Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Celebrates Constitution, But Few Russians Know What It Says

Russian children are only taught the very basics of the Russian Constitution in school.

As Russia celebrates Constitution Day on Friday, a poll shows a vast majority of citizens have no knowledge of what their country's Constitution actually says, but four in ten still believe it protects their rights, a recent poll indicated.

A total of 41 percent of respondents said they had never read the Constitution, while another 24 percent said they remembered "nothing" from the text, and yet another 24 percent acknowledged having only vague memories of it, independent Levada Center pollster said in a report released Wednesday.

Only 12 percent of respondents said they had a fairly good knowledge of the text, according to the report.

Lack of knowledge of the law did not seem to imply a lack of faith in it, however, the poll showed.

The number of Russians who believed that the Constitution "guarantees citizens' rights and liberties" has increased to 38 percent in the latest poll, up from 29 percent a year earlier, the report said.

Another 26 percent thought the Constitution ensured "order" in the workings of a state, marking little change from the 23 percent recorded in November, 2013, the report said.

A sizable minority of Russians, or 16 percent, took a bitter view of the Constitution, saying that it played no role in the country because "few [people] take it into consideration," according to the poll. This compares to 27 percent a year earlier.

The poll was conducted on Nov. 21-24 among 1,600 people in 46 of Russia's regions, and gave a margin of error of no more than 3.4 percentage points.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more