Most Russians (70%) describe themselves as religious, but a few (17% of those surveyed) call themselves `atheists.' While neither age, education, nor place of residence seem to play a role here, gender does: one in every four men and only one in every ten women say they are atheists.

Most of the time, atheism, a worldview that denies the existence of God, does not provoke any strong emotions: 52% of adult Russians said that they are indifferent about it, 12% stated a positive attitude, and 27% said have negative associations with atheism. This neutral and detached stand on atheism is typical of both atheists and religious people: only 35% of atheists say they have positive feelings for atheism as a worldview, and only 36% of followers of other religions demonstrate an explicitly negative attitude towards atheism.

Atheists elicit still less negative emotions among the religious: only 10% of those who believe in God disapprove of those who don't, while the overwhelming majority of respondents in this group (83%) do not disapprove of atheists.

When asked what kinds of people they think are most likely to become atheists, respondents gave a wider range of answers that partly contradict each other. Six percent of those surveyed say that atheists are mostly people who were brought up in the socialist system, communists, and senior citizens. To the contrary, 5% of respondents believe young people are more likely to become atheists. Some think people who are disappointed and frustrated resort to atheism more often than others (4%), while others think rich people, businessmen (3%), strong, purposeful, and self-confident personalities (2%) are more likely to turn to atheism.

By and large, neither atheists nor believers are inclined to dispute as far as matters of religion are concerned. The overwhelming majority of religious individuals (79%) say that they haven't ever argued with atheists or tried to persuade them to change their views. Only 19% say they have had similar arguments (4% of religious respondents even say they often argue with atheists). Atheists are more prone to dispute with religious people: 26% have had this experience, while 71% have not.

Two-thirds of religious respondents (68%) say that most of their friends and relatives also believe in God. This figure is much higher among Moslems (79%) than Orthodox Christians (66%). Moreover, 18% of religious respondents do not think there are any people in their area who are not religious. Again, this is much more typical of Moslems (43%) than Christians (14%). Those who are religious whose relatives and friends are for the most part atheists (4%) are especially likely to argue about religion. On the other hand, atheists more often find themselves confronted with a majority (12%) or up to one-half (32%) of people who do not share their worldview (for comparison: only 19% of religious people say that about one-half of their family and friends are atheists). Living with people who don't share their atheist views, however, doesn't make atheists either less or more prone to enter into an argument on religious issues.

To some extent, opinions on the popularity of religion and atheism in Russian society today depend on one's surroundings. On the whole, nearly one half of those surveyed (49%) think that believing in God is a more respected and popular than atheism. Religious individuals hold this view 59% of the time, as do 24% of atheists. People (regardless of whether they believe in God or not) who are surrounded predominantly by religious people support this point of view more often (65%).

A quarter of those surveyed (26%) think that atheism and following a religion are met with equal respect in society today. This opinion is voiced especially often by respondents who have more contact with atheists than religious individuals (34%) or in situations in which both are roughly equal in number (40%). The idea that atheism is more respected in Russia than religious faith is held by 4% of respondents in general and 11% of atheists in particular.

Interestingly, it seems that trust and solidarity are much more widespread among religious people than atheists. Most (56%) of those who believe in God trust other religious individuals more than atheists (more so among Moslems than Orthodox Christians: 62%). On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of atheists (69%) say that one's religion doesn't matter to them when it comes to personal trust, and only 18% of them say they trust atheists more than those following a religious faith, while only 7% of atheists trust religious people more than atheists.

Petr Bavin

Do you know or have you heard the word "atheism," or is this the first time you have heard it?

Atheism is a philosophy based on the denial of the existence of God and religious ideas.

What religion do you belong to? (Asked of believers; 70% of all respondents.)

Are there more atheists or religious people among your friends and relatives? Or are they all atheists? Or are they all religious? Or are there about as many atheists as there are religious people?

total	atheists	Orthodox Christians	Muslims

What is your personal opinion of atheism (as a philosophy): positive, negative, or indifferent?

total	atheists	Orthodox Christians	Muslims

Do you tend to trust atheists or religious people? Or is this not important to you?

total	atheists	Orthodox Christians	Muslims

Do you disapprove of atheists? (Asked of religious individuals; 70% of all respondents.)

Have you ever argued with atheists and tried to convince them of your beliefs? If so, has happened often or rarely? (Asked of religious individuals; 70% of all respondents.)

Have you ever argued with religious people trying to convince them of your beliefs? If so, has happened often or rarely? (Asked of atheists; 17% of all respondents.)

In your view, what beliefs are more respected in Russia today: atheist or religious? Or are both views equally respected?

total	atheists	Orthodox Christians	Muslims

Do you know or have you heard the word "atheism," or is this the first time you have heard it?

Atheism is a philosophy based on the denial of the existence of God and religious ideas. Are you an atheist or are you religious?

What religion do you belong to? (Asked of believers; 70% of all respondents.)

Are there more atheists or religious people among your friends and relatives? Or are they all atheists? Or are they all religious? Or are there about as many atheists as there are religious people?

What is your personal opinion of atheism (as a philosophy): positive, negative, or indifferent?

Do you tend to trust atheists or religious people? Or is this not important to you?

Do you disapprove of atheists? (Asked of religious individuals; 70% of all respondents.)

Have you ever argued with atheists and tried to convince them of your beliefs? If so, has happened often or rarely? (Asked of religious individuals; 70% of all respondents.)

Have you ever argued with religious people trying to convince them of your beliefs? If so, has happened often or rarely? (Asked of atheists; 17% of all respondents.)

In your view, what beliefs are more respected in Russia today: atheist or religious? Or are both views equally respected?

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