Interestingly, Kyrgyz citizens exhibit the least social distance towards Russians and Kazakhs: about 60% of respondents would prefer to have Russian neighbors, while 65% would prefer Kazakh neighbors.
The connection with post-Soviet countries remains relevant for many: 30% of respondents noted a significant connection, while 32% feel only a slight interaction. More than a third of respondents stated that they hardly feel this connection.
Regarding the future, 68% of citizens are optimistic and want to maintain and develop these relations. Only 15% of respondents expressed a negative attitude towards this issue.
Kyrgyz citizens feel cultural closeness primarily with neighboring Central Asian countries. Kazakhstan is considered close by 82% of respondents, 73% named Uzbekistan as such, and 41% of respondents feel cultural similarity with Turkey, although 48% note a distance from it.
Russia evokes mixed feelings: 30% consider it culturally close, while 60% regard it as a distant country.
According to the survey results, the majority of Kyrgyz citizens have a positive view of relations between Kyrgyzstan and Russia. 44% of participants consider them to be neighborly, 39% view them as friendly, and 25% see them as normal and calm.
Moreover, 96% of respondents emphasize the importance of adhering to traditional values in modern society.
The study involved 1,900 respondents, and the survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews among citizens over 18 years old in Russian and Kyrgyz languages, allowing everyone to choose a convenient language for communication.
