The other world's for real, say Russians polled as Hallowe'en draws near

MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Witchcraft and fortune-telling are alive in the Russian psyche, pollsters report as Hallowe'en beckons. Nearly half the population believe in sorcery and more than five out of 10 reckon events can be predicted, suggests a new survey charting strengthening belief in things not of this world. But forget UFOs, say the more than six out of 10 reckoning alien visits not on the cards, scepticism surging two-fold since soundings of the 1990s. Russians in 46 regions bared their beliefs to inquisitors from the state-run All-Russia Public Opinion Centre (VTsIOM) as the October 31 night of ghouls and ghosties drew near. Fifty-five percent of the 1,600 respondents said it was possible to predict the future, against 43 percent in 1990 while 48 percent admitted they believed in sorcery and witchcraft, compared to 37 percent in 1990. Faith in the ephemeral firms among women from small towns, the research said, reporting that horoscopes are given credence by just a third of those quizzed nationwide. Read more