When asked about who was the most important character of all time, 38 Russians out of one hundred pointed to Joseph Stalin. Instead, 38% chose Vladimir Putin. However, the Russian president is on its way.
It is always the Levada center to give these gems. The last is a survey conducted in April on a sample of Russians over 18, across the whole country. The request was to draw up a list of the ten most outstanding people of all time, worldwide, in order of importance. Well, 38 out of a hundred placed the Georgian dictator in first place. More than those who chose Putin, 34 percent, equally with Pushkin, the most beloved poet by Russians.
In other words, the majority of Russians continue to think that Stalin was the greatest historical figure of all time. To give an idea, Vladimir Lenin ranked fourth, Napoleon 14th and Einstein 16th.
The irresistible rise of Vladimiro UI
Not everything is lost, however, for the Russian president. In fact, Putin has more than one reason to be optimistic.
This is not the first time the Levada center makes such questions to the Russians. And the tendency of the answers is all in favor of Vladimir Vladimirovich. If, since 1989, the first year of the survey, the Georgian with moustaches has only gained consensus, in recent years he seems to have slowed down his race. In 2012, the previous available data, Stalin was at 42, against 22 for Putin. So a good comeback this year for the president.
In the third place, things don’t go so well for Lenin. Vladimir Ilich, in fact, marked after the fall of the USSR a granite 72%. A figure that in the decades has only come down. Down to this year’s 32%.
In spite of all, the Pantheon chosen by the Russians sticks out, placing Stalin, Putin and Lenin on the podium. And linking the history of today’s Russia with that of the USSR.
A solid trio
If we look in detail the approval data, we find that Putin’s rating goes hand in hand with that of the other two comrades.
In 2006, 40% of Russians had a positive opinion on Lenin. Eleven years later, even 56% of them think the father of the Bolshevik Revolution played a positive role in the history of the country. Consequently, the number of people expressing a definite negative opinion has fallen: today, only 5% Russians. Same thing for Stalin: more than half of Russians think that Stalin played a positive role in the life of the country, while 24% goes to define a role “undoubtedly positive”. Respondents do not deny the crimes and Purges, but for about 45% of the Russians those “sacrifices” were justified by the Soviet Union’s rapid economic progress during his rule.” The percentage has doubled in the past two years.
“Stalin is being rehabilitated”, said the head of the Levada Center, Alexei Levinson, “because the current Russian authorities and President Vladimir Putin in particular seek the legitimization and justification of their actions by resorting to the past. It gives them a certain endorsement.”
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When asked about who was the most important character of all time, 38 Russians out of one hundred pointed to Joseph Stalin. Instead, 38% chose Vladimir Putin. However, the Russian president is on its way.
