#4 - JRL 2006-277 - JRL Home
Former Soviet republics oppose idea of restoring USSR - survey

MOSCOW. Dec 7. (Interfax) - The majority of Russians, Belarussians and Ukrainians regret the disintegration of the USSR, but say reanimating it now is no longer realistic, according to public opinion research conducted by VTsIOM..

Russia is the most nostalgic about the USSR (68% who are nostalgic versus 24% who are not), in Ukraine (59% versus 30%), and in Belarus (52% versus 36%), VTsIOM told Interfax on Thursday.

In a hypothetical referendum on reunification of the former Soviet Union republics, a majority of Russians and Ukrainians would vote in favor: 51% of Russians in favor versus 22% opposed; and in Ukraine 45% in favor and 25% opposed. The figures for Belarus are 36% versus 32% respectively. Between 11% and 16% of those polled would not participate in the voting.

Most respondents say reproducing the USSR is impossible: 76% of Belarussians (versus 13% who say it is possible), 71% of Ukrainians (18%), and 68% of Russians (23%).