MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. An overwhelming majority of Russians (98%) believe it is vital to keep memory of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War alive, while 72% of people are convinced that Victory Day should be celebrated on the same scale as before, or even more extensively, according to a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM).
The poll was conducted on April 4, 2024, covering 1,600 respondents.
"Almost all Russians of all ages are convinced that keeping the memory of the Great Patriotic War alive is important. The majority of people in the country hold the view that Victory Day should be celebrated on the same scale as before, even as the memory of the war fades further into the past with each passing year," the center noted.
Respondents say that to commemorate the war and the Victory, people should talk about it with younger generations. They believe that the media should report more on it, and that there should be references to it in popular culture. Museums and memorials should be dedicated exclusively to the event to honor those who fought in the war.
The poll also revealed the varying attitudes that exist to Victory Day among different generations. Thus, for the Thaw Generation (born before 1947) and the Stagnation Generation (1948-1967), Victory is a very personal event, as these people grew up hearing about it all the time. For people born and raised between 1968 and 1981, Victory blends both national pride and personal remembrance.
Millennials (1982-2000) and Generation Z (2001 and later) are further removed from stories about the war, but still view Victory as a significant part of national identity and unity.
The majority of respondents were able to name the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Historical figures such as Georgy Zhukov (36%), Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (15%), Konstantin Rokossovsky (14%) are central to Russia's collective memory, the poll showed.