Austria

Ноя 26

by Brit Muscovite

We find it very important to know what do other people think about us. Do you agree? With this purpose I’d like to start today a new theme in this blog - attitude of russian people to different countries and nations. Before you go to Moscow, let you inform about.

Article by Yakusheva T. www.fom.ru

Austria

Austria...what does this word mean to Russians? What do they know about this country?

When asked "Where is Austria located?" (it was an open-ended question), most Russians were able to give an answer. The majority of the respondents said it was a European country (32%); another 10% were precise enough to say it was situated next to Germany, and 5% specified correctly the other countries on which Austria borders. On the other hand, 34% of those surveyed in the nationwide poll found this question hard to answer (in Moscow, it was only 19%). 43% of respondents correctly named the capital of Austria, while 44% were unable to do so, notably low-educated persons and young people (50% of 18-to-35-year-old respondents).

In the opinion of 58% of those surveyed, Austria is a state friendly towards Russia. For the most part, middle aged people (35 to 50), big city dwellers and optimists think so. Interestingly, supporters of Gennady Zyuganov more often than others were able to name correctly the capital of Austria, but most of them refused to regard this country as friendly towards Russia. Supporters of Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, were not so good at specifying the Austrian capital's name, but showed an above average belief in the country's being friendly.

Only 18% of Russians (but 66% of Muscovites) were able to name famous Austrians. The respondents mostly named composers like Johann Strauss the Elder and Johann Strauss the Younger (11%), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (3%). Another 2% of those surveyed mentioned Adolph Hitler. Sometimes names were recalled that did not belong to Austria, like Otto von Bismarck, Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Heine, Frederic Chopin, and so forth.

When asked the open-ended question: "What do you think of first, when you hear the word "Austria"?", the 56% of respondents who answered showed a wide range of associations. In an opinion shared by 11% of those surveyed, the first thing to be said about Austria is that it is a nation of welfare and stability, and of high culture. The living standards there are high, and the population lives in peace and wealth:
• "Peace, calm, and welfare" (All quotations here and in what follows are taken from the answers to open-ended questions.).
• "Graciousness".
• "A country where old people have a different way of living than in our country".
• "Europe's peaceful corner".
• "A country of culture; people have a perfect life".
Among Austria's attractions, 10% of those surveyed named the mountains and skiing facilities. This country is regarded by Russians as a very attractive destination for tourists: 3% of those surveyed spoke of the beauties of Austrian nature and architecture.
• "The skiing facilities are very good".
• "Downhill skiing; the landscapes; it's a dream to go skiing there".
• "Good vacations for the rich".
• "Beautiful nature".
• "Marvelous castles".
As mentioned above, composers are the most popular Austrians in Russia, so music is another thing frequently associated with Austria (5%).
• "The land of the waltz".
• "Tyrolean songs".
• "Folklore music".
• "Strauss, Mozart, the waltz".
In the imagination of 5% of Russians, Austria is closely connected with Germany, and Austrians themselves are believed to be like Germans.
• "Germany's cousin".
• "It's something German".
• "I think of Austria and Germany as a whole".
• "The roots lie in German ethnicity".
Some Russians recalled Austrian-made consumer goods and foodstuffs (5%).
• "The wonderful Austrian boots".
• " Austrian watches and clocks".
• "Good blades, perfect steel".
• "Household appliances".
• "Austrian beer".
For most educated Russians (4%), Austria is associated with historical events, like Alexander Suvorov's campaigns, the Napoleonic wars, the Austrо-Hungarian Monarchy, and First World War:
• "Kutuzov and Alexander I fought there".
• "Suvorov traversed the Alps".
• "Kaiser Wilhelm".
3% Russians mixed up Austria with Australia:
• "It's warm, there is the sea".
• "The ostriches, the heat".
On the whole, large parts of the Russian population, especially uneducated people, know extremely little about Austria. As for those who were able to answer questions about it, their image of Austria is that of a very wealthy, stable country, highly developed economically and culturally. The majority Russians consider Austria to be a state friendly towards Russia.