This survey took place between 12 and 15 February 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 does not exceed 4.1%.
WHAT ROLE DOES RELIGION PLAY IN YOUR LIFE?
| Oct.05 | Sept.07 | Jan.12 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Very important | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Quite important | 27 | 26 | 24 | 29 | 28 |
| Not very important | 39 | 41 | 45 | 43 | 40 |
| No role | 20 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 22 |
| It is difficult to say | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Religious VS. Secular
DO YOU THINK THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD INFLUENCE GOVERNMENT DECISIONS?
| Oct.05 | Sept.07 | Jan.12 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Definitely yes | 16 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Probably yes | 26 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 18 |
| Probably no | 27 | 33 | 37 | 39 | 38 |
| Definitely no | 24 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 |
| It is difficult to say | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
DO YOU THINK THAT RUSSIAN OFFICIALS SHOULD ACT BASED ON RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS?
| Oct.05 | Sept.07 | Jan.12 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Definitely yes | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
| Probably yes | 30 | 23 | 22 | 30 | 24 |
| Probably no | 26 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 |
| Definitely no | 20 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 26 |
| It is difficult to say | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE OPINION THAT ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE LEGAL ADVANTAGES OVER PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS IN RUSSIA?
| May.91 | Aug.97 | May.03 | Sept.07 | Jan.12 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Yes | 9 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Probably yes | 6 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
| Probably no | 18 | 15 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| No | 50 | 44 | 34 | 45 | 43 | 38 | 45 |
| It is difficult to say | 17 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE DO YOU BELIEVE THE CHURCH AND OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS EXERT ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN RUSSIA?
| May.91 | Sept.98 | Jan.08 | Jul.12 | Mar.13 | Aug.14 | Feb.16 | |
| Too much | 2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Somewhat more than is necessary | 4 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 12 |
| Exactly as much as should be | 22 | 27 | 45 | 44 | 48 | 42 | 56 |
| Somewhat less than is necessary | 16 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 |
| Not enough | 30 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| It is difficult to say | 26 | 35 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 25 | 10 |
WHAT ROLE, IN YOUR OPINION, SHOULD THE CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS PLAY IN PUBLIC LIFE IN RUSSIA? (multiple answer)
| May.91 | Sept.98 | Jan.08 | Jul.12 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| They should not interfere in public life at all | 8 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 15 |
| Support public morals, ethics | 50 | 46 | 46 | 50 | 44 | 47 |
| Satisfy the spiritual needs of believers | 38 | 36 | 37 | 49 | 43 | 41 |
| Help the poor and disadvantaged | 32 | 39 | 30 | 37 | 36 | 29 |
| Support charitable work | 37 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 29 |
| Help preserve cultural traditions | 37 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 30 |
| Encourage social, national, and political harmony | 27 | 27 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 20 |
| Encourage the development of spiritual literature and art | 11 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 16 | 14 |
| Other | 1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 |
| It is difficult to say | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
DO YOU THINK THAT RELIGIOUS STUDIES SHOULD BE GIVEN A CERTAIN PLACE IN GENERAL PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAMS?
| May.91 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Religion should have no place in school | 10 | 17 | 19 |
| Students should be able to study the history of religion and basic religious ideas if they or their parents wish | 59 | 60 | 61 |
| Teaching of scripture should be reinstated in middle schools for all who want it | 20 | 15 | 13 |
| Other | <1 | <1 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 10 | 9 | 7 |
Relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES ARE CLOSE AND FRIENDLY ENOUGH, OR DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE CLOSER AND MORE FRIENDLY, OR DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BECOME TOO CLOSE?
| Apr.05 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Close and friendly enough | 32 | 29 | 27 |
| Should be closer and more friendly | 45 | 40 | 43 |
| They have become too close | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| It is difficult to say | 17 | 25 | 24 |
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE PRESENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH? (one answer)
| Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Close and friendly | 9 | 11 |
| Normal, working | 58 | 57 |
| Cool, strained | 14 | 14 |
| Hostile | 2 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 17 | 18 |
OVERALL, DO YOU APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE OF THE ACTIONS OF PATRIARCH OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH KIRILL? (survey was conducted between 22 and 25 January, 2016; N=1600)
| Sept.12 | Feb.13 | Jan.14 | Jan.15 | Jan.16 | |
| Approve | 69 | 66 | 69 | 69 | 71 |
| Disapprove | 28 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
| No answer | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
FOR YOU, IS POPE FRANCIS JUST THE LEADER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, OR ONE OF TODAY’S WORLD LEADERS, A MORAL AUTHORITY FOR PEOPLE OF MANY COUNTRIES AND FAITHS?
| Apr.05 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| John Paul II | Benedict XVI | Francis | |
| Just the leader of the Roman Catholic church | 40 | 43 | 40 |
| One of today’s world leaders, a moral authority for people of many countries and faiths | 49 | 26 | 38 |
| It is difficult to say | 11 | 31 | 22 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH CHURCH CAN RESPOND BETTER AND FASTER TO THE PROBLEMS FACED BY BELIEVERS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD, GIVING THEM A NEW VIEW ON LIFE AND THE NEW RULES FOR LIVING THAT THEY EXPECT?
| Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| Roman Catholic Church | 9 | 4 |
| Russian Orthodox Church | 44 | 47 |
| Neither one | 19 | 21 |
| It is difficult to say | 28 | 28 |
DO YOU THINK THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WOULD IMPROVE UNDER POPE FRANCIS?
| Mar.13* | Feb.16 | |
| Definitely yes | 5 | 11 |
| Probably yes | 38 | 47 |
| Probably no | 15 | 8 |
| Definitely no | 3 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 40 | 33 |
*Question was given in the following form: “DO YOU THINK THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL IMPROVE UNDER POPE FRANCIS?
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT POPE FRANCIS VISITING RUSSIA?
| Jul.01 | Mar.13 | Feb.16 | |
| John Paul II | Francis | Francis | |
| Definitely positive | 22 | 19 | 20 |
| Probably positive | 40 | 52 | 56 |
| Probably negative | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Very negative | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 22 | 20 | 17 |
|
|
All |
Role of religion | ||
| Respondents, in whose lives religions plays an important role | Respondents, in whose lives religion DOES NOT play an important role | It is difficult to say | ||
|
DO YOU THINK THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD INFLUENCE GOVERNMENT DECISIONS? |
||||
| Definitely yes | 6 | 10 | 4 | 15 |
| Probably yes | 18 | 30 | 12 | 13 |
| Probably no | 38 | 30 | 43 | 22 |
| Definitely no | 28 | 18 | 34 | 28 |
| It is difficult to say | 9 | 12 | 7 | 23 |
|
DO YOU THINK THAT RUSSIAN OFFICIALS SHOULD ACT BASED ON RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS? |
||||
| Definitely yes | 7 | 13 | 3 | 4 |
| Probably yes | 24 | 34 | 19 | 23 |
| Probably no | 31 | 23 | 35 | 18 |
| Definitely no | 26 | 16 | 33 | 14 |
| It is difficult to say | 13 | 14 | 10 | 41 |
|
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE OPINION THAT ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE LEGAL ADVANTAGES OVER ATHEISTS AND PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS IN RUSSIA? |
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| Yes | 7 | 12 | 4 | <1 |
| Probably yes | 14 | 14 | 13 | 23 |
| Probably no | 24 | 22 | 26 | 18 |
| No | 45 | 43 | 47 | 28 |
| It is difficult to say | 10 | 9 | 10 | 31 |
|
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PRESENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES ARE CLOSE AND FRIENDLY ENOUGH? |
||||
| Close and friendly enough | 26 | 30 | 25 | 21 |
| They should be closer and more friendly | 43 | 46 | 41 | 38 |
| These churches have become too close | 7 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 24 | 21 | 24 | 40 |
|
FOR YOU, IS POPE FRANCIS JUST THE LEADER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, OR ONE OF TODAY’S WORLD LEADERS, A MORAL AUTHORITY FOR PEOPLE OF MANY COUNTRIES AND FAITHS? |
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| Just the leader of the Roman Catholic Church | 40 | 42 | 40 | 25 |
| One of today’s world leaders, a moral authority for people of many countries and faiths | 38 | 37 | 39 | 38 |
| It is difficult to say | 22 | 21 | 21 | 37 |
|
IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH CHURCH CAN RESPOND BETTER AND FASTER TO THE PROBLEMS FACED BY BELIEVERS TODAY, GIVING THEM A NEW VIEW ON LIFE AND THE NEW RULES FOR LIVING THAT THEY EXPECT? |
||||
| Roman Catholic Church | 4 | 4 | 4 | <1 |
| Russian Orthodox Church | 47 | 56 | 43 | 34 |
| Neither one | 21 | 12 | 26 | 24 |
| It is difficult to say | 28 | 28 | 27 | 42 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).