Actuality Summer, 2007

The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (ARPORC) presents information about what the Russians think about modern countryside and agriculture in the whole.
Most respondents (65%) see the countryside as not only a place of abode of people but also as a source of spirituality of the nation and its singularity. And this spiritualizing of the countryside is more typical of townspeople than for villagers (66% and 62%). One third of the Russians (32%) considers the country to be the ordinary place of abode as cities and settlements.
According to 88% of polled, the countryside supported the country for many years, and now it needs help to solve its problems, to be revived. It is high time “to repay debts”. This point of view is supported by villagers as well as by townspeople (88% and 90%). The opposite thesis that the countryside is able to cope with problems itself and there is no need in the additional programs on its revival is approved only by 9% polled.

The state should limit the import of agricultural product, to support the domestic producer of these products is supposed by 68% of the Russians. Among townspeople this strategy is supported by 66% of respondents, among villagers there it got support of even greater part of polled – 71%. Supporters of equal status for competition of domestic and foreign producers, considering that it will be the stimulus for development of agriculture, are 26% of the Russians. This liberal idea is approved by 28% of townspeople and the minority stake of peasants – 22%.
As party which defends the interests of peasants – Agrarian, – the fourth part of the Russians (26%) supposes that it protects all who are related to agriculture. More rarely it is defined as a party of all villagers (20%). In opinion of 4% polled, Agrarian Party of Russia works on behalf of authorities and officials, and 6% think that party concerns itself only with its own needs. The half of the Russians (49%) finds difficulty in replying whose positions are protected by the party. From the point of townspeople, in the first place APR is the party of agricultural labor; in opinion of peasants it is rather the party of villagers. Among the townspeople there are 27% of polled who support the first point of view, 20% support the second, among villagers 14% and 20% respectively.

The All-Russian poll ARPORC was carried out on July, 28-29, 2007. 1600 persons in 153 settlements in 46 regions, krais (administrative district in Russia) and republics of Russia were polled. Statistical error does not exceed 3,4%.