The information is given in a research of socio-ethnic integration processes to implement a government program, Integration in Estonian Society: 2000-2007. The Integration Target Office, or IS, made a public introduction of the study today.
As an opinion poll on this problem shows, 73% of ethnic Estonian respondents and 87% of ethnic Russians find that ethnic Estonians' social situation is superior to ethnic Russians'. Thus, a majority of the population regards Estonia as a country for the titular population, with Russians owing their inferior opportunities to their ethnicity. A mere 19% of Estonians and 12% of Russians find the entire nation's opportunities equal.
Ethnic Estonians, especially young, prefer to keep at an ever-greater distance from ethnic Russians.
The preceding three years increased the percentage of ethnic Estonians who "disliked ethnic Russians for no working command of the Estonian language, and for their conduct and mode of life".
Thus, 80% of respondents disliked ethnic Russians who did not know Estonian. There were 75% of the same answers in a similar poll of 2002. 59% of all respondents, and 62% of persons under 29 disapproved behavioral differences and another life-style (46% in 2002). 78% of ethnic Estonians said ethnic Russians' mode of life and mentality differed from theirs (60% in 2002).
One question was: "Would you like to be employed in an office with many ethnic Russians on the staff?" The percentage of ethnic Estonians over 30 who gave a negative answer fell to 37% from 44% in 2002. It, however, somewhat increased for ethnic Estonians under 29 - 48% against 45% in 2002.
The Institute of International and Social Studies under the Tallinn University made the poll for IS on contract with it. There were 1,000 respondents aged 15-74. An additional poll involved 200 ethnic Russians aged 15-29.
