Let me lead you through the streets of Moscow

by Brit Muscovite

We find it very important to know what do other people think about us. Do you agree? With this purpose I’d like to start today a new theme in this blog - attitude of russian people to different countries and nations. Before you go to Moscow, let you inform about.

Article by Atayan I. www.fom.ru

Germany

Over one half of those surveyed (61%) regard Germany as a state that is friendly towards Russia. This view is more widespread among those between 18-35 years of age and optimists (69% and 68% in the groups, respectively). An opposing stand (Germany is an unfriendly state) is held by 20%. This point of view is more typical of Zyuganov followers (36%) and those above 50 years of age. Residents of the Far-Eastern, Southern, and Urals federal districts are more likely than others to negatively appraise relations between the two countries (29%, 27% and 26%, respectively).

Asked what town is the German capital, 78% gave the correct answer (15% found it difficult to answer this question). University graduates (78%) and residents of large cities (83%) demonstrated the best knowledge on this question.

19% found it difficult to answer the question «What do you think of first when you hear the word `Germany'»?, with another 2% saying the country doesn't arouse any associations.

While analyzing Russians' conceptions of Germany, we can trace four basic association lines: «historical» (29%), «economic» (29%), «ethno-cultural» (14%) and «geopolitical» (9%).

Historical associations are mainly aroused by the Great Patriotic War (22%) «the German invasion, the Great Patriotic War,» «the camps,» «the Reichstag.» 6% mention the theme of fascism: «the hotbed of fascism,» «Nazism.» 3% mentioned recent events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany and the withdrawal of Soviet troops.

In terms of economics, Germany is thought of as a highly developed, civilized and trouble-free country. The interviewees spoke about its «powerful economy, high living standards,» «high civilization and culture» (24%). 5% mentioned particular German products, such as «reliable, prestigious cars,» «food» («Bavarian beer,» «sausages») or just spoke of the general high quality of their production.

In ethno-cultural aspects, Russians' perceptions are mostly connected with the national character and the German way of life ("Clever people, neat"; "incredibly decent"; "a nation that loves order and justice"; "industrious") – 10%. When speculating on the associations Germany aroused in them, they often referred to their personal experiences ("I remember I spent three years there with my husband"; "I recall my service there"; "I worked with them, they're good fellows") – 4%.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US, WHAT CITY IS THE CAPITAL OF GERMANY?

IN YOUR VIEW, IS GERMANY FRIENDLY OR UNFRIENDLY TOWARDS RUSSIA?

OPEN-ENDED QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FIRST WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "GERMANY"?

Russian words assocoations

Historical associations

Great Patriotic War

"The camps"; "the Reichstag"; "the 1941-45 war"; "the Great Patriotic War, the German invasion"; "20 million died"; "Hitler, war"; "occupation"; "the German war"; "we defeated Germany"; "the Kursk battle"; "attack on the USSR"; "war recollections "; "the Holocaust – killing of the Jews"; "we won"; "horrible war with Nazi Germany."

Fascism

"Fascists"; "a hotbed of fascism"; "fascists there were, and fascists there are"; "Nazism"; "fascism, although it's in the past"; "a fascist country."

Unification of Germany, withdrawal of Soviet troops

"Unity of the FRG and GDR"; "unification of FRG and GDR, withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany"; "pulling down the Berlin Wall;» "unification; "death of the GDR"; "unification of the two German states"; "they fulfilled their mission and united."

A civilized, trouble-free country

"A rich country"; "wealth"; "public welfare at the highest level"; "a normal, well-developed country"; "they live in a fairy-tale"; "paradise"; "»a trouble-free country – I would like to live there"; "a high economic level"; "Russia defeated them, but they went ahead of Russia in everything"; "one of the wealthiest countries in the world» "life there is much better than here"; "I would like to live like they do"; "a powerful country, a strong economy, high living standards, a stable and quiet life"; "high civilization and culture"; "they recovered from the war quickly, their veterans live better than our academicians"; "the defeated live better than the victors"; "a highly-developed country"; "a wealthy state, economically powerful."

National character, way of life

"Clever people, neat"; "incredibly decent"; "accuracy, decency "; "people are more civilized"; "conservatism"; "the nation that loves order and justice"; "arrogant people, pedants"; "thieves"; "gorged, complacent people"; "a state with a very arrogant and greedy population"; "greedy"; "cultural people"; "industrious"; "polite, precise"; "industrious"; "precise, punctual, strict ."

A foreign country

"Europe"; "abroad"; "another country, not ours"; "Western Europe"; "the center of Europe"; "a foreign country"; "a country north of Belarus ."

German products

Cars

"Cars"; "Volkswagen"; "reliable, prestigious cars"; "Mercedes," "BMW"; "Mercedes-600" – a leader of the car industry"; "foreign cars."

Food

"Beer"; "Bavarian beer"; "sausages"; "beer, Bavarian sausages "; "cheese."

High quality goods

"High quality goods"; "a country where everything is well done"; "German quality"; "reliability"; "high level electronic equipment "; "good products"; "quality equipment."

Personal associations

"I remember my dad – he took Berlin"; "I have friends and relatives there"; "this is the homeland of my husband"; "my granddad was a prisoner of war, they tortured him"; "my friend lives there"; "my homeland"; "Hamburg is a town where I received some training"; "my dad died in the second war, granddad was killed in the first war on the German front"; "I remember my dad"; "I remember life: I spent three years there with my husband"; "I recall my service there"; "I worked with them, they're good fellows"; "I studied German at school."

Negative associations

"Germans should be beaten up"; "nothing good"; "bad... rubbish comes into my head"; "disgust"; "a negative attitude"; "I distrust them"; "far, abstract, dumbbells"; "I hate it"; "I hate German speech, they are not people as I remember it since my childhood"; "you can't feel positive about this county"; "a nation that I wouldn't like to exist "; "antipathy."

No associations

"No"; "none."

Our partner and ally

"They help us"; "a country occupying first place in terms of contacts with Russia "; "a good country, they feel good about us, the best of all the countries in the socialist camp"; "an ally, Russia's partner"; "cooperation."

A hostile state

"An eternal enemy"; "enemy #2 after America"; "enemies of Russia"; "hostile to us"; "a threat"; "enemies, evil"; "I don't trust them"; "closer to Slavs, but enemies all the same."

Other

"Good actors fled there"; "Germany wants her debt from Russia"; "boredom"; "good roads"; "low quality goods they want to glut us with "; "Gothic castles"; "Germans are Germans"; "the youth festival in Germany "; "cold"; "many elderly people"; "Germans protested against the import of nuclear waste from France"; "their new president Schroeder."

Nation-wide home interviews conducted 16-17 April 2005 in 100 residencies in 44 regions. A sample size of 1500 respondents. Additional polls of the Moscow population, with a sample of 600 respondents. The margin of error does not exceed 3,6%.

DO YOU KNOW ANY FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM GERMANY? IF SO, PLEASE GIVE THEIR NAMES.

DOES GERMANY PLAYS A CONSIDERABLE OR INCONSIDERABLE ROLE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD?

DOES GERMANY PLAY A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ROLE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD?

Article by Atayan A. www.fom.ru

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