| Very great | 11 | 34 |
| Not very great | 56 | 52 |
| It is difficult to say | 33 | 13 |
HOW GREAT A LOSS TO RUSSIA WAS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE NOBILITY?
| Oct. 90 | Mar. 17 | |
| Very great | 30 | 42 |
| Not very great | 45 | 45 |
| It is difficult to say | 25 | 14 |
WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO RUSSIA IF THE BOLSHEVIKS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO SEIZE/MAINTAIN POWER IN 1917?
| Oct. 02 | Mar. 17 | |
| The Romanov monarchy would have been restored | 22 | 19 |
| Some other extremists, opportunists would have seized power and caused even more damage for the people | 26 | 32 |
| The country would have developed along the Western democratic model | 22 | 16 |
| Russia would have disintegrated and lost its independence | 14 | 14 |
| It is difficult to say | 16 | 20 |
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REVOLUTION-ERA FIGURES DO YOU LIKE THE MOST? (respondents were presented with a CARD; multiple answers)
| Oct. 90 | Oct. 97 | Oct. 02 | Oct. 07 | Mar.17 | |
| Lenin | 67 | 28 | 36 | 27 | 26 |
| Stalin | 8 | 15 | 22 | 15 | 24 |
| Dzerzhinsky | 45 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 16 |
| Nicholas II | 4 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 16 |
| Kolchak | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| Bukharin | 21 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| Trotsky | 15 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Kerensky | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Makhno | 8 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Milyukov | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 12 | 26 | 19 | 37 | 38 |
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REVOLUTION-ERA FIGURES DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST? (respondents were presented with a CARD; multiple answers)
| Oct. 90 | Oct. 97 | Oct. 02 | Oct. 07 | Mar.17 | |
| Stalin | 49 | 36 | 30 | 29 | 21 |
| Makhno | 19 | 22 | 26 | 11 | 21 |
| Trotsky | 10 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 17 |
| Lenin | 5 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
| Kerensky | 19 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Kolchak | 22 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 7 |
| Dzerzhinsky | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Nicholas II | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Bukharin | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Milyukov | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| It is difficult to say | 25 | 25 | 26 | 42 | 39 |
IMAGINE THAT THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION WERE HAPPENING IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES; WHAT WOULD YOU DO? (one answer)
| Oct. 90 | Oct. 97 | Nov. 01 | Oct. 02 | Oct. 03 | Oct. 04 | Oct. 05 | Oct. 07 | Oct. 11 | Mar. 17 | |
| Actively support the Bolsheviks | 23 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 12 |
| Cooperate with the Bolsheviks to some degree | 26 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
| Attempt to survive, without taking part in events | 12 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 33 |
| Fight against the Bolsheviks | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Leave the country | 7 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 14 |
| It is difficult to say/Other | 27 | 20 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 18 |
IF YOU COULD START YOUR LIFE OVER, WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE LIVED? (one answer)
| Oct. 02 | Mar. 17 | |
| Prior to 1917 in Russia | 5 | 4 |
| During Stalin’s five-year plans | 3 | 4 |
| During the Khrushchev “thaw” | 3 | 6 |
| Under Brezhnev | 39 | 28 |
| During perestroika and the beginning of economic reforms | 3 | 3 |
| Now, under President Putin | 23 | 33 |
| I would prefer to live in a different country | 17 | 11 |
| It is difficult to say | 8 | 11 |
DO YOU THINK THAT EVENTS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF 1917 COULD REPEAT THEMSELVES IN TODAY’S RUSSIA?
| Oct. 98 | Mar. 17 | |
| Definitely | 7 | 7 |
| Probably | 27 | 21 |
| Probably not | 34 | 38 |
| Definitely not | 20 | 21 |
| It is difficult to say | 12 | 14 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
ANO Levada Center has been included in the register of noncommercial organizations acting as foreign agents. See the Director of the Levada Center’s statement of disagreement with this decision here.