Survey: 23% of Russians say Russia will be democratic in 15 to 20 years

23% of Russians say that effective democracy will become a reality in Russia only in 15-20 years, according to a recent survey by the Yuri Levada analytical center. Meanwhile, 18% said Russia would never become a democratic nation. 13% said Russia needed 20-50 years to become a democratic nation. However, 10% of respondents said Russia had already become a democratic country. 9% said Russia needed another five years to have a truly democratic government. 8% said Russia required more than 50 years to become a developed democracy.

Moreover, 44% of the survey resopndents equated democracy with freedom of speech, print and religious expression, 31% with economic growth for the country, 29% with order and stability, 24% with strict adherence to law and 18% with choosing the government's top leaders. Meanwhile, 11% of respondents called democracy a meaningless term and 6% of respondents associated democracy with anarchy. 1600 Russians were surveyed from February 13 through February 16.