Research shows that 32% of Russians don’t think discrimination is an issue in Russia

13/10/2020

A survey on the theme of “Tolerance: is Russia for or against?” was done by the agency ‘Mikhailov and Partners. Analysis’ between 28 September and 5 October 2020. 1,500 people over 14 years of age responded to the questions.

32% of respondents thought that there was no discrimination in Russia. 58% said that some groups whose rights were infringed. Among them 27% named people with disabilities, 21% – pensioners, 19% – migrant workers, 15% – LGBT+ people, 14% – single mothers, 14% because of ethnicity, 13% – large families, 13% – people with HIV/AIDS, 10% – drug addicts, 8% – students, 8% – on religious grounds, 6% – cohabiting unmarried couples.

The head of the survey agency, Liudmila Goryunova said that among those whom people thought suffered from discrimination, the leading groups are those thought be socially disadvantaged: people with disabilities, pensioners, large families. Respondents under the age of 25 years also named the LGBT+ community (39%), and people with HIV/AIDS (19%). 

However almost half of the respondents thought that information (‘propaganda’) about non-traditional sexual relationships should be prohibited: 49% thought such activity should be subject to administrative prosecution, while 24% thought it deserved criminal prosecution. Young people are more tolerant of the LGBT+ community: among those under 25 years of age 35% opposed any kind of prosecution for such information.

26% said that in Russia there is harassment. But 38% thought this was a problem for individuals to deal with, while 15% thought it was just commonplace. 6% thought harassment to be just an invented problem.

17% of respondents had themselves experienced discrimination. Of those, two thirds (66%) had not made a complaint, while just 11% had lodged a complaint.

All the results can be read on TASS here.