Valentine’s Day is considered a holiday by every fourth inhabitant of Russia

Valentine’s Day is considered a holiday by 26% of Russians. This is evidenced by the data of the VTsIOM poll, published on the website of the center.

Sociologists note generational differences in relation to the date. Among respondents aged 18-24, almost every second (47%) considers February 14 a holiday. It is the least popular among respondents aged 45-59 (15%) and 35-44 (21%).

Almost three-quarters of Russians (71%) do not consider Valentine’s Day to be a holiday. Most often, this opinion was expressed by survey participants aged 45-59 years (82%). Another 3% of the survey participants did not decide on the answer.

In general, the smallest share of respondents consider St. Valentine’s Day as a holiday in comparison with the results of surveys of previous years. So, in 2002, February 14 was considered a holiday by 50% of respondents, in 2005 – 51%, in 2008 – 48%, and in 2014 – 42%.

According to the results of the study, 43% of Russians agree with the statement that Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday invented to increase profits. At the same time, 45% of respondents share the opinion that this day evokes warm feelings. Another 12% of respondents found it difficult to choose which point of view is closer to them.

Answering the question about the best way to get acquainted with potential partners, 43% named the circle of mutual friends, 31% – work or study, 22% – interest clubs. The top five most popular options also included dating on the street (17%) and on the Internet (16%).

The All-Russian telephone survey was conducted on February 5, 2023 among 1,600 respondents aged 18 and over. The mentioned surveys of previous years were conducted by the method of door-to-door face-to-face interviews, the sample size was 1600 respondents.