MOSCOW, March 19, 14:43 /ITAR-TASS/. An opinion poll carried out on March 16 by the Public Opinion Foundation has suggested President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has grown sizably over the past month, which has seen Russia’s historic triumph at the Sochi Olympic Games and a political crisis in Ukraine.

The poll suggested that if a presidential election were held next Sunday, 60% of polled Russians would back Putin for president.

According to the survey, Putin’s electoral rating has grown 7% over the past week, and has seen a sizable growth of 15% in the past month.

Political analysts and sociologists say this rating means that in the event of a real election (taking into account possible voter turnout, the number of undecided voters and other factors), Putin would have a clear lead in the first round, with more than 80% of the vote.

A total of 3,000 people were surveyed in 204 settlements in 64 Russian regions. Statistical error is no more than 3.3%.