The Moscow metro accident, battle actions in southeastern Ukraine and escalation of relations between Russia and Western countries are in the list of events most remembered by Russian citizens in the past four weeks, Levada Center sociologists told Interfax following all-Russia poll held in July.
A total of 48 percent respondents put the accident at Moscow metro’s Slavyansky Boulevard station first in the list, the so-called “counter-terrorism operation” in southeastern Ukraine, in the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk is the second with 44 percent and pro-EU supporters coming to power in Ukraine is the third with 29 percent.
The sum of response exceeds 100 percentas respondents were allowed to pick several variants.
Russian citizens included other events in Ukraine and their consequences in the list of most important event, which have occurred lately. In particular, 25 percent respondents referred to the escalation of relations between Russia and Western counties over the Ukrainian conflict, 25 percent to the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia, 24 percentto the deaths of people in the fire in Odessa, 23 percent to shooting at the Russian territory from Ukraine, 21 percentto deaths and detentions of Russian reporters in Ukraine, and 18 percent to Ukrainian troops taking Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
At the same time, 25 percent respondents named the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Latin American countries and 10 percent BRICS meeting as most impressive occurrences.
Sixteen per cent Russians said that the Malaysian plane crash in Ukraine was among the events remembered the most, 12 percent said it was flood in Altai, and 8 percent celebrating 700th birthday anniversary of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the poll showed.
Meanwhile, other 6 percent said the list of most important events included the German-U.S. spy scandal and six more percent referred to the detention of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on accusation of corruption and impeding investigation.
Five per cent Russians each named the decision of the Federation Council to withdraw the mandate on using Russian armed forces in Ukraine; Israel’s operation in Gaza; the law banning coarse language in art and mass events coming into effect; trial over former Defense Ministry official Yevgenia Vasilyeva; and death of Valeria Novodvorskaya, the survey showed.
At the same time, 4 percent Russians were impressed by the Slavic Bazaar festival in Vitebsk and 2 percent by the completion of the trial over opposition activists Sergei Udaltsov and Leonid Razvozzhayev.
