MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) – More than two-thirds of Russians do not trust other people, the Russian Public Chamber said in its annual civil society report Friday.
“The level of trust between people in Russia remains low at present. More than two-thirds of Russians believe that you should be cautious in relations with others and only every fifth respondent said that we should trust other people,” the report said.
About 80 percent of respondents believe that Russians are becoming increasingly aggressive, while three-quarters lamented a growing lack of respect for elderly people in society. Between 70 and 80 percent of Russians also admit to having xenophobic feelings.
The report found that Russians have little interest in public life, with about 60 percent saying that they had attended no public or social events in the past year.
The figure is even higher in urban areas, reaching 67 percent in Moscow and 69 percent in other large cities.
The chamber said that the vast bulk of Russians are poorly informed about non-governmental organizations and demonstrate little interest in their work. Only 8.9 percent of respondents said that they took part in NGO activities.
When asked about non-governmental organizations operating in their home cities, most respondents failed to answer. Residents of large cities were better informed about NGOs in general, although only 18 percent could answer the question, the chamber said.
Charity, however, remains relatively widespread in the country, with 36 percent of Russians donating money or clothes for various causes in the past year.
