Date of Publication: 28.06.2012

Most Russians do not want to live next to drug addicts (82%) and people who often use hard liquor (62%) – this data is from a nationwide survey.

Third place in the “anti-neighborly” rating was shared by people with HIV infection (41%), people with a homosexual orientation (39%) and recently arrived from prison (37%). Also, the Russians would not want to divide the stairwell with visitors from Central Asia (30%) and breeders of a large number of pets (30%), and representatives of Caucasian ethnicity (24%), people practicing occultism (22%) and Chinese (20%). Less than 2% of Russians would not want to live next door to the priests, worshipers, very poor families, families with many children, next to lonely old people or disabled people. A small proportion of our countrymen did not want to have a block of civic activists (6%) or members of uniformed services (5%).

The most loyal and most definitive in the selection of neighbors …

Compared with other regions, the most tolerant of drug users are those in the Far East and North-West Federal District. Residents of the Far Eastern District, as well as the population of megacities and the respondents with the lowest incomes are the most loyal to the neighbors who like to drink. But AIDS patients and HIV-infected people in the Far Eastern district would not be wanted as neighbors to 61% of respondents, while in Moscow and the megacities, as well as the North-West Federal District, had the smallest proportion of respondents who would avoid this neighborhood (complete distribution of responses, see the Schedule and in the Table below).

For the most biased toward homosexuals that we interviewed were those with the lowest incomes: 48% have fear of gay neighbors, while at the same time in the North-West Federal District, only 17% or respondents admitted to their unwillingness to live next to people of homosexual orientation.

For neighbors who had returned from prison, 29% of men and 44% of the fair sex would avoid this situation. The most cautious of former prisoners are those from Moscow: a neighbor with a criminal record would not be welcomed by half of the inhabitants of the capital.

 Is There a Tolerance of Religion to Neighbors?

 

Among the unbelievers just a large proportion would not want to be neighbors with Muslims and Jewish neighbors.

Among Orthodox Christians, claiming to be part of Russian Orthodox Church, the proportion of those who did not want to see their neighbors be of Caucasian ethnic groups or people with criminal records was slightly higher than the average for Russia. An Orthodox member who does not regard themselves to the Church are more loyal than the average Russian, with respect to gay neighbors, owners of large numbers of domestic animals, and mentally disabled people.

Finally, Muslims in many ways, turned out to be the most loyal among representatives of different faiths in the neighborhood: Islam, a minimum share of supporters opposed to living next door to the Protestants, Buddhists and representatives of the Caucasian ethnic groups, immigrants from Central Asia, Chinese, black people and people with a criminal record. However, for patients with AIDS a few Muslims are categorically average Russian – 51% are against such a neighborhood.

	Most Despised Group[1]		% In Group[2]	% In Russia[3]		Most Tolerant Group [4]	%In Group	%In Russia
Men	None selected					Former Criminals	29	37
Women	Former Criminals		44	37		None selected
Less than Average Education	None selected					Practicers of Occult Religions	11	22
						Former Criminals	28	37
						Owners of many domestic animals	21	30
Lower Income	Homosexuals		48	39		People from Central Asia	19	30
						Heavy Drinkers	50	62
						Former Criminals	20	37
Childless People over 40	None selected					People with AIDS	20	41
						Chinese	9	20
						Africans	7	16
						People from Central Asia	18	30
Muscovites	Former Criminals		50	37		People with AIDS	33	41
Megacity Residents	Owners of many domestic animals		44	30		People with AIDS	30	41
						Heavy Drinkers	52	61
Villagers	None selected					Owners of many domestic animals	12	30
North West Federal District	None selected					Protestants	9	17
						Homosexuals	17	39
						People with AIDS	24	41
						Drug Addicts	71	82
Siberian District	Chinese		36	20		Owners of many domestic animals	20	30
Far Eastern Federal District	People with AIDS		61	41		Africans	3	16
						Heavy Drinkers	50	62
						Drug Addicts	70	82
According to data of various faiths
Non-Believers		Muslims	21	14	None selected
		Jews	16	10
Russian Orthodox Church (Connected to the Church)		Nationalities of the Caucasian Region	28	24	None selected
		Former Criminals	42	37
Russian Orthodox		None selected			Homosexuals		29	39
					Owners of many domestic animals		19	30
					Mentally Ill		9	2
Muslims		People with AIDS	51	41	Protestants		9	17
		None selected			Buddhists		4	14
					Nationalities of people from the Caucasian Region		5	24
					People from Central Asia		14	30
					Chinese		7	20
					Africans		7	16

The material is based on the results of nationwide survey in which the Russians were asked to answer the question “Can you tell me which of these you do not want to see as your neighbors? (Unlimited number of responses):

1. Families with children

2. Orthodox Church

3. Protestants (Adventists, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, etc.)

4. Muslims

5. Buddhists

6. The Caucasian Nationalities

7. Immigrants from Central Asia (Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmens)

8. Chinese

9. People with dark skin

10. Jews

11. Members of the security or public services

12. Civil society activists, opposition-minded to power

13. People with a homosexual orientation

14. Physically handicapped people, people with disabilities

15. Mentally disabled people living with guardians

16. People who practice the occult activities

17. Members of the clergy

18. Very poor (with incomes significantly below average)

19. People who often use spirits

20. Addicts

21. People with AIDS, HIV-infected

22. Former Criminals, who came from places of detention

23. Lonely old people without constant assistance from their relatives

24. People who own a lot of pets

25. Do not know