by Brit Muscovite
Have you ever wondered what the other nations think about you? Have you ever experienced special attitudes when the natives of the country you visit hear where you are from? Russian people also want to know how they are perceived in the eyes of others.
The public opinion poll by Pew Global Attitude shows how many people of other countries think negatively of Russians [Data from "Za Rubezhom" №8 2007].
Japanese top the list of those with the most negative attitude towards Russians: 67% of Japanese do not like Russian people, they are followed by French (65%), Germans (62%), Swedish (59%), Polish (58%), Czech (54%), Italians and Spanish (49%), Americans (35%), British (31%). The most tolerant towards Russians are Canadians: only 30% think negative about Russian.
It is a far cry from the universal love. It could be expected that Russians would reciprocate the negative feels. But the national opinions polls show the opposite. According to the Fond of Public Opinion Russians are rather friendly towards the world outside [Data from ]
41 % Russians believe that the world in general is positive about Russia, 36% Russians believe that the world in general disapproves of Russia. This proportion has been constant for the last 3 years despite the huge international scandals Russia has been involved.
Question: What do you thing how people on the world have a certain attitude toward
хорошо [khoro`sho] - good
плохо [`plokho] - bad
затрудняюсь ответить [zatrudn`yaus ot`vetit ]- don't know
What is the general attitudes towards Russia?
But what Russian people think of other nations? The poll included the question: "If you had a choice to visit one country of West Europe, what would that be?". 24% would choose France, 18% - Germany, 16% - Italy, 9%- Great Britain, 7% - Spain. They rest could not decide, because they really wanted to travel everywhere.
One more question with the most curious results: "What values, life style and culture is the closest to the Russian way of living?" 18% perceive Germans as most similar in the regards of living approach, 13% feel connected with French, 7% with Italians and British, 3% live like Spanish. They rest felt that they are so cosmopolitan that they could not think in the narrow terms of national identities.
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It will look like this: They like us, they like us not: public opinions polls about Russians
Октябрь 23rd, 2007 at 20:36
I would say that maybe the polls didn’t make enough distinction between the Russian people and government. We see the people as being held down by their government. The people are fine. They like to drink. We like to drink. Let’s have a party. The government? After a long cold war and now a strange kind of alliance there is not much love lost for the Russian government.