MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Russians consider the bear the most fitting symbol for Russia, a poll held by Russia’s Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) informs. The poll was made available to TASS on Thursday.

"Finding symbols and archetypes helps understand the public opinion better. Russians have shown their traditional devotion to the image of a bear, which, in their opinion, symbolizes our country. According to the poll, 65% of respondents consider the bear the most fitting and correct symbol for Russia," FOM informed.

According to the poll, only 18% of those polled disagree, while 17% were unable to answer. "It is notable that for the most part, the answers do not depend on the age of the respondents, their education or their political views. It is interesting that residents of Moscow and Siberia think of the bear as Russia’s symbol slightly more often - 73% and 71% respectively," the foundation informed.

According to the poll, 70% of Russian men and 61% of Russian women consider the bear the right symbol for Russia. "The majority of respondents who named the bear as the most fitting symbol (33% of all who responded) explained their choice by focusing on the power, the strength of this animal," FOM added.

The foundation added that 7% of Russians described the bear as an animal "who remains patient for a long time, but if it gets angry, everyone will get theirs." Another 5% of those polled see the bear as a predator "who shows ferocity." "At the same time, many have stressed that this strength is combined with kindness and a love for peace, although some have mentioned its warrior qualities. However, both sides have considered this symbol fitting for Russia," the results of the poll inform.

The poll was held on November 23-24, 2019 among 1,500 respondents in 53 regions of Russia. The interview was held at the respondents’ places of residence in 104 localities. The margin of error does not surpass 3.6%.