A poll by the Levada Center said public support for the Russian leader rose by 8 percent since Putin delivered an address to parliament on Crimea before the predominantly Russian-speaking region rejoined Russia last week.
Levada said Putin`s approval rating peaked at 85 percent in spring 2008, when Dmitry Medvedev, now prime minister, succeeded him as president.
Another poll by Levada last week said a majority of Russians believe their country is a great power and an important player in the international arena.
Some 63 percent of respondents said modern Russia has regained the status of a superpower, the highest level in the history of the poll, conducted by the Levada Center since the 2000s.
Putin was named International Person of the Year by Britain`s The Times newspaper in December, for succeeding in his ambition of reestablishing Moscow as a critical player in solving international problems.
According to the poll released Wednesday, only 18 percent of respondents did not approve of Putin`s performance as president.
The survey was conducted March 21-24 among 1,600 respondents across 130 cities in Russia. The statistical margin of error was 3.4 percent.
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