Only 37 percent of all young Russians want to restore the monarchy in their country. This emerged from a major survey conducted by Izvestia. More than 1,800 people were asked a series of questions about their attitudes and feelings towards a reintroduction of the monarchy as a form of government in Russia. The study was conducted from 16-18 March of this year.

Another 22 percent of all Russians, not just the young below 34 years of age, said that they were not against the monarchy, but they did not see a candidate for such a post. People aged from 18 to 34 years are much more tolerant to a monarchy. Just below 37 percent of the residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg also wanted a monarchy while 33 percent of active Internet users also wanted a monarchy restoration. Of people who support non-parliamentary political parties, 34 percent wanted to have a Tsar as head of state.

Of those asked, there is still considerable doubt about who would become the new Tsar of Russia if the monarchy should be reinstated. Half of those who wanted to restore the monarchy could not answer why they would need a monarchy. Another ten percent said that “there should be one person in power.” Eight percent said that “this is a traditional system for Russia,” whereas another eight percent of respondents stated that there would be more order in Russia with this form of government.

People of the Soviet generation are those who are most opposed to the idea of monarchy, whereas people of a younger generation are not repelled by the monarchy. The reason for this is that many of the young Russians feel that the monarchy is reminiscent of freedom and democracy. They point, in particular, at the prosperity and liberty that Western Europe’s monarchies represent.

The House of Romanov ruled from 1613 until the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on 15 March 1917, as a result of the February Revolution that brought about the end of the monarchy in Russia.