Military Intelligence Officers’ Day established by presidential decree on May 31, 2006, is celebrated by the Russian armed forces on November 5.

MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. About 20% of Russians surveyed have said they would like their children or grandchildren to embrace the profession of an intelligence officer, a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center has shown.

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The survey’s results indicate that Russians think highly of the profession. They rated the respect enjoyed by people in that occupation at 4.32 points out of 5 possible, the profitability and wage levels at 4.10 points and influence at 4.02 points.

The respondents named Richard Sorge (15%), Maxim Isayev (8%) and Nikolai Kuznetsov (5%) among the best-known intelligence officers. Russian President Vladimir Putin ranked fourth (named by 4% of the those polled). Russians also recalled Anna Chapman (1%) and Sergei Skripal (1%). About 69% of those polled could not recall a single intelligence officer.

The survey was conducted on October 31, 2019, with 1,600 Russians aged over 18 interviewed over the phone. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5% with a probability of 95%.