A relative majority of Russians (41 percent) see the August 19, 1991, putsch in the former Soviet Union as a tragedy which had harmful implications for the country and its people.

The number has grown 14 percent in the past 20 years, from 27 percent in 1994, the Levada Center pollster told Interfax, referring to a nationwide poll held in late July.

The events are seen as a tragedy mostly by businessmen (52 percent), pensioners (48 percent), Russians older than 55 (49 percent), people with secondary education (46 percent), respondents with a low and high consumer status (46 percent in each category) and people in cities with a population less than 100,000 (51 percent).