Russian Public Opinions Research Centre released the list of top-7 facts discovered in February 2018 through various surveys.

Top-7 social findings of 2018

The top seven rating by WCIOM.ru was put together from discoveries made through various polls and surveys. These curios facts may give you some insight into social beliefs and expectations of people in Russia.

1. 71% of Russians would like their close family members to undertake the compulsory service in military. One-year army service is compulsory in Russia for males over 18, who are not current university students. 73% of respondents to the survey see military service as a social institution that gives opportunities for growth.
2. 42% of Russians see the union between a man and a woman who have kids but are not officially married, as a marital union. At the same time, only 46% of Russians think that living together without a marriage certificate is normal, while 45% don’t approve people who choose to cohabit without a wedding.
3. 33% of Russians are scared to fly by airplanes. Only 29% of respondents said they had taken a flight by plane in the last few years (54% among residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg). The ones who didn’t fly during the last years said they didn’t have a need to travel by plane (60%). The share of people who are scared to fly is high even among air passengers — 27%.
4. 26% of locals believe that science in Russia is ahead of the rest of the world. 37% of respondents think that science in Russia is slightly behind, 15% feel it’s substantially behind the rest of the world. Among the ones who think that Russian academics’ achievements exceed global standards, 20% of participants believe they are slightly ahead and 6% of the locals said they are way ahead.
5. 12% of Russians don’t condemn cheating in a marriage. (It’s surprisingly low given the overpowering belief “All men cheat” typical in post-USSR countries). However, in general views about cheating moved towards a stricter traditional angle, the research found. 64% of participants condemn cheating “always” or “nearly always”, with 69% of women and 57% of men supporting these views. In 1991, 35% of respondents said than having a sexual relationship beyond marriage was always reproachable, while in 2018 their share jumped to 52% (48% in 2016). 14% of today’s respondents think that in some cases cheating may be non-reproachable, while 12% openly said there was nothing bad.
6. 10% of people plan to buy a car this year. 9% plan to buy a home (an apartment or a house). 17% plan to renovate their homes.
7. Only 6% of locals feel lonely. 93% of respondents in general don’t feel lonely. In fact, 63% of people who took part in the survey said that never feel lonely. This happens during times when people in western countries feel increasingly lonely, as statistics show, with sociologists warning about the loneliness epidemics. In fact, being lonely is as dangerous to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. In January 2018 a minister for loneliness was appointed in UK. Canadians may now follow the suit. But Russians seem to be immune to the worldwide epidemics of disconnection, affecting the west. Their community spirit is high and most people feel supported and needed.

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