MOSCOW. Dec 6 (Interfax-AVN) - A quarter of Russians (24%) still regard as a real danger the loss of part of their national territory, up to its split into several sovereign states. However, compared to April 2005, the percentage of those who fear this has fallen by 10%, says a survey by the All-Russian Public Opinion Poll Center.
According to the results of the sociologists' poll presented to Interfax on Wednesday, among threats and dangers to the country that Russians see as most likely are environmental disasters; terrorist attacks on strategic installations (feared by 41% respondents); national extinction due to the low birth-rate; exhaustion of oil, gas and other natural resources (36% each); low level of culture, sciences and education; and fierce campaigning in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2008 (31% each).
Mass epidemics, sharp decrease of living standards as far as starvation (26-27% each) seem to respondents just as possible as loss of a part of the territory of their country.
Less likely for Russia, according to the questioned population, are military conflicts with close neighbors; threat from space (17-19% each); civil war; revolution; a coup supported by Western intelligence agencies (15% each); war with Western or South and Southeastern countries (12-13%); and a fascist regime coming to power (9%).
Most threats, which seemed likely to respondents eighteen months ago, are now seen by Russians as minor problems, say the sociologists. For example, the percentage of respondents who thought very likely a sharp fall in living standards or even starvation of a large part of the population, went down from 70% to 26%; terrorism attacks - from 67% to 41%.