In the Thick of It
A blog on the U.S.-Russia relationshipLevada Poll: 1/2 of Russians Support Idea of ‘Russia for Russians,’ About 1/5 Would Not Let in Chinese, Ukrainians
Slightly more than half (51%) of Russians either support implementing the idea of “Russia for [ethnic] Russians” or think it would be good to implement “within reasonable limits,” according to a Levada Center poll of 1,600 people in 137 localities across 50 of Russia’s 80-plus regions conducted Aug. 20-26, 2020. This represents a decline of 4 percentage points compared to August 2019 when 55% of Russians held this view. In the 19 years that the independent pollster has been asking Russians for their opinions about the idea of “Россия для русских,” or “Russia for [ethnic] Russians,” (2002-2020), the share of respondents who supported its implementation—with or without “reasonable limits”—peaked in October 2013 (66%) and was lowest in July 2017 (45%). With the exception of 2017-2018 the share of Russians who supported implementing this idea never fell below 50% (see table below).
In addition to polling Russians on this idea, Levada also asked them about their attitudes toward specific ethnic groups, one region (Central Asia) and one continent (Africa). The share of Russians who are willing to see Chinese among their family members, close friends and neighbors increased from 18% in August 2019 to 19% in August 2020, according to the poll. The same period saw the share of Russians who would not let Chinese into Russia decrease from 25% to 22%. Some 19% of Russians would not Ukrainians into Russia, according to the poll. This is 3 percentage points more than in August 2019. Attitudes toward Jews became more negative, though not significantly: The share of Russians who would bar Jews from entering Russia increased from 12% to 13% year on year, according to the poll, while the share of Russians willing to see them among their family members, friends, colleagues and residents of Russia decreased from 69% to 68%.
The poll results are translated below.
What is your attitude toward the idea of Russia for [ethnic] Russians? (only one response allowed, %)
I support it; it’s high time it were implemented |
It would be good to implement, but within reasonable limits |
Negative; it is real fascism |
I am not interested |
Difficult to say |
|
Aug. 2020 |
19 |
32 |
29 |
15 |
5 |
July 2019 |
23 |
32 |
27 |
13 |
6 |
July 2018 |
19 |
30 |
30 |
18 |
3 |
July 2017 |
10 |
30 |
27 |
24 |
9 |
July 2016 |
14 |
38 |
21 |
21 |
6 |
Aug. 2015 |
16 |
35 |
25 |
16 |
8 |
July 2014 |
18 |
36 |
27 |
14 |
5 |
Oct. 2013 |
23 |
43 |
19 |
9 |
6 |
Nov. 2012 |
15 |
41 |
23 |
14 |
6 |
Nov. 2011 |
19 |
40 |
23 |
11 |
7 |
Jan. 2011 |
15 |
43 |
24 |
13 |
5 |
Nov. 2009 |
18 |
36 |
32 |
9 |
5 |
Oct. 2008 |
15 |
42 |
25 |
12 |
7 |
Aug. 2007 |
14 |
41 |
27 |
11 |
7 |
Aug. 2006 |
17 |
37 |
28 |
11 |
7 |
Aug. 2004 |
22 |
37 |
25 |
12 |
5 |
July 2002 |
17 |
38 |
28 |
10 |
7 |
How close are you willing to see Jews? (only one response allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
2 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
3 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
8 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
9 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
27 |
32 |
28 |
25 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
17 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
17 |
15 |
12 |
13 |
Difficult to say |
16 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
How close are you willing to see Chinese? (one response only allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
1 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
1 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
5 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
5 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
13 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
30 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
32 |
27 |
25 |
22 |
Difficult to say |
13 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
How close are you willing to see Africans (dark-skinned)? (only one response allowed, %)
August 2010 |
July |
August |
August 2020 |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
1 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
5 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
5 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
15 |
17 |
18 |
17 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
29 |
27 |
31 |
31 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
26 |
33 |
30 |
28 |
Difficult to say |
18 |
10 |
5 |
6 |
How close are you willing to see Central Asians? (Tajiks, Uzbeks) (only one response allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
4 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
4 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
18 |
19 |
22 |
18 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
29 |
30 |
30 |
33 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
29 |
30 |
29 |
26 |
Difficult to say |
13 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
How close are you willing to see Ukrainians? (only one response allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
5 |
6 |
11 |
11 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
4 |
6 |
8 |
7 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
10 |
8 |
10 |
11 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
6 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
31 |
29 |
28 |
23 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
20 |
20 |
19 |
22 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
13 |
22 |
16 |
19 |
Difficult to say |
12 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
How close are you willing to see Gypsies? (only one response allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
3 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
24 |
23 |
29 |
23 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
19 |
18 |
16 |
19 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
35 |
43 |
41 |
44 |
Difficult to say |
15 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
How close are you willing to see Chechens? (only one response allowed, %)
August |
July |
August |
August |
|
Willing to see them among your family members |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Willing to see them among your close friends |
1 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
Willing to see them among neighbors |
4 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
Willing to see them among colleagues at work |
3 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Willing to see them among the residents of Russia |
22 |
31 |
34 |
32 |
I would let them into Russia only temporarily |
19 |
19 |
16 |
18 |
I wouldn't let them into Russia |
38 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
Difficult to say |
13 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
Photo by David Trilling: Russian nationalist rally in Moscow, Nov. 4, 2014.