This survey took place in May 2016 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600/800 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 does not exceed 3.4/4.1% for indicators around 50%.
The Russian Caucasus
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS (CHECHNYA, DAGESTAN, INGUSHETIA, ETC)? (N=1600)
| May.14 | May.15 | Jan.16 | Mar.16 | May.16 | |
| Good, calm | 44 | 45 | 35 | 41 | 28 |
| Tense | 40 | 33 | 45 | 44 | 51 |
| Critical, volatile | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| It is difficult to say | 14 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 14 |
DO YOU THINK THAT THE SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS WILL IMPROVE, WORSEN, OR REMAIN THE SAME OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMING YEAR? (N=1600)
| May.14 | May.15 | Jan.16 | Mar.16 | May.16 | |
| Improve | 20 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 14 |
| Worsen | 10 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
| Remain the same | 53 | 48 | 54 | 61 | 56 |
| It is difficult to say | 17 | 22 | 18 | 12 | 16 |
WAS THE POST-WAR DEPORTATION OF CHECHENS, INGUSHES, KARACHAYS, BALKARS, KALMYKS, CRIMEAN TATARS, AND OTHER PEOPLES FOR COLLABORATION WITH GERMAN OCCUPIERS A CRIME OF THE STALINIST REGIME OR THE RIGHT DECISION?
| May.16 | |
| It was a crime of the Stalinist regime | 38 |
| It was the right decision | 30 |
| It is difficult to say | 32 |
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ATTITUDE TOWARD ARMENIA? (N=800)
| Jan 99 | May 16 | |
| Very positive | 9 | 13 |
| Mostly positive | 46 | 66 |
| Mostly negative | 17 | 8 |
| Very negative | 7 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 23 | 12 |
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ATTITUDE TOWARD AZERBAIJAN? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| Very positive | 9 |
| Mostly positive | 61 |
| Mostly negative | 15 |
| Very negative | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 13 |
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT NAGORNO-KARABAKH, AND IF SO, WHAT EXACTLY? (respondents indicated what they know themselves; N=800)
| May.16 | |
| It’s a territory contested by Armenia and Azerbaijan | 23 |
| At the beginning of the 90s a bloody conflict broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis | 20 |
| Two months ago, there was another armed conflict on the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh | 18 |
| It was historically a part of Armenia (which later passed from hand to hand) | 11 |
| It’s the former Nagorgo-Karabakh Autonomous Region (part of the Azerbaijan SSR) | 9 |
| In 1991, the independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was declared here | 8 |
| It’s a territory settled primarily by Armenians | 7 |
| Currently it’s the (unrecognized) Nagorno-Karabakh Republic | 7 |
| During the formation of the transcaucasian republics, this part of Transcaucasia went to the Azerbaijan SSR | 7 |
| Some consider Nagorno-Karabakh part of Azerbaijan, others consider it an independent state | 6 |
| Azerbaijan is trying to reassert control over Nagorno-Karabakh | 5 |
| It is part of Azerbaijan | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
| I know nothing about Nagorno-Karabakh | 28 |
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE RECENT RENEWAL OF HOSTILITIES AT NAGORNO-KARABAKH’S BORDERS? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| I’m following this story | 11 |
| I heard something, not the details | 59 |
| This is the first I’ve heard | 30 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHO INITIATED THE RENEWAL OF HOSTILITIES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH? (as a percentage of those respondents who have heard about renewed hostilities)
| May 16 | |
| The US, NATO countries | 23 |
| The Azerbaijani side | 19 |
| Turkey | 15 |
| The Armenian side | 4 |
| Russia | <1 |
| Nobody, misunderstanding caused it | 9 |
| Other | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 37 |
WITH WHICH SIDE DO YOU SYMPATHIZE IN THIS CONFLICT? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| The Azerbaijani side | 4 |
| The Armenian side | 15 |
| Neither side | 67 |
| It is difficult to say | 15 |
WHOM SHOULD RUSSIA SUPPORT IN THIS CONFLICT? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| The Azerbaijani side | 3 |
| The Armenian side | 11 |
| Neither side | 66 |
| It is difficult to say | 20 |
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPING FORCES TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| Completely positively | 17 |
| Probably positively | 29 |
| Probably negatively | 24 |
| Very negatively | 12 |
| It is difficult to say | 18 |
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| Completely positively | 8 |
| Probably positively | 33 |
| Probably negatively | 24 |
| Very negatively | 16 |
| It is difficult to say | 18 |
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH WITHOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS? (N=800)
| May 16 | |
| Completely positively | 3 |
| Probably positively | 12 |
| Probably negatively | 33 |
| Very negatively | 31 |
| It is difficult to say | 21 |
IN YOUR OPINION, SHOULD NAGORNO-KARABAKH BE PART OF AZERBAIJAN, PART OF ARMENIA, OR AN INDEPENDENT STATE? (N=800)
| Jul.13 | Aug.14 | Aug.15 | May 16 | |
| Part of Azerbaijan | 5 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
| Part of Armenia | 14 | 13 | 9 | 11 |
| Independent state | 44 | 35 | 42 | 44 |
| It is difficult to say | 37 | 43 | 39 | 40 |
Memory of victims
DO YOU THINK IT IS TRUE THAT, FROM 1914-1923, THE ARMENIAN POPULATION WAS DELIBERATELY EXTERMINATED IN TURKEY, OR ARE ACCOUNTS OF THIS EXAGGERATED? (N=800)
| Oct.07 | May 15 | May 16 | |
| An entire population was, in fact, exterminated | 37 | 51 | 50 |
| Accounts of this are exaggerated | 13 | 11 | 13 |
| I haven’t heard anything about this | 33 | 22 | 22 |
| It is difficult to say | 17 | 17 | 15 |
DO YOU THINK IT IS TRUE THAT THE JEWISH POPULATION WAS REALLY DELIBERATELY EXTERMINATED IN GERMAN-OCCUPIED TERRITORY, OR ARE ACCOUNTS OF THIS EXAGGERATED? (N=800)
| Oct.07 | May 15 | May 16 | |
| An entire population was, in fact, exterminated | 63 | 74 | 69 |
| Accounts of this are exaggerated | 12 | 6 | 10 |
| I haven’t heard anything about this | 13 | 8 | 9 |
| It is difficult to say | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).