Nearly two-thirds of Russians consider their nation to be a great power, a 16 percent increase compared to late-2011, a Levada Center poll indicates.
The independent pollster conducted the survey during the second week of March amid an ongoing diplomatic spat between the West and Russia over the latter's incursion into Ukraine's Crimea region, which has since voted to become part of Russia in a referendum that has been widely deemed illegal.
Thirty-two percent said they do not think Russia is a superpower, while 5 percent of respondents were unable to answer.
In November 2011, only 47 percent of Russians felt Russia was a great power.?
In March 1999, the figure was even lower — 31 percent.
When asked about the role Russia plays in solving international problems, 11 percent said the country plays a decisive role and 56 percent said its role is quite important. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said Russia's role is not very important.
Nearly half of those surveyed want Russia to be seen as a superpower that is respected and feared by other countries, while 47 percent prefer it to be viewed as a country with a high standard of living, but not one of the strongest nations in the world.
Levada Center surveyed 1,603 Russian adults in 130 urban centers from March 7-10. The margin of error did not exceed 3.4 percent.
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