The idea of the project appeared during Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan expert and analytic centers meeting in Kiev in March, 2004 and in April first pilot research “Integration barometer” (3 participants) has been held. In September, 2004 second round of surveys, participated by researching companies from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, took place.
By this very time the basic organization principles has been already formed, approved and registered by all participants on October 19, 2004 in Declaration-memorandum of “Eurasian monitor” project conduct, aims of the project and terms of references of the participants”. Financing of the first two waves was arranged by the participants themselves – researching companies.
Third round of surveys was held in April 2005. The project was supported by Kazakhstan Republic President’s Administration, Ministry of Industrial Energetic of Russian Federation and Fund “Institute of Eurasian Research” (Moscow). Beside traditional questions of the monitoring, there were some special units of questions devoted to SES countries economical integration, also questions about attitudes of citizens to main components of Single Economical Space – free movement of goods, capitals and manpower resources.
In October 2005 the 4th round of surveys among 4 countries’ citizens – Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine – was conducted. Topic of the survey - “Connecting and Separating Values”. Aim of the research was to reveal among the typical set of social and economical and social and political values those, which are common for all the citizens of SES countries, and can be ideological basement for integration and help to identify values that differ 4 countries. The research was supported by Council of Federation of Russian Federation and Fund “Eurasia Heritage”.
In February 2006 participants of the research consortium registered Non-commercial partnership «International research agency «Eurasian monitor» in Moscow, which is from now a single operator of the project, possessing all rights to orders reception and general researches’ results spread.
5th round of the survey by «Eurasian monitor» was held in April-May 2006. Special topic – «Perception and evaluation of social threats and risks by citizens ». This time colleagues from Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan joined the project. Due to the aims of the research special attention was paid to mass stereotypes concerning threats of social and meta-social kind (ideas about probability and meaningfulness of different dangers), and some personal fears and alarms.
The last one, 6th wave of the survey beside the regular unit included a few questions devoted to 15th-anniversary of the USSR breakup. Questionings of EM-6 were held in 6 countries (SES countries + Azerbaijan and Armenia).
7th wave’s questionnaire included subject unit of questions devoted to citizen’s energetic problems perception (see news from April 2, 2007). Sufficient support was given by CNII Atominform – secretariat of CIS countries commission in questions of nuclear energy peace usage.
A new milestone in project was survey’s Wave 8, participated by sociologists from astounding 13 countries – former USSR countries. In this way «Eurasian monitor» practically reached beyond the boundaries of CIS. Subject research «Russian language in new independent states», conducted according to the «ЕМ-8» aims (October-November 2007) with the help of Fund «Eurasian Heritage», was held in 11 CIS countries and 3 Baltic countries.
Wave 9 of «EM» (April-May 2008) was dedicated to the question «What are we interesting for?». Researchers of 13 CIS countries were searching for basics of humanitarian integration in post-Soviet space in ordinary person’s interest to other countries, whether it is an interest to nature, or interest to history and culture of these countries. Interested party of the research was Intergovernmental fund of humanitarian collaboration.