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Only one-third of Russians feel people’s unity, poll says

Unity Day, marked on November 4, one of the youngest national holidays in Russia, was established in 2005

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. Only one in three Russians (37%) believe that there is people’s unity in Russia, while more than half of respondents (54%) have an opposite stance, according to a survey by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center published ahead of Unity Day marked on November 4.

Over the past two years, the number of Russians who feel people’s unity has declined, the pollster said. Back in 2017, some 54% believed that people in the country were united. However, more Russians said they knew about the upcoming holiday.

Those Russians who feel people’s unity explained their stance by the fact that in challenging time Russia becomes united (12%), people try to help each other (11%), unity is embedded in Russians’ mentality, culture, education and history (11%), and all ethic groups can peacefully live with one another (9%).

Meanwhile, those Russians who said there was no people’s unity in the country, explained this by the fact that everyone is selfish (30%), people are poor (21%), and there is no common goal, idea, patriotism and cohesion (10%).

The nationwide poll was conducted on October 28, 2019 based on phone interviews with 1,600 Russians above 18. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5% at a 95% confidence level.

Unity Day is one of the youngest national holidays in Russia. It was established in 2005 replacing the Day of Accord and Reconciliation, which had been celebrated on November 7 (formerly Revolution Day) since 1996. It marks the events of 1612 when people’s militias led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from Polish invaders.

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