MOSCOW. /TASS/. Almost one in two Russians (46%) believe that aliens may be on Earth and camouflaged among humans, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) said in releasing the results of the poll.
The survey questioned 1,606 adult residents of Russia on September 2-4.
"Eight out of ten respondents tend to accept the existence of other intelligent beings in the universe, and nearly half assume that aliens visit Earth and hide among humans. Older generations are more likely to endorse the ‘presence among us’ scenario, while young people are more skeptical," the poll results said.
If the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations were confirmed, 77% of respondents would find the news interesting, while 30% would find it alarming. "If we imagine a scenario in which aliens arrive on Earth, most Russians would expect them to be cautious and curious. People assume that visitors from space would first observe life on the planet and study the daily routines and behavior of humans. <…> At the same time, a significant portion of respondents consider a positive scenario through dialogue and cooperation," the pollsters said.
According to the poll results, only 10% of Russians consider the possibility of an alien invasion. "In general, different models of contact coexist in society. However, for obvious reasons, Earthlings (at least Russians) want the intentions of aliens to be neutral and exploratory if contact is to happen," the report added.