(1594 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)
1. In your opinion, how do people live in Belarus?
Variant of answer |
Better than in Belarus |
Like in Belarus |
Worse than in Belarus |
DA/NA |
Poland |
50.8 |
26.0 |
11.4 |
11.8 |
Latvia |
39.7 |
26.3 |
18.0 |
16.0 |
Lithuania |
36.8 |
27.3 |
20.0 |
15.9 |
Russia |
24.6 |
40.7 |
28.1 |
6.6 |
Ukraine |
10.9 |
26.0 |
56.1 |
7.0 |
2. On April 26, 2006 it will be twenty years since the Chernobyl Catastrophe, and it will have its impact on lives of Belarusians for much longer time yet. What do you feel in this regards?
Variant of answer |
% |
Uneasiness |
40.9 |
Anxiety |
41.0 |
I’m not much concerned about this |
16.2 |
DA/NA |
1.9 |
3. After the catastrophe, some of Belarusians decreased or at all stopped consuming the foodstuffs that can accumulate radioactive elements (like mushrooms, forest berries, meat broths from bones, etc). Do you do the same?
Variant of answer |
% |
No |
69.0 |
Yes |
31.0 |
4. Some people say that crops should not be planted or gathered at the territories which suffered from the Chernobyl catastrophe (this is almost a quarter of Belarusian territories). Others think that crops can be planted provided there is strict control and technology observation. What’s your opinion about this?
Variant of answer |
% |
I think no crops from these areas can be used for food |
35.2 |
I think some crops can be used for food provided there’s strict control and technology observation |
32.3 |
I think any crops can be used for food provided there’s strict control and technology observation |
28.3 |
DA/NA |
4.2 |
5. Some people say that their health as well as health of their relatives aggravated after the Chernobyl Catastrophe. Others don’t agree with this. What’s your opinion on this?
Variant of answer |
% |
I agree with this |
85.3 |
I don’t agree with this |
7.8 |
DA/NA |
6.9 |
6. Many of benefits for people from Chernobyl contaminated areas have been cancelled over lately so as to save funds for the state budget. Some people agree with this decision, others – not. What is your opinion?
Variant of answer |
% |
I agree with this |
68.5 |
I don’t agree with this |
21.8 |
DA/NA |
9.7 |
7. About a million of Belarusian children went abroad for health-improving trips during the years from Chernobyl catastrophe. Who do you think made the greatest contribution into organization of such trips?
Variant of answer |
% |
Belarusian NGO’s (like For Children of Chernobyl and other) |
35.0 |
Foreign countries |
30.5 |
Belarusian authorities |
24.5 |
DA/NA |
10.0 |
8. A. Lukashenko has recently ordered to take under strict state control health-improving trips of children from contaminated areas on the grounds that children come back after those trips with a changed outlook. What is attitude to this?
Variant of answer |
% |
I don’t support this proposition |
53.3 |
I support this proposition |
23.8 |
It doesn’t matter for me |
17.1 |
DA/NA |
5.8 |
9. Are you satisfied with how the Belarusian authorities carry out the post-disaster cleanup?
Variant of answer |
% |
Not satisfied |
33.3 |
Totally satisfied |
17.9 |
Partially satisfied |
40.7 |
DA/NA |
8.1 |
10. Would you like the USSR restoration?
Variant of answer |
% |
No |
63.4 |
Yes |
26.7 |
DA/NA |
9.9 |
11. Do you think the people like you influence political and socio-economic decision taking in this country?
Variant of answer |
% |
No, they don’t |
51.7 |
Yes, they do |
42.1 |
DA/NA |
6.2 |
12. Do you think fair decisions can be taken under the current judicial system in Belarus?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes, they can be |
51.8 |
No, this is almost impossible |
38.3 |
DA/NA |
9.9 |
13. Do you place yourself in the opposition to the current authorities?
Variant of answer |
% |
No |
73.3 |
Yes |
18.5 |
DA/NA |
8.2 |
14. Presidential candidate Alexander Kozulin, former head of the Belarusian State University, has been arrested on a charge of “antisocial behavior” (for trying to enter the All-Belarusian Assembly and for calling people at the meeting to go to prison and support detained participants of protest actions). He will now most likely be put in jail. Some people approve this action of authorities, and others – not. What is your opinion?
Variant of answer |
% |
Approve |
39.9 |
Don’t approve |
34.5 |
It doesn’t matter for me |
19.8 |
DA/NA |
5.8 |
15. Did you discuss with your family, friends or colleagues the events pertaining to the mass actions of protest against the results of the presidential election?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes |
70.3 |
No |
29.7 |
16. Do you think Alexander Lukashenko, who now stands in his office for the third term, is a legitimate president of Belarus?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes |
63.6 |
No |
25.8 |
DA/NA |
10.6 |
17. Belarusian and Russian are the two state languages of Belarus. Some people agree with this, others think that Belarusian should be the only state language. Also, there are some who think that Russian should be the only state language. What is your opinion?
Variant of answer |
% |
Belarusian and Russian should be the two state languages of Belarus |
67.4 |
Belarusian should be the only state language of Belarus |
15.2 |
Russian should be the only state language of Belarus |
8.7 |
It doesn’t matter for me |
8.6 |
NA |
0.1 |
18. Do you think the West is hostile towards Belarus and the Belarusians should be very careful about it?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes |
48.4 |
No |
42.1 |
DA/NA |
9.5 |
19. List five countries which you think are the most friendly and five countries which you think are the most non-friendly towards Belarus
Country |
Friendly |
Non-friendly |
Russia |
85.1 |
1.4 |
China |
43.1 |
2.1 |
Ukraine |
24.9 |
13.5 |
Kazakhstan |
23.2 |
2.3 |
Cuba |
20.3 |
2.4 |
Poland |
19.9 |
23.3 |
Germany |
16.8 |
15.2 |
Iran |
13.3 |
9.8 |
Italy |
11.4 |
6.8 |
Lithuania |
10.6 |
19.5 |
Bulgaria |
10.0 |
1.2 |
Latvia |
9.2 |
23.4 |
Moldova |
9.2 |
4.5 |
Japan |
8.7 |
2.4 |
Iraq |
7.9 |
10.9 |
Kyrgyzstan |
6.4 |
1.7 |
Israel |
6.2 |
3.4 |
North Korea |
6.2 |
2.5 |
Armenia |
5.3 |
1.9 |
Uzbekistan |
4.6 |
2.1 |
Azerbaijan |
4.4 |
2.2 |
Georgia |
4.2 |
23.8 |
USA |
4.1 |
74.3 |
Slovakia |
3.6 |
4.9 |
Turkmenistan |
3.5 |
1.2 |
France |
3.0 |
11.6 |
Lebanon |
2.7 |
5.3 |
Romania |
2.7 |
2.3 |
UK |
2.6 |
21.6 |
Serbia |
2.6 |
5.0 |
Czech Republic |
2.4 |
4.0 |
Turkey |
2.3 |
2.3 |
Syria |
1.3 |
5.0 |
Sweden |
1.3 |
4.1 |
Estonia |
0.7 |
11.9 |
20. To which extent are you ready to accept representatives of the following nationalities?
Variant of answer |
Ready to make a family |
Ready to work together |
Ready to live in the neighborhood |
Ready to live in one city/town |
Ready to live in Belarus |
NA |
Russians |
50.9 |
14.9 |
19.8 |
5.2 |
8.6 |
0.6 |
Ukrainians |
32.8 |
19.2 |
28.5 |
8.3 |
10.4 |
0.8 |
Poles |
31.1 |
21.7 |
25.9 |
9.0 |
11.0 |
1.3 |
Western Europeans (English, French, Germans, etc.) |
21.6 |
26.1 |
24.2 |
10.1 |
16.9 |
1.1 |
Americans |
16.2 |
23.4 |
23.1 |
7.9 |
27.7 |
1.7 |
Natives from Central Europe (Czech, Slovaks, Hungarians, Serbs, etc.) |
14.2 |
26.1 |
27.5 |
12.8 |
18.5 |
0.9 |
Jews |
12.8 |
22.9 |
33.8 |
11.9 |
17.5 |
1.1 |
Lithuanians |
12.6 |
24.4 |
31.3 |
11.5 |
19.2 |
1.0 |
Letts |
11.5 |
23.1 |
32.2 |
11.5 |
20.2 |
1.5 |
Natives from Central Asia (Uzbeks, Kazakhs and others) |
4.0 |
18.9 |
28.9 |
15.3 |
31.6 |
1.3 |
Natives from the Caucasus (Azerbaijani, Armenians, Georgians, Chechens, etc.) |
2.4 |
14.6 |
26.7 |
10.3 |
44.2 |
1.8 |
Arabs |
2.3 |
14.5 |
26.9 |
10.3 |
44.1 |
1.9 |
Africans |
1.9 |
13.1 |
28.4 |
10.8 |
44.0 |
1.8 |
Natives from South Eastern Asia (Vietnamese, Chinese, etc.) |
1.5 |
16.3 |
24.1 |
11.5 |
44.6 |
2.0 |
21. Do you think you have enough information about the EU to decide if Belarus should join the EU or not?
Variant of answer |
% |
Have not enough information |
55.7 |
Have enough information |
36.0 |
DA/NA |
8.3 |
22. If there was now a referendum in Belarus on accession into the European Union and you could choose between ‘For’, ‘Against’ or abstain from voting, what would you choose?
Variant of answer |
% |
Against |
33.8 |
For |
32.4 |
Wouldn’t come to voting |
18.8 |
NA |
15.0 |
23. Do you think you have enough information about the NATO to decide if Belarus should join the NATO or not?
Variant of answer |
% |
Have not enough information |
61.4 |
Have enough information |
31.3 |
DA/NA |
7.3 |
24. If there was now a referendum in Belarus on joining the NATO and you could choose between ‘For’, ‘Against’ or abstain from voting, what would you choose?
Variant of answer |
% |
Against |
46.2 |
For |
14.4 |
Wouldn’t come to voting |
22.6 |
NA |
16.8 |
25. Would you like to know more about the events taking place in EU countries as well as about activity of EU Council of Ministers, European Commission and European Parliament?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes |
58.4 |
No |
32.8 |
DA/NA |
8.8 |
26. In your opinion, will Belarus enter the EU some day?
Variant of answer |
% |
Never |
31.7 |
Yes, but not earlier than in 10 years |
29.4 |
Yes, within the next ten years |
13.5 |
DA/NA |
25.4 |
27. The European Commission, an EU executive body, has announced about its readiness to open office in Minsk. What’s your attitude to this?
Variant of answer |
% |
This is good |
39.4 |
This is bad |
8.3 |
I don’t care about this |
44.1 |
DA/NA |
8.2 |
28. In early March, US President G. Bush submitted a special letter to the Congress within the framework of the Democracy Act on Belarus. The letter states that President A. Lukashenko receives incomes from arms traffic into his personal fund and therefore proposes to stop his bank accounts abroad. Some of Belarusian citizens say this is good and other – this is bad. What is your attitude to this initiative of G. Bush?
Variant of answer |
% |
Negative |
38.2 |
Positive |
28.2 |
Indifferent |
25.9 |
DA/NA |
7.7 |
29. Following mass actions of protest against the results of the presidential election of March 19, over a thousand persons, the youth mainly, were detained and sentenced to various terms of punishment (from 3 to 15 days). Heads of some European states stated in this regards that students-participants of the actions who would be send down from Belarusian universities would receive an opportunity to continue their studies abroad. What is your attitude to such statements?
Variant of answer |
% |
Approve |
46.3 |
Don’t approve |
41.6 |
DA/NA |
12.1 |
30. Have you met with foreign citizens (except for CIS citizens) over the past three years?
Variant of answer |
% |
No, I haven’t |
59.4 |
Yes, many times |
8.9 |
Yes, several times |
20.3 |
Yes, once |
11.4 |
31. Do you go to neighboring countries to see your friends, for shopping, etc.?
Variant of answer |
% |
No |
65.6 |
Yes, to EU countries (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia) |
12.1 |
Yes, to Russia |
10.6 |
Yes, to Ukraine |
11.7 |
32. If you go, then how often?
Variant of answer |
% |
Several times a month |
10.2 |
Several times a year |
46.4 |
Once a year |
43.3 |
NA |
0.1 |
33. Where do you think people live better, in Belarus or in the EU countries?
Variant of answer |
% |
In the EU countries |
45.8 |
In Belarus |
39.5 |
DA/NA |
14.7 |
34. If you had an opportunity, would you like to work on a temporary basis in an EU country?
Variant of answer |
% |
No |
48.4 |
Yes |
47.2 |
DA/NA |
4.4 |
35. Belarusian television often talks about a plot of Western countries led by the USA which they try to organize to overthrow the current power in Belarus. Do you believe in such a plot?
Variant of answer |
% |
No, I don’t believe |
47.2 |
Yes, I believe |
41.6 |
DA/NA |
11.2 |
36. Do you talk in your family, with your friends and colleagues about how people live in EU countries?
Variant of answer |
% |
Yes, sometimes |
52.2 |
Yes, often |
22.4 |
No |
25.4 |
37. There are people in Belarus and in Russia who think that it would be better for the two countries if they merge and A. Lukashenko heads this union. What’s your opinion of this?
Variant of answer |
% |
I want this happen |
35.5 |
I don’t care about this |
17.4 |
I wouldn’t like this happen |
36.0 |
DA/NA |
11.1 |
38. Head of Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom A. Miller stated in late March that starting from 2007 Belarus will have to buy gas at European prices, i.e. pay fivefold more than presently. What do you think about this demand?
Variant of answer |
% |
It is unfair. Belarus is Russia’s closest ally, and Russia shouldn’t demand that Belarus pays for gas at the same prices like other countries |
61.3 |
It is fair. Any product should be paid for as much as it costs. |
30.8 |
DA/NA |
7.9 |
39. How do you think should Belarus respond to Russia’s demand to buy gas at European prices?
Variant of answer |
% |
Demand that Russia pays more for transit, for its military targets and other services which Belarus renders to Russia |
58.0 |
Persuade Russia not to increase prices for its ally |
41.5 |
NA |
0.5 |
40. In your opinion, at what conditions can Belarus sell its gas transportation and supply enterprise Beltransgaz?
Variant of answer |
% |
Under no circumstances they should sell Beltransgaz |
82.0 |
They could sell it at market prices |
16.9 |
NA |
1.1 |
41. Which of the statements below do you agree?
Variant of answer |
% |
Belarus is a self-sufficient country. Its economy will survive even if prices for gas rise to the European level. |
53.6 |
If Russia takes prices for gas to the European level for Belarus, the Belarusian economy will collapse. |
45.5 |
NA |
0.9 |
42. What is the historic path for Belarus, in your opinion?
Variant of answer |
% |
Its own original path |
56.8 |
Coming back on the Soviet path of development |
25.5 |
Common path of the European civilization |
17.3 |
NA |
0.4 |
43. What is the historic path for Russia, in your opinion?
Variant of answer |
% |
Its own original path |
51.2 |
Common path of the European civilization |
29.5 |
Coming back on the Soviet path of development |
19.2 |
NA |
0.1 |