28 Dec 2014 12:40

VTsIOM: Putin's recent press conference aroused keen interest, won praise

MOSCOW. Dec 28 (Interfax) - Almost half of Russians (48%) checked on the subjects raised at a recent press conference of President Vladimir Putin with the share of the online audience being higher than ever, VTsIOM public opinion center reports.

According to sociologists, 15% of the polled watched the press conference live, 21% saw separate fragments of it and 12% learned about the key questions and answers from the news. Meanwhile, 50% of participants in a poll taken among 1,600 adults in 132 towns and communities on December 20-21 were unfamiliar with the contents of the press conference.

The overwhelming majority (87%) of those who listened to or read about Putin's press conference found his answers interesting, with 42% saying that all the president's comments were interesting, 37% singling out individual subjects and 8% finding the event curious but too long.

Meanwhile, 6% remained unimpressed and 4% were disappointed.

The satisfaction level with the president's speech was the highest in three years - 82% of those who watched or read about it were generally satisfied compared to 66% in 2012-2013.

Only 13% were dissatisfied with the president's commentaries.

Among the most interesting issues respondents named questions related to the economic situation in Russia (18%), foreign policy (17%) and relations with Ukraine (12%).

Part of the respondents (7%) singled out the question from Xenia Sobchak about Chechnya. Others named the discussion of currency exchange rates (5%), Crimea and the army (4% each), the pension reform and the terrorist attack in Chechnya (3%) and others.