Norway

Ноя 21

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 Ivanova V. www.fom.ru

Norway

More than half of Russians (63%) consider Norway to be friendly towards Russia. Only 7% of those surveyed hold the opposite opinion. About one fifth of them (23%) had problems answering this question.

The majority of Russians (62%) couldn't identify Norway's capital. 32% answered this question correctly. Male respondents (40%), university graduates (41%), and residents of big cities (45%) are especially well-informed.

When asked "What do you think of first when you hear the word `Norway'?", 35% of those surveyed had difficulty giving an answer. At least 1% of Russians mixed Norway up with other countries.

Geographical setting and the economy are the two main lines along which Russians imagine Norway: they are present in 36% and 18% of responses, respectively.

Geographical associations mainly comprise the climate, nature and the setting of the country (19%): "a snowy country", "the north, cold", "sheer cliffs, gulfs", "the land of the cold", "the climate is like ours", "fiords"; "a beautiful lake country", "mountains, beautiful nature.» Stereotypes of strangeness make up a considerable part (17%) of answers falling in this category: "abroad"; "a country far away"; "a different country"; "some strange country.»

As far as the economic aspect is concerned, Russians view Norway as a highly-developed and wealthy country, and a stable state (10%). Respondents speak of a "rich country", "where people have a free-wheeling life.» Russians believe that this state "performs very successfully in the economy", and that people there "have a free and rich life.» Some poll participants pointed out that Norwegians have "a better life than we do" ("a very good country, they have much better a life than Russians do"; "they live in the same latitudes as we, but have a better life than we do: they've got everything"; "life is better there than in Murmansk, though the setting is the same"). 7% of respondents recalled food products imported from Norway: "cooking butter"; "seafood"; "deep frozen foods", and emphasized their high quality. 1% of those surveyed recalled the oil and gas fields situated in Norway .

For 5% of Russians, Norway is primarily associated with the Kursk submarine disaster that happened last summer in the Barents Sea: "participating in the Kursk actions", "a Norwegian company will raise the Kursk", "a Norwegian rescue team is going to raise the Kursk.»

2% of respondents spoke about the Norwegian character, way of life and their looks: "a powerful, patient Norse people"; "people with big eyes", "industrious people, sailors; they don't have much land but they have built up their country.»

Cultural or historical associations were rare (3% and 1%, respectively). This was probably the reason why the overwhelming majority of respondents (89% among average Russians and 75% in Moscow) failed to name at least one prominent person coming from Norway. Those who could think of any mostly recalled famous travelers and arctic explorers such as Roald Amundsen (2% among average Russians, 8% in Moscow), Tor Hejerdal (2% among average Russians and 4% in Moscow) and Fridtjof Nansen (1% among average Russians and 5% of Moscow residents). One percent of Russians (and six percent of Muscovites) mentioned the composer and conductor Edvard Grieg, and 3% of Muscovites mentioned the playwright Henrik Ibsen. Erroneously counted as Norwegians were the Swedes Alfred Nobel and Astrid Lindgren, the Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, German philologists and folktale editors, and some other prominent figures.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT CITY IS THE CAPITAL OF NORWAY?