Ukrainians answered what associations they have with the phrase "ordinary Russians": survey results

A few months before the full-scale war, most Ukrainians said they had a good attitude toward ordinary Russians. However, after the Russian invasion, this figure dropped from 75 to 11%.

In addition, the phrase "ordinary Russians" evokes negative associations among Ukrainian citizens. This is stated in a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

Back in February 2022, on the eve of the invasion, 34% of Ukrainians had a good attitude towards Russia, and in November 2021, 75% said they had a good attitude towards ordinary Russians. After the full-scale invasion in May 2022, only 2% had a good attitude toward Russia and only 11% had a good attitude toward ordinary Russians.

The sociologists asked respondents to say openly what the first two or three words were that came to mind when they heard the word/phrase "Russia" or "ordinary Russians." In 94% of cases, statements about "Russia" are negative or critical, and in only 5% of cases are they neutral or positive (and another 1% could not answer).

The situation with "ordinary Russians" is better: in 80% of cases, the words and phrases are negative, and in 6% of cases they are neutral or positive (and another 14% said they had no associations or could not answer).

The most common words that Ukrainian citizens associate with Russia are aggressor, enemy, hatred, war, murderer, and occupier. On the other hand, respondents often used obscene words.

As a reminder, 44% of residents of rear Ukraine believe that the time has come for official negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, most Ukrainians are not ready to accept the conditions of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Also, OBOZ.UA told about how many Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, according to polls, believe in Ukraine's victory in the war, as well as what is a priority for Ukrainians – a democratic system or a strong leader.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!