The 1917 revolutionary events and October leaders in St.-Petersburg population views

The 1917 revolutionary events and October leaders in St.-Petersburg population views


Argunova E.V

Cand. Sci. (Pol.), Independent Researcher, St. Petersburg, Russia argunova09@mail.ru

Timofeeva M.A.

Cand. Sci. (Pol.), ViceChief of the Department, St.-Petersburg Information and Analytics Centre, St.-Petersburg, Russia. mar-timofeeva@yandex.ru

ID of the Article:


For citation:

Argunova E.V, Timofeeva M.A. The 1917 revolutionary events and October leaders in St.-Petersburg population views. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2018. No 4. P. 145-152




Abstract

The article deals with public perception of the 1917 revolutionary events in Russia and the two key figures of the October socialist revolution and the Soviet historical epoch, Lenin and Stalin, in a Russian megapolis St.- Petersburg in the year of the 100th anniversary of both February and October revolutions. The survey is based on the interviews of 1200 St.-Petersburg adult inhabitants (18+) representative by sex and age. The attitude towards both leaders is studied in its dynamics through 2010– 2017.The main conclusions present negative estimations of both revolutions, Lenin and Stalin have rather positive image, and its stable progress between 2010 and 2017 is stated, with resultant change in prevailing opinions’ character. The phenomenon of conceiving both revolutions in a unity is found out as well as underestimation of historical importance of October 1917 and the fact that people are poorly informed on both events, according to their self-estimations. In informing of mass consciousness the result is “more information – more negative estimations”. The question of Stalin as Lenin’s successor was also explored in connection with several information companies in the USSR/Russia aiming at promoting Stalin’s image as Lenin’s antipode – either a tyrant or a quasi-imperial leader who had broken with “October line”. The result is that one third of those sympathizing with Stalin are set against the October socialist revolution.


Keywords
February 1917 Revolution; October 1917 Revolution; “Great Russian Revolution”; Lenin; Stalin; mass consciousness
Content No 4, 2018