06.09.2000, Dial-meter focus group
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Segment |
Subject |
interest, rating/fluctuation range |
agreement, rating/fluctuation range |
trust, rating/fluctuation range |
Mean rating |
|
246(10) |
Bishop Nestor în the canonization of Nicolas II |
0/strong |
2/mean |
3/mean |
1,6 |
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244(8) |
RTR în problems about the canonization of Nicolas II |
1/strong |
2/mean |
0/weak |
1,2 |
|
247(11) |
RTR în the Church Council Act |
0/strong |
1/strong |
2/mean |
1,1 |
|
243(7) |
NTV în the Church Council's decision to canonize Nicolas II |
0/strong |
2/mean |
1/strong |
1,0 |
|
245(9) |
Metropolitan Kirill on the canonization of Nicolas II |
0/strong |
1/strong |
1/mean |
0,7 |
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Segment 243 (7th in the order of demonstration). NTV, "Segodnya", 14.08.00, 7 PM. Ò.Mitkova (the announcer): The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church unanimously decided to canonize Nicolas II and some members of his family. The "Interfax" news agency was the first to report this. Journalists were excluded from today's session where this issue was discussed. The Council's decision on the canonization of the emperor was expected to be published several days later. However, the Church, without changing its point of view on the remains of the royal family buried in St-Petersburg, made its decision known today. Admitted to lists of saints are the last Russian Emperor Nicolas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children Alexey, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia.
Segment 244 (8th in the order of demonstration). RTR, "Vesti", 14.08.00, 8 PM. S.Pashkov (reporter): In spring 1997 a Council that held its session in Saint-Daniel's Monastery postponed the canonization of the royal family as too ticklish and politically too sensitive an issue. This had to do with the strict rules concerning canonization in the Russian Orthodox Church. Nicolas II was certainly a staid character and a perfect family man, yet he was far from being saint-like. His political biography included the Hodynka tragedy, the disgraceful war with Japan, the Blood Sunday and finally the abdication in March, 1917. Formally speaking, the person Yurovsky's men shot was not the autocrat of Russia but citizen Romanov.
Segment 245 (9th in the order of demonstration). RTR, "Vesti", 20.08.00, 8 PM. Metropolitan Kirill: The most important thing that has to be stressed is that for a man to be canonized there must be some evidence of his sanctity. It is not enough if he had a good biography or good biographers, there must be an evidence of sanctity, a miracle. Over the last three years, numerous miracles happened upon prayers addressed to these persons. Besides, we know that an icon shedding chrism has been carried around Russia, the Ukraine and some other CIS countries. This icon showed the Emperor. In other words, the participants of the Council today had no reasons to object to his canonization.
Segment 246 (10th in the order of demonstration) NTV, "Segodnya", 20.08.00, 7 PM. Bishop Nestor: He was the anointed one. And in the abdication which he was forced to write he wrote that if a sacrifice was needed, he was prepared to make this sacrifice for Russia. He made a sacrifice for the entire Russia, therefore the humiliation he and his family suffered are above any martyrdom. But we call this not martyrdom but sufferance, for it was taken not in the name of the faith but in the name of the state.
Segment 247 (11th in the order of demonstration) RTR, "Vesti", 20.08.00, 8 PM. Å.Pogorelova (reporter): The "Everlasting memory" having been sung in the cathedral for all those newly admitted to lists of saints, Metropolitan Yuvenaly solemnly recited the Church Council's Act. In this principal statement the Council expresses hope that the new saints will become Russia's heavenly patrons. From now on, great martyrs' remains shall be referred to as holy relics provided their whereabouts is known. For each of the new saints a special liturgy shall be composed and icons shall be painted for adoration.
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The canonization of Russia's last emperor and his family didn't provoke much interest among the respondents. However, the test participants obviously are not indifferent to the issue: consent and trust rates are high. What provoked the most lively reaction was Bishop Nestor's explaining the reasons for canonization in terms plain and comprehensible even for uninitiated ones.
Dial-meter focus groups sessions in Moscow, about 44 participants in each session. August 31 2000
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