Window on Eurasia

Russians Say Their Political Culture is Unique but Changing

Paul Goble

Vienna, June 26, 2006 – Two out of every three Russians (67 percent)
believe that the political culture of their country is very different from that of other developed countries, but one in four (24 percent) thinks that
it is roughly the same, according to the results of a survey carried
out across the country earlier this month.

On Friday, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion
(VTsIOM) reported on the results of a poll of 1600 people in 46
oblasts, krays and republics concerning their views about contemporary Russian
political culture and its prospects for change
[http://www.wciom.ru/], June 23.

According to this survey, 68 percent of Russians think that their
political culture is characterized by passivity and indifference to
politics or an unwillingness to participate in political life.56
percent say that it is typified by an inability or lack of willingness to
respect laws, and 52 percent say it includes a general lack of faith in
ideals and principles.

“At the same time,” the VTsIOM analysts report, 54 percent of
Russians says that the political culture of their nation includes
respect for state symbols, 53 percent add that it is characterized by
an openness and acceptance of the experience of other peoples, and 51
percent say that it values collectivism and a striving to resolve
problems jointly.

Russians are divided on many other issues involving political culture,
the pollsters found. Forty-five percent say that Russian political
culture aims at agreement and cooperation, including a search for
compromise, but 38 percent disagree and say that it is characterized by
conflicts and “a war of all against all.”

And Russians disagree about support for authoritarianism and democracy
within their culture. Forty-four percent say that Russian political
culture is more often characterized by authoritarianism and
anti-democratic approaches than by popular rule and democracy, but 37
percent have the opposite view.

Asked about recent changes, 45 percent said that Russia now has a
developed a multi-party system, 40 percent say that free elections have
been institutionalized, but only 24 percent say that a division of
powers currently exist, although 38 percent expect it to develop
“sooner or later.”

Moreover, a plurality of Russians (42 percent) believe their country
has “free and independent” media, and another 34 percent say that they
believe Russia will have such a media in the future. At the same time,
only 13 percent say that Russia operates under the supremacy of law,
although 43 percent more say that it will.

But the answers to three other questions are more disturbing: First of
all, only 18 percent of the sample believe that property is inviolable
and that there is entrepreneurial freedom, although 47 percent say that
it will eventually develop these values.

Second, only 12 percent say that there is equality of all citizens
before the law, with another 31 percent saying that it will be realized
in the future but with 52 percent casting doubt even on that
possibility.

And third, only six percent of Russians say that their fellow citizens
are willing and able to struggle for their rights, with 46 percent
suggesting that they will be sometime “sooner or later” but 30
percent saying that they do not believe that will ever happen.