#3
Trud-7
December 27, 2001
OPINION POLLS RESULTS
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
Opinion polls done by the National Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) indicate that Russians consider 1990 to have been the most difficult year: 93% of respondents say it was more difficult than 1989, and only 6% say it was "equally difficult." Many Russians still remember the queues in mostly empty shops, ration coupons, etc.
In December 1997 only 37% respondents described that year as the worst.
The crash of August 1998 set Russia back by several years. The number of negative statements reached the level of 1992 (82% again). Half of respondents described 1999 as more difficult than 1998. The breakthrough was achieved in 2000. These days, 23% say that 2001 has been worse than 2000. A quarter of respondents see no changes for the better.
Most respondents named Vladimir Putin as Man of the Year for 2001.
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