A poll conducted by the Russia Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM) in April said that the memory of the Great Patriotic War is still alive in Russian families: 25% of respondents said that they have veterans among relatives or at least friends. This means that testimony of the Great Victory is still transferred directly to many Russian citizens from soldiers who defended the fatherland, and not from the media and cinema, WCIOM CEO Valery Fyodorov said.
"This number (25%) is huge, it indicates that the image of war and victory is not only imparted by the media or cinema, and has a personal, authentic aspect," he said.
Also, according to Fedorov, Russians are divided on the quality of the support for veterans today: 46% assess the attention paid to the participants in the Great Patriotic War as sufficient, 48% would like it to be increased. 17% note the poverty of veterans, 14% – a lack of support, 12% believe that the veterans are remembered only in anticipation of another May 9.
In general, Russians are confident that the Victory Parade is not a political, but a historical and cultural event, and it is held for veterans and youth. 47% said that the parade is intended to remind about the heroism of the people, another 15% – that it is a tribute to the victims and a mark of gratitude to ancestors. For 12% this is a good opportunity to congratulate veterans, for another 12% – to demonstrate Russia's military might. 11% with the help of the Victory Parade want to promote patriotism among young people. 91% of Russians will watch the broadcast of the Victory Day parade, and another 18% want to personally attend it.
"The Great Victory is not only a key event in Russian and world history of the 20th century, but it is also one of the cornerstones of modern Russian identity. Therefore, such a major anniversary is the focus of a huge number of our fellow citizens, so any accent, any turn, any development related to this anniversary receives a great response," Fedorov concluded.
