Saturday, March 5, marks the 52nd anniversary of Stalin's death. For some, this is a sad day; for others, it is a cause of celebration. Polls indicate a fifty-fifty split in Russian society with regard to opinions about Stalin.
The Bashkirov and Partners polling agency reports that 47% of respondents say Stalin played a positive role in history, while 43% disapprove of him to some degree. Meanwhile, the National Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) reports that 50% of respondents are still under the influence of Stalin's cult of personality, while only 37% condemn him. In its latest poll, VTsIOM notes a 4% increase in respondents who entirely approve of Stalin.
VTsIOM also included a leading question: does modern Russia need a politican like Stalin? The result indicated that society is split into two camps: 42% of respondents would like to see a "new Stalin" in the Kremlin, while 52% would not. Logically enough, those in favor of a "new Stalin" are mostly the elderly - 60% of respondents in that age group miss his strong hand. In contrast, 31% of young respondents are pro-Stalin.
The Levada Center polling agency decided to find out what people think of erecting a monument to Stalin to mark the 60th anniversary of victory in World War II. The poll showed 37% disapproval of this idea, 29% support, and 28% indifference. Neither did respondents support a proposal to change the name of Volgograd back to Stalingrad. Most respondents (61%) do not want to see that city revert to the name of Stalingrad, while only 23% approve of the idea.
Translated by Gregory Malyutin
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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