VTsIOM about the attack on the synagogue

On February 7, 2006, the data of a survey on the attitude of Russians to the attack on the Moscow synagogue was published by VTsIOM (compare with the results of surveys by FOM and Levada Center ).

The survey was conducted on January 28-29, 2006. 1,592 people were surveyed in 153 settlements in 46 regions, territories and republics of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.

69% of respondents were aware of the attack in the synagogue. Moreover, the greatest awareness was shown by residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (91% each), however, as sociologists emphasize, the majority of residents of other settlements know about this event (62-71%).

The opinions of respondents about the personality of Alexander Koptsev were distributed as follows:

33% of respondents consider him a mentally ill person

19% are convinced that A. Koptsev is “an executor of someone else’s will, a hired provocateur”

15% - that he is “just a hooligan, a person without strong views and convictions”

12% - that he is “a victim of anti-Semitic agitation”

11% - that A. Koptsev is a staunch opponent of Jews

and 10% of respondents found it difficult to answer.

The overwhelming majority of respondents - 55% - believe that “this is a sad, but insignificant incident; on its basis one cannot talk about the growth of national and religious intolerance in our society.” Moreover, among young people 18-24 years old, this conviction is shared even more - 61% of respondents.

29% of respondents are convinced that the attack is “a manifestation of a dangerous trend towards the growth of national and religious intolerance in Russian society.” Moreover, the largest number of people who are convinced of this - 33% - are among people aged 33 to 44 years.

Sources

• National and religious intolerance: a growing trend? // VTsIOM. 2006. February 7.