Vladimir Putin is the leader in the political elite list. Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) Vladimir Zhirinovsky holds the second place.
President of the Institute of Strategic Assessments Alexander Konovalov doubts that the political elite exists in Russia. Public political life which can hardly be seen in Russia is needed for the formation of the political elite.
CEO of RAO Unified Energy Systems of Russia Anatoly Chubais is the leader of the economic elite. He is followed by Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref. Exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky are also on the economic elite list.
According to Alexander Konovalov, people see no big difference between state officials and tycoons. "Officials seem more frightful than tycoons because they can take something away," he noted.
Pop singer Alla Pugachyova takes the lead on the cultural elite. The second place belongs to film director and head of the Russian Oscar Committee Nikita Mikhalkov.
Mr. Konovalov believes that Russians lack possibilities to assess our cultural elite because they are concerned about routine problems.
The poll has shown that Russians know the scientific elite least of all. 67% of the polled failed to name its representatives.
"If Zhores Alferov holding the first place on the scientific elite list had not won the Nobel Prize and showed on TV the physicist would have not been mentioned in this rating," said Irina Palilova, analyst of the Levada Center.
