MOSCOW, March 17 (RIA Novosti) – A majority of Russians believe their country is a great power and an important player in the international arena, an independent pollster said Monday.
Some 63 percent of respondents said modern Russia has regained the status of a superpower, the highest level in the history of the poll, conducted by the Levada Center since the 2000s.
The poll showed 48 percent of Russians want their country to be seen as a superpower respected by the world, while another 47 percent said they would rather live in a country with high living standards but without great power ambitions.
Assessing the situation in Russia, some 38 percent of respondents noted the country is progressing towards democracy, while 15 percent said Russia has become an authoritarian state.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was named International Person of the Year by Britain's The Times newspaper in December for succeeding in his ambition of bringing Moscow back as a critical player in solving international problems.
Putin is currently enjoying his highest approval rating in three years amid Crimea’s plans to join Russia and the nation’s historic triumph at the Sochi Winter Olympics, a state-run pollster VTsIOM said last week.
The survey published Monday of 1,603 people from 130 cities and towns in 45 regions was conducted on March 7-10. The margin of error was 3.4 percent.
