According to a recent poll by WCIOM, friendship between a man and a woman is an absolutely regular thing. 82% of Russian respondents reported having friends of the opposite gender.

Is friendship between a man and a woman possible?

WCIOM ventured to find out what kind of friends Russians have.

Gender, income level, age, nationality, and religion: Do Russians have friends who are different to them?

• Age is not a problem: 984% of Russians have friends who belong to a different generation. Among people aged 35-44, 90% of respondents have friends who belong to a different generation.
• Cross-gender friendships are a norm: 82% of survey participants reported having friends of another gender. Among 25-34-year-olds, 92% have pals of the opposite gender. The share of cross-gender friendships is also higher among people with college or university degrees (90%) as well as capital-dwellers (89%).
• Differences in income are not a deterrent: 69% of participants have friends with a different level of income. The share of positive responses was higher among people aged 25-34 (79%), people with a good income (74%) and residents of smaller cities (73%).
• Language and nationality are not a barrier: The majority of respondents (64%) have friends of different nationalities. Among people aged 18-24 the share is higher (76%).
• Religion is the largest factor: While the majority of Russians have friends who belong to a different religion, this was the lowest of all scores (52%). Men are more religion-tolerant (62%) than women. Younger people are also more accepting of different religious views (63%).

Data: WCIOM.ru

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