Yes, Luzhkov was planning on being president, but Putin got ahead of him.

For Shoygu, his dislikes from the same poll are at zero. Only Tuleev also has zero negative rating.

He is not involved in politics, and for the last 15 years, under Yeltsin and Putin, was running Ministry of Emergency Situations (includes Civil Defense). When something happens, he comes to the rescue and generally gets lots of good PR.

At the same time his ministry has lots of resources and money: reconstruction contracts, land and bomb shelters from the Soviet times across all the Russia, lots of even heavy weaponry, etc.

I don't think anyone knows for sure what his ministry's budget is, but it is rumoured to be bigger and more secretive than Ministry's of Defence.

I just don't know what his plans are for 2008 and if he  is content with his little empire.

The way I read it, the question was about whom people trust most and least - e.g. different people were the alternatives in the question, not trust/distrust.

Regarding Zhirinovski, also consider the Le Pen effect: he may be third due to the votes of the wide majority going many ways, but that doesn't mean he stands a chance in hell in a runoff.

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

The majority have a pretty good name recognition, just not a positive one. I think the general sense is that politicians from Yeltsin's time should go; at the same time at the moment neither Duma (parliament) nor the Government enjoy high approval ratings, and that reflects on number of politicians.

Some of the ratings are managed to keep them lower. Say, when Rogozin (Rodina) became too popular, his party was denied elections in few regions and was quickly labeled as a "fascist" in the press.