General Social Survey of the European USSR, April-May 1991

This study of the European Soviet Union (European Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Moldavia, and Lithuania), conducted in the months preceding the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev and the breakup of the Soviet Union, was an attempt to gather residents' opinions on aspects of social structure, social stratification, and distributive justice. Respondents were asked to comment on migration, participation in political activities, membership in organizations, use of mass media, judgments about material well-being, confidence in institutions, interest in politics, and attitudes toward the role of women. They also provided information on topics such as smoking, drinking, and religious observances. Demographic variables included in the data cover work history, education, ethnicity, language, military service, household income, and expenditures. The study also measures respondents' attitudes toward a wide variety of products, both Soviet-made and imported, in terms of the actual price of such products and the ideal price according to the respondent.