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75% of Russians Oppose Spending Federal Funds on Moscow's Upkeep

Members of the Band of the Moscow Suvorov Military Music College perform on the first day of the International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" in Red Square in Moscow, Aug. 30.

Three out of every four Russian are against spending their taxes on Moscow's upkeep, a recent poll has shown.

The respondents said they were unwilling to see their tax money go to Moscow, saying the capital should be capable of "providing for itself" and that federal budget funds should be channeled into financially struggling regions, the poll indicated.

At the same time, two out of every three Russians would be against having the nation's capital moved to their home region, the poll said.

Only 9 percent of respondents said they would like to see the capital moved closer to where they live.

The poll was conducted between Aug. 30-31 among 1,600 people in 130 cities and towns around Russia, and gave a margin of error of no more than 3.4 percentage points.

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