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06.11.2025
The Roots of National Unity as the Foundation of Harmony Across Past, Present, and Future
The Roots of National Unity as the Foundation of Harmony Across Past, Present, and Future
Topic for discussion: Investments in Human Capital
The significance of values and traditions in people-saving
The 21st century brings with it profound transformations of our reality. In today’s volatile international environment, we witness a search for new centers of power and movement toward multipolarity. The international relations system established in the 20th century is collapsing as a new world order emerges — one in which Russia has a global role to fulfill. Russia embodies the ideas and values of multipolarity. Traditional values constitute Russia’s strategic priority in safeguarding national interests and security, and current circumstances demand special attention to studying and promoting these values.
Russia’s multiethnic population serves as the foundation of its centuries-old history and longstanding traditions. These peoples collectively shape the national identity through their varied cultures, religions, and languages. Russia’s strength lies in how representatives of all ethnic backgrounds interact, understand one another, and maintain mutual respect.
As Western values expand their reach, young people explore their destructive influence, often perceiving these foreign values as progressive art offering complete freedom of self-expression. According to VCIOM (Russian Public Opinion Research Center), survey data indicates that youth remain among those favorable to the West; among 18–34-year-olds, the belief that the West is necessary for Russia or offers substantial benefits dominates (55–50%). Nevertheless, both declarations and practical experience have proved that in matters of state policy, moral considerations outweigh unconstrained freedom. While the concept of “traditional values” has been actively promoted, genuine understanding remains elusive. People incorporate this concept into their discussions, enumerate these values, and echo official statements, deeming it appropriate because the topic features in high-level discourse. However, when asked to explain what traditional values are and why reviving and preserving them matters for the present and future, few will provide an answer.
Russian traditional values, central to people-saving, face challenges in our globalized, multicultural world — challenges whose threats require preemptive action. Since the 1990s, Western influence has permeated Russian culture, affecting substantial numbers of young people. Western states developed as civilizations with liberal ideologies claiming universal applicability. Liberalism as an ideology attempts to shield individuals from all forms of collective identity, elevates private interests above communal ones, and believes everything is subject to dispersion. Under such circumstances, how can we meaningfully discuss a people, or multiple peoples united within one state? Russia allowed itself to become subordinate to Western ideological principles in the late 20th century, constraining the development of a Russian World with its distinct traditions and values, though maintaining sovereignty. Each civilization, however, interprets the world through images reflecting its national character. The Russian World represents the external projection of Russian identity, that is distinct in this manifestation. Russia stands as a unique civilization with an open identity, acknowledging broad autonomy in cultural, linguistic, and legal domains; thus, the revival of its fundamental roots and withdrawal from Western conceptual frameworks became necessary.
Over the past twenty years, the number of Russians who negatively assess Western influence on Russian civilization and culture has grown considerably. The 2023 VCIOM survey results concerning Western influence on Russian culture show marked differences from the 2000 findings. Currently, more than half of Russians (59%) perceive no benefit from Western civilization: 33% consider it unsuitable for Russia, while 26% describe it as destructive. These findings suggest Russians increasingly reject the Western world as a source of guidance and development direction. The attempted imposition of globalization based predominantly on Western values has proven unsuccessful, leaving Russia with the task of identifying its own development pathways and articulating a national vision. The country seeks to move away from destructive and imitative approaches in art toward the moral values and traditions of classical Russian culture.
Developing and preserving traditions and values requires consideration of each people’s distinctive characteristics. Drawing on ancestral wisdom, in-depth analysis, and intergenerational continuity holds great significance. Only through such means can we sustain the uniqueness, identity, history, and culture of each people, prevent ethnic and cultural erosion, and foster harmonious societal development. Values and traditions form a moral compass and strengthen the national identity of the state. Familiarity with these elements fosters a sense of belonging to society and nation, consequently inspiring mutual protection, collaborative work, and knowledge transmission to future generations to ensure population continuity. When conditions exist but values are absent, people-saving becomes unattainable. The values themselves — particularly how they are understood by all ethnic groups — serve a crucial unifying function within the state. Values are closely linked to wisdom, influencing how individuals act in various situations. Values guide and direct life’s course. Moreover, values cannot exist independently of people; they emerge through direct human engagement, are practiced, preserved, and transmitted across generations.
The approach to people-saving is a responsibility criterion. Both demographic conditions and economic prosperity depend on this approach. Demographic crises emerge when the current generation acts irresponsibly, displaying presumption and disregard for future generations. Forecasts predict a demographic decline in 2025 more severe than previous downturns. Such declines lead to workforce shortages and production constraints. Conversely, countries with the highest birth rates are estimated, according to analysts, to join the top 15 global economies by GDP by 2050. Russia must avoid becoming culturally dependent or experiencing negative demographic trends.
The development of strong family connections, including intergenerational bonds, directly relates to strengthening social cohesion. The family, though small yet essential, constitutes a fundamental social unit where personality initially takes shape and the foundation of values in human consciousness is established. Historically, most Russian holidays have been celebrated within family circles, enhancing their significance in people’s hearts. The family also serves as the primary context for instilling profound respect for traditions.
Different individuals perceive life’s value differently, and — regrettably — few people amid constant activity and hectic daily existence take time to appreciate the gift of life. They diminish its significance and recognize life as a precious thing, along with its universal opportunities, only in critical moments. In our technologically sophisticated world, people aim to simplify their existence. Artificial intelligence now performs many functions previously carried out by humans, yet by definition, AI cannot experience feelings, emotions, or embody values, including the fundamental concept of life itself.
Two opposing interpretations exist regarding the relationship between individuals and society, as well as between human rights and freedoms versus collectivism. The first acknowledges human intrinsic worth and the right to free existence and creativity, inseparably linked to moral responsibility. Not freedom “from,” but freedom “for” — freedom to serve society and its values. What faces limitation is selfish arbitrariness. Unrestricted exercise of individual rights and freedoms can weaken and fragment social unity. Conversely, collectivism should not — and does not — suppress but coexists with personal rights and freedoms. Collectivism recognizes individual service to society. Unfortunately, in today’s civil society, one observes mostly rhetorical appeals to social justice and overcoming personal selfishness for common good. People contribute to society to gain material rewards or reciprocal assistance. The essential message, “Act simply and consciously, regarding yourself as an integral, necessary part of your native society!” remains absent. This thinking pattern requires transformation. The relationship between individual and society is itself complementary. Aristotle noted that within each individual exists an inherent social dimension, a need for communication and cooperation with similar beings, expressed through awareness of belonging to various groups. Thus, exercising individual human rights and freedoms without society becomes impossible, yet simultaneously we reject both the isolated individual and the individual subsumed within a group.
Might society itself constitute a “collective personality”? Civilization as a cultural-historical type represents a highly developed social entity with personal characteristics. Human personality forms through socialization, as individuals adopt the traditions and values of their cultural group. During personality formation, consciousness develops in ways that require proper foundations. The goal is not to create individuals who mechanically execute social directives and adhere to moral ideals by order, but rather individuals who instinctively and freely identify with their people, whom they appreciate, wish to develop and preserve, and whose behavior naturally aligns with moral principles. Pseudo-solidarity manifests as societal pain, unlike genuine solidarity, which fundamentally requires commitment to transcendent values — authentic, traditional values aimed at preserving diverse peoples within a unified state.
Loyalty to one’s group, family, and people has historically represented a high moral value. However, exclusive devotion solely to one’s own group, coupled with indifference toward others, inevitably produces a “double standard” that is positive toward insiders and negative toward all outsiders. Therefore, building harmony requires recognizing the world and humanity as the broadest human association, within which civilizations with unique histories and cultures exist alongside states encompassing various peoples; this harmony depends on fostering constructive interactions among all these levels of human organization.
People-saving and maintaining centuries-old values and traditions remain key priorities for Russia. Regardless of forthcoming changes and technological integration into daily life, only traditions and values can uphold state cohesion, govern societal relationships through morality and ethics, and help preserve peoples with their distinct histories, religions, and cultures. This requires attention to developing both individual character and public consciousness, where value understanding emerges and traditions take shape.
Time itself constitutes a value entrusted to us, as noted in Scripture. The future depends on our actions. We must approach every decision carefully, considering not only our personal lives but also the future of our homeland, to which we are all committed. We should act wisely and cherish time, as the latter once lost cannot be retrieved. We can still influence current circumstances; beyond implementing global changes, we must reflect on ourselves and our actions. Society has always been and will remain the foundation and channel for all developments. What we need is to interconnect technological advancement with strengthening society’s value-oriented potential.
Topic for discussion: Investments in Human Capital
The significance of values and traditions in people-saving
The 21st century brings with it profound transformations of our reality. In today’s volatile international environment, we witness a search for new centers of power and movement toward multipolarity. The international relations system established in the 20th century is collapsing as a new world order emerges — one in which Russia has a global role to fulfill. Russia embodies the ideas and values of multipolarity. Traditional values constitute Russia’s strategic priority in safeguarding national interests and security, and current circumstances demand special attention to studying and promoting these values.
Russia’s multiethnic population serves as the foundation of its centuries-old history and longstanding traditions. These peoples collectively shape the national identity through their varied cultures, religions, and languages. Russia’s strength lies in how representatives of all ethnic backgrounds interact, understand one another, and maintain mutual respect.
As Western values expand their reach, young people explore their destructive influence, often perceiving these foreign values as progressive art offering complete freedom of self-expression. According to VCIOM (Russian Public Opinion Research Center), survey data indicates that youth remain among those favorable to the West; among 18–34-year-olds, the belief that the West is necessary for Russia or offers substantial benefits dominates (55–50%). Nevertheless, both declarations and practical experience have proved that in matters of state policy, moral considerations outweigh unconstrained freedom. While the concept of “traditional values” has been actively promoted, genuine understanding remains elusive. People incorporate this concept into their discussions, enumerate these values, and echo official statements, deeming it appropriate because the topic features in high-level discourse. However, when asked to explain what traditional values are and why reviving and preserving them matters for the present and future, few will provide an answer.
Russian traditional values, central to people-saving, face challenges in our globalized, multicultural world — challenges whose threats require preemptive action. Since the 1990s, Western influence has permeated Russian culture, affecting substantial numbers of young people. Western states developed as civilizations with liberal ideologies claiming universal applicability. Liberalism as an ideology attempts to shield individuals from all forms of collective identity, elevates private interests above communal ones, and believes everything is subject to dispersion. Under such circumstances, how can we meaningfully discuss a people, or multiple peoples united within one state? Russia allowed itself to become subordinate to Western ideological principles in the late 20th century, constraining the development of a Russian World with its distinct traditions and values, though maintaining sovereignty. Each civilization, however, interprets the world through images reflecting its national character. The Russian World represents the external projection of Russian identity, that is distinct in this manifestation. Russia stands as a unique civilization with an open identity, acknowledging broad autonomy in cultural, linguistic, and legal domains; thus, the revival of its fundamental roots and withdrawal from Western conceptual frameworks became necessary.
Over the past twenty years, the number of Russians who negatively assess Western influence on Russian civilization and culture has grown considerably. The 2023 VCIOM survey results concerning Western influence on Russian culture show marked differences from the 2000 findings. Currently, more than half of Russians (59%) perceive no benefit from Western civilization: 33% consider it unsuitable for Russia, while 26% describe it as destructive. These findings suggest Russians increasingly reject the Western world as a source of guidance and development direction. The attempted imposition of globalization based predominantly on Western values has proven unsuccessful, leaving Russia with the task of identifying its own development pathways and articulating a national vision. The country seeks to move away from destructive and imitative approaches in art toward the moral values and traditions of classical Russian culture.
Developing and preserving traditions and values requires consideration of each people’s distinctive characteristics. Drawing on ancestral wisdom, in-depth analysis, and intergenerational continuity holds great significance. Only through such means can we sustain the uniqueness, identity, history, and culture of each people, prevent ethnic and cultural erosion, and foster harmonious societal development. Values and traditions form a moral compass and strengthen the national identity of the state. Familiarity with these elements fosters a sense of belonging to society and nation, consequently inspiring mutual protection, collaborative work, and knowledge transmission to future generations to ensure population continuity. When conditions exist but values are absent, people-saving becomes unattainable. The values themselves — particularly how they are understood by all ethnic groups — serve a crucial unifying function within the state. Values are closely linked to wisdom, influencing how individuals act in various situations. Values guide and direct life’s course. Moreover, values cannot exist independently of people; they emerge through direct human engagement, are practiced, preserved, and transmitted across generations.
The approach to people-saving is a responsibility criterion. Both demographic conditions and economic prosperity depend on this approach. Demographic crises emerge when the current generation acts irresponsibly, displaying presumption and disregard for future generations. Forecasts predict a demographic decline in 2025 more severe than previous downturns. Such declines lead to workforce shortages and production constraints. Conversely, countries with the highest birth rates are estimated, according to analysts, to join the top 15 global economies by GDP by 2050. Russia must avoid becoming culturally dependent or experiencing negative demographic trends.
The development of strong family connections, including intergenerational bonds, directly relates to strengthening social cohesion. The family, though small yet essential, constitutes a fundamental social unit where personality initially takes shape and the foundation of values in human consciousness is established. Historically, most Russian holidays have been celebrated within family circles, enhancing their significance in people’s hearts. The family also serves as the primary context for instilling profound respect for traditions.
Different individuals perceive life’s value differently, and — regrettably — few people amid constant activity and hectic daily existence take time to appreciate the gift of life. They diminish its significance and recognize life as a precious thing, along with its universal opportunities, only in critical moments. In our technologically sophisticated world, people aim to simplify their existence. Artificial intelligence now performs many functions previously carried out by humans, yet by definition, AI cannot experience feelings, emotions, or embody values, including the fundamental concept of life itself.
Two opposing interpretations exist regarding the relationship between individuals and society, as well as between human rights and freedoms versus collectivism. The first acknowledges human intrinsic worth and the right to free existence and creativity, inseparably linked to moral responsibility. Not freedom “from,” but freedom “for” — freedom to serve society and its values. What faces limitation is selfish arbitrariness. Unrestricted exercise of individual rights and freedoms can weaken and fragment social unity. Conversely, collectivism should not — and does not — suppress but coexists with personal rights and freedoms. Collectivism recognizes individual service to society. Unfortunately, in today’s civil society, one observes mostly rhetorical appeals to social justice and overcoming personal selfishness for common good. People contribute to society to gain material rewards or reciprocal assistance. The essential message, “Act simply and consciously, regarding yourself as an integral, necessary part of your native society!” remains absent. This thinking pattern requires transformation. The relationship between individual and society is itself complementary. Aristotle noted that within each individual exists an inherent social dimension, a need for communication and cooperation with similar beings, expressed through awareness of belonging to various groups. Thus, exercising individual human rights and freedoms without society becomes impossible, yet simultaneously we reject both the isolated individual and the individual subsumed within a group.
Might society itself constitute a “collective personality”? Civilization as a cultural-historical type represents a highly developed social entity with personal characteristics. Human personality forms through socialization, as individuals adopt the traditions and values of their cultural group. During personality formation, consciousness develops in ways that require proper foundations. The goal is not to create individuals who mechanically execute social directives and adhere to moral ideals by order, but rather individuals who instinctively and freely identify with their people, whom they appreciate, wish to develop and preserve, and whose behavior naturally aligns with moral principles. Pseudo-solidarity manifests as societal pain, unlike genuine solidarity, which fundamentally requires commitment to transcendent values — authentic, traditional values aimed at preserving diverse peoples within a unified state.
Loyalty to one’s group, family, and people has historically represented a high moral value. However, exclusive devotion solely to one’s own group, coupled with indifference toward others, inevitably produces a “double standard” that is positive toward insiders and negative toward all outsiders. Therefore, building harmony requires recognizing the world and humanity as the broadest human association, within which civilizations with unique histories and cultures exist alongside states encompassing various peoples; this harmony depends on fostering constructive interactions among all these levels of human organization.
People-saving and maintaining centuries-old values and traditions remain key priorities for Russia. Regardless of forthcoming changes and technological integration into daily life, only traditions and values can uphold state cohesion, govern societal relationships through morality and ethics, and help preserve peoples with their distinct histories, religions, and cultures. This requires attention to developing both individual character and public consciousness, where value understanding emerges and traditions take shape.
Time itself constitutes a value entrusted to us, as noted in Scripture. The future depends on our actions. We must approach every decision carefully, considering not only our personal lives but also the future of our homeland, to which we are all committed. We should act wisely and cherish time, as the latter once lost cannot be retrieved. We can still influence current circumstances; beyond implementing global changes, we must reflect on ourselves and our actions. Society has always been and will remain the foundation and channel for all developments. What we need is to interconnect technological advancement with strengthening society’s value-oriented potential.
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