The Internet Forum "25 Years After Chernobyl"
"Paths towards a Culture of Transnational Remembrance"
Survey about Chernobyl
April 2011
We often see the results of public opinion surveys on social, political, and
economic attitudes of the population from a specific area, region, or country
presented in mass media reflecting the realities on local, national, regional or
European level. And we often wonder why the respondents in the sample
responded so and not otherwise.
From time to time even we respond to such questionnaires on the Internet,
on the street, on the telephone, at our office etc. because we want to express
our beliefs on a specific issue. And all of these because we want to believe
that our opinion is relevant and that we have something to say.
Usually, the results of public opinion surveys have both supporters and
detractors mainly because they are dealing with social, political, and
economic issues.
The participants of the project "25 Years After Chernobyl" - "Paths towards a
Culture of Transnational Remembrance" proposed a switch from the classical
issues of an opinion survey and conducted a survey on a topic that is already
part of recent Europe and worldwide history, but a topic that still haunts
Europe: the Chernobyl accident.
The questionnaire for the survey, prepared by the organizers, consisted of
nine questions dealing with different aspects regarding people’s views on the
topic:




respondents’ personal approach:
o What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?
o How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?
respondents’ background information:
o Where is Chernobyl located?
o When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?
o Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?
the relevance of the event:
o Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?
o What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?
o What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?
the lesson learned:
o What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?
Each participant conducted a short survey by applying the questionnaire with
five persons, who are old enough to remember the accident and also with
five persons of younger age. Thus, at the end, the survey was conducted in 18
European countries and over 350 questionnaires resulted. The respondents’
age ranged from 17 to 80 years, 55.14% were female and 44.86% male.
In order to have a clearer image on people’s views on the topic we are
presenting here the results of the survey that was carried out in January and
February, both the results on the general population that answered to the
survey, but also on the subgroups of the general population like the
categories on age (young and adults) and geographical distribution (Eastern
and Western countries).
What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?
26.0%
explosion
16.9%
radiation
14.6%
panic and fear
8.9%
death
7.7%
victims
contamination
6.3%
danger
6.0%
diseases
4.9%
tragedy
4.9%
genetic mutation
lack of information
threat
3.1%
2.6%
1.4%
% cumulated
Where is Chernobyl located?
Belarus, 4.0%
Russia, 10.0%
Romania, 0.6%
Poland, 0.6%
ex-Soviet Union
countries, 12.6%
Ukraine, 72.3%
% total respondents
When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?
51.4%
1986
41.1%
80's
70's
2.9%
90's
0.6%
80's
0.3%
60's
0.3%
40's
0.3%
Don't know
3.1%
% total respondents
Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?
Ukraine
46.6%
35.1%
Russia
21.1%
Belarus
16.0%
ex-Soviet Union countries
14.3%
Eastern Europe
11.4%
Northern Europe
Poland
Czech Republic
4.6%
2.6%
Bulgaria
1.7%
Romania
1.7%
Hungary
0.9%
Central Europe
0.9%
% cumulated
How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?
14.9%
panic
dangerous consequences on health
health disease
8.3%
5.7%
the real risks due to the use of nuclear
power plants
2.9%
negative opinion about the nuclear
energy
1.7%
risks of use of NPPs
1.7%
fear
0.9%
food restrictions
0.9%
picking mushrooms
0.9%
no influence
62.0%
% total respondents
Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?
42.6%
Average: 5.02
27.7%
21.4%
6.3%
0.0%
1
unimportant
2.0%
2
3
4
5
6
important
% total respondents
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Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?
6
5.9 5.83 5.8
5.6 5.5 5.45
5.25 5.15 5.12
4.9 4.8
4.7
4.5 4.5 4.35
4.05
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average per country
What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?
25.1%
health care
24.0%
social initiatives
20.0%
commemoraton
18.9%
educational programs
18.3%
financial support
16.3%
documentaries
12.9%
covering the sarcophaque
4.3%
internet
debates
2.9%
oral history
2.9%
multimedia library
memorial
multimedia library
0.6%
1.1%
0.6%
% cumulated
What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?
41.14%
contaminated area
17.14%
diseases
12.29%
old people living in the area
8.57%
toursit attraction
economic problems
real estate opportunity
genetic mutations
don't know
7.14%
4.29%
2.29%
7.14%
% total respondents
What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?
stop using nuclear
energy, 4.0%
use of alternative
sources of energy,
4.6%
need of emergency
plans, 3.7%
don't know, 2.0%
use of nuclear
energy and its
possible
consequences,
34.9%
example of
collaboration
and solidarity , 14.6%
not to underestimate
the real risks of the
nuclear energy,
17.1%
acting responsible,
19.1%
% total respondents
What associations do you have, when you hear the word “Chernobyl”?
adults
young
25.7%
disaster
18.9%
explosion
33.1%
16.0%
panic and fear
13.1%
12.0%
radiation
7.4%
9.7%
tragedy
danger
8.6%
diseases
8.6%
4.0%
7.4%
4.6%
6.9%
victims
genetic mutations
21.7%
10.3%
death
contamination
31.4%
8.6%
1.7%
4.6%
3.4%
6.3%
% cumulated
Where is Chernobyl located?
adults
young
74.9%
69.7%
12.0%
8.0%
Ukraine
Russia
14.3%
10.9%
5.7%
2.3%
ex-Soviet
Union
countries
Belarus
1.1%
0.0%
Poland
0.6% 0.6%
Romania
% adults/young respondents
Where is Chernobyl located?
Eastern countries
Western countries
79.7%
46.8%
25.3%
17.7%
8.9%
7.6%
7.8%
3.0%
Ukraine
ex-Soviet
Union
countries
Russia
1.3%
0.4%
Belarus
Poland
0.4%1.3%
Romania
% Eastern/Western countries respondents
When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?
adults
young
52.6%
50.3%
1986
42.9%
39.4%
80's
70's
3.4%
2.3%
90's
0.6%
0.6%
40's
0.0%
0.6%
60's
0.0%
0.6%
80's
0.0%
0.6%
don't know
0.6%
5.7%
% total respondents
When did the accident in Chernobyl happen?
Eastern countries
57.2%
1986
31.7%
39.1%
80's
70's
Western countries
48.1%
2.2%
5.1%
90's
0.4%
1.3%
40's
0.4%
0.0%
60's
0.4%
0.0%
80's
0.4%
0.0%
don't know
0.0%
13.9%
% Eastern/Western countries respondents
Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?
adults
young
44.0%
49.1%
Ukraine
38.3%
32.0%
Russia
20.0%
22.3%
Belarus
19.4%
12.6%
ex-Soviet Union countries
13.7%
14.9%
Eastern Europe
12.6%
10.3%
Northern Europe
Poland
Czech Republic
4.6%
4.6%
3.4%
1.7%
Bulgaria
2.3%
1.1%
Romania
1.1%
2.3%
% cumulated
Which countries were most affected by the contaminated cloud?
Eastern countries
Western countries
55.0%
Ukraine
22.7%
Russia
16.5%
Belarus
Eastern Europe
Northern Europe
ex-Soviet Union countries
Poland
Czech Republic
10.1%
40.6%
24.4%
13.7%
16.5%
7.4%
25.3%
7.0%
46.8%
4.8%
3.8%
3.3%
1.3%
Bulgaria
2.2%
0.7%
Romania
1.9%
1.3%
% cumulated
How did the accident affect your personal life / life of your family?
adults
young
panic
18.3%
11.4%
dangerous consequences on
health
health diseases
the real risks due to the use of
nuclear power plants
11.4%
5.1%
6.9%
4.6%
4.6%
1.1%
3.4%
risks of use of NPPs 0.0%
negative opinion about the
nuclear energy
1.7%
1.7%
picking mushrooms
1.1%
0.6%
not affected
49.1%
74.9%
% total respondents
Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?
adults
young
50.3%
Average adults: 5.19
Average young: 4.90
32.6%
22.9%
20.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1
unimportant
2.3%
1.7%
2
34.9%
22.9%
7.4%
5.1%
3
4
5
6
important
% adults/young respondents
Is it useful to occupy oneself with the accident in Chernobyl today?
Eastern countries
Western countries
43.5%
39.2%
Average Eastern countries: 5.08
28.0%
Average Western countries: 4.85
26.6%
21.8%
20.3%
6.3%
0.0%
0.0%
1
unimportant
7.6%
5.9%
0.7%
2
3
4
5
6
important
% total respondents
What could be the best manner to deal with Chernobyl today?
adults
young
27.4%
health care
22.9%
20.6%
financial support
16.0%
20.0%
22.3%
18.3%
19.4%
18.3%
21.7%
social initiatives
educational programs
commemoration
14.9%
documentary
14.3%
11.4%
covering the sarcophaque
debates
internet
oral history
17.7%
5.1%
0.6%
3.4%
5.1%
3.4%
6.9%
% cumulated
What do you know about the situation in the Chernobyl region today?
adults
young
42.3%
40.0%
contaminated area
15.4%
18.9%
diseases
11.4%
13.1%
old people living in the area
economic problems
toursit attraction
real estate opportunity
genetic mutations
don't know
10.3%
4.0%
6.9%
10.3%
6.3%
2.3%
1.1%
3.4%
6.3%
8.0%
% total respondents
What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?
stop using nuclear
energy, 4.0%
need of emergency
plans, 2.9%
don't know, 2.0%
use of alternative
sources of energy,
4.6%
use of nuclear
energy and its
possible
consequences,
34.3%
example of
collaboration
and solidarity , 14.6%
example of
collaboration and
solidarity , 16.0%
acting responsible,
24.0%
% adult respondents
What are the most important lessons from Chernobyl?
alternative sources
of energy, 4.0%
stop using nuclear
energy, 4.0%
don't know, 2.0%
use of alternative
sources of energy,
4.6%
use of nuclear
energy and its
possible
consequences,
35.4%
example of
collaboration
and solidarity , 14.6%
acting responsible,
14.3%
not to underestimate
the real risks of the
nuclear energy,
21.7%
% young respondents