The Mneniye poll service said it had surveyed almost half the 444 members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. Almost 21 percent said Alaska should belong to Russia although 50 percent said it should stay part of the United States. The rest refused to answer or said they could not reply.
Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867 -- a bargain price for the oil-rich northern territory which became the 49th state of the Union on Jan. 3, 1959.
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