MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - Only 23% of Russians said that Russia had become a really sovereign state after the USSR collapse in 1991. According to 31% of Russians, the country did not gain sovereignty, while 33% said that it lost the real sovereignty which the Soviet Union had enjoyed. These are the results of the poll conducted by the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) prior to Russia's Day (June 12).

According to the poll, 33% of Russians aged 18-24 said Russia was a sovereign state. However, only 14% of the polled over 60 agreed with them.

Russia's Day is considered a holiday by 26% and an extra day-off by 39%. Some 19% of the respondents said that did not regard June 12 as a holiday because they did not understand its sense (as compared to 25% in 2004). Some people said June 12 was a tragic day which marked the USSR collapse (11% of the polled throughout Russia and 23% in Moscow and St. Petersburg).

VTsIOM conducted this poll in 153 settlements of 46 regions, territories and republics of the Russian Federation. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.