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#5
Russia: Muscovites see Kursk salvage as "the most pivotal event"
ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 30 December: The salvage of the Kursk nuclear submarine is the most pivotal event in the life of Russian society in the outgoing year, claimed Muscovites.

Some 50 per cent of residents of the Russian capital who participated in a public opinion poll, carried out by TASS on Sunday [30 December] in four Moscow districts, described the submarine's salvage as "the most worthy and important action by Russian authorities in this year".

"The authorities showed that, apart from promising, they also do something specific for their citizens," the Muscovites noted.

In their opinion, this event considerably consolidated Russia's prestige abroad, since the authorities showed their "firmness in implementing their decisions" as well as "technical and scientific might of the country".

In the opinion of nearly a third of Muscovites who participated in the poll, the terrorist acts in the United States on 11 September and the start of combat operaitons in Afghanistan became an event which considerably influenced both the international community and Russia.

Incidentally, many noted that these events have raised Russia's status in the West.

More than 15 per cent of Muscovites also called direct nationwide conversations between Vladimir Putin and Russian citizens live on the ORT and RTR television networks as the most important event for Russia in the outgoing year.

Some respondents noted that such actions of Russian leaders "promote further construction of civil society, settle on the spot sore problems of population and help to take into account interests and requirements of citizens in implementing the state's policy".

The Muscovites expressed a desire that "it would be good to make such gifts to citizens not only on the New Year".

Other respondents called as important events the congress of the Civil Forum, the country's economic growth and "absence of bad news in society's domestic life".

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