MOSCOW, December 11./TASS/. About half of the Russians surveyed say that they are surrounded by cultivated people, who are polite, well-bred and educated, which represents a 1.5-fold rise versus 2013, a new poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) revealed, with patriotism now seen as a new aspect of being cultivated.

"Over ten years, the share of Russians who [say they] are surrounded mainly by cultivated persons has grown by more than one-and-a-half times: from 29% in 2013 to 50% in 2023. At the same time, the share of those who [say they] are surrounded by both educated, cultivated people and ill-mannered, poorly educated people has declined to 45% in 2023 versus 64% in 2013," the results of the VCIOM poll said.

According to the survey, for almost half of Russians (49%) being a cultivated person is associated with having good manners and observing proper etiquette. About a quarter of respondents (24%) said that a cultivated person is well educated and well-read. Less frequently, a cultivated person is characterized by positive personal traits, such as respect for others, decency and kindness.

The survey data also reveals the characteristic features of an ill-mannered, poorly educated person, as seen by the surveyed Russians. More than half of them (60%) associate an uncultivated person mainly with a lack of manners. About 12% say this is an uneducated, stupid and ignorant person. Since 2013, the share of those who believe that there are more cultivated people in the country has tripled (from 9% in 2013 to 29% in 2023). One-third (31%) of respondents hold the opposite view (down 27% from 2013). Meanwhile, another 31% said that nothing had changed over the past ten years.

"In general, Russians' notions of cultivated and uncultivated people have changed little over ten years, but some aspects have become less important. The share of those who consider literacy and the ability to speak well to be important features of a cultivated person has decreased. At the same time, a new aspect - patriotism - has appeared, with love for one’s homeland and knowledge of the history of one's country becoming key components in the popular image of a cultivated person," the pollster said.

The Russia-wide telephone survey was conducted on November 19, 2023, and involved up to 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older as respondents. The margin of error at a 95% probability rate does not exceed 2.5%.