Regional polls show few Ukrainians, Russians want a united, single state
Most in Russia and the Ukraine favor the free movement of people and goods between the two nations, and relatively few support the wholesale merger of Ukraine with Russia.
Data Feed: Same-sex marriage support, Ukrainian-Russian relations, Venezuela’s political culture
A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
Many Russians agree that it is natural for them to have an empire
In a spring 2012 survey, 44% of Russians agreed that a Russian empire is natural.
Gay rights in Russia and the former Soviet republics
The upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi have cast a spotlight on a recently-enacted Russian law banning the distribution of gay “propaganda” to minors. However, among the 15 countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union, Russia is not the only state to restrict LGBT rights.
Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church
Between 1991 and 2008, the share of Russian adults identifying as Orthodox Christian rose from 31% to 72%, according to data from the International Social Survey Programme. During the same period, the share of Russia’s population that does not identify with any religion dropped from 61% to 18%.
Chart of the Week: How the Winter Olympics has raised its ‘cool’ factor
Since the early 1990s, as the Economist chart above shows, Olympics organizers have steadily added more and more freestyle skiing, snowboarding and other X Games-style events in a bid to appeal to younger viewers.
Sochi Olympics shine spotlight on Russia’s Muslim population
Security has been among the main storylines leading up to the Winter Olympics, set to begin in Sochi, Russia. Sochi is not far from the city of Volgograd, the target of several recent suicide bombings, and according to The Associated Press, up to 100,000 security personnel have been deployed to guard against potential terrorist acts. […]
Russia’s moral barometer: Homosexuality unacceptable, but drinking, less so
Nearly three-quarters of the Russian population (72%) think that homosexuality is morally unacceptable, with only 18% saying it is acceptable or not a moral issue.
Public Skeptical of Decision to Hold Olympic Games in Russia
Survey Report With the 2014 Winter Olympics approaching, more say it was a bad decision (44%) than a good decision (32%) to hold the games in Russia. About one-in-four (24%) say they don’t know. Concerns about terrorism and safety are foremost among those who think it was a bad decision to hold the Olympics in […]
About six-in-ten Americans looking forward to Olympics
The share of Americans who say they're looking forward to the Winter Olympics.
