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Ukrainians think that the new authorities are trying to reflect the Soviet and Russian history in the ideology of modern Ukraine, according to the results of a sociology poll conducted by the Ukrainian Democratic Circle, ordered by the Policy Institute.

Some 1,200 respondents over 18 years old from all regions of Ukraine participated in the poll. The poll was held from September 9-15, 2010. The poll’s stated maximum margin of error was 2.9%. This is the third poll of this type, the first being conducted in 2002, and the second poll in 2006.

Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Mykola Tomenko presented the results of the poll at a press conference on September 28, 2010.

According to the poll, 38.3% of respondents think that the new authorities mainly support national culture and traditions. Some 43.9% of respondents answered that the new authorities do not take any measures to support the national culture and traditions. Of these, 13.6% think the authorities mainly support Soviet culture and traditions, and 30.3% of respondents think that the new authorities support Russian culture and traditions.

Comparing the results of the polls, Tomenko stressed that the recent poll in 2010 revealed two trends concerning Ukrainians’ attitude towards historical and political personalities. According to him, the study showed that "the circle of outstanding Ukrainians who set an example to citizens has extended."

Tomenko noted that the top ten include outstanding Ukrainian cultural and state activists. In particular, respondents positively evaluate activity of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko (97.7%), Ivan Franko (96.1%), Lesia Ukrainka (96%), Bohdan Khmelnytsky (90.3%), Yaroslav the Wise (90%), Princess Olha (83.6%), Hryhoriy Skovoroda (82.9%), Prince Volodymyr (76.9%), Peter the First (71.5%) and Mykhailo Hrushevsky (68.4%).

"As for the general mood of Ukrainian society, I would note radical discrepancy between the people’s mood and the authorities’ attempts to make Soviet and Russian history the basis of the ideology of modern Ukraine," Tomenko said.