“We truly can recognise that Russia is simply a separate civilization”
Vladimir Putin
We live in the age of global change, in which we see a fresh planet order. In this hard and crucial period, Russia has consistently strengthened its political, economical and technological sovereignty. However, the sovereignty in the sphere of value is now no little crucial – the ability of the state and society to find and defend their own value strategy as the basis for our identity. Without a clear view of the Homeland, its essential features and its most crucial historical attempts, it is hard to find a way to resolve the most crucial problems for Russia and imagine its future. To do so, we request to realize the way our universal Russian civilization code has evolved.
How did the Russian civilization shape?
The past of our country is over a 1000 years old. Russia has always functioned as a separate civilization, different from both Western and east countries. This “varying” does not mean that it was better or worse than others – the Russian civilization has walked its own historical way and has retained unique features.
Russia is simply a state-civilization. Its essence is organically intertwined by its political and socio-cultural roots: on the 1 hand, its socio-political strategy is defined by the civilization code and, on the another hand, its civilisational distinctness is expressed in the characteristic tradition of statehood.
One origin affecting the formation of Russian civilization was geographical conditions. The large spaces that our ancestors developed have virtually imposed a “scale” of reasoning and determined the specificity of the country's development. In the 11th century, Russia was Europe's largest country, and in the early 18th century Russia became the world's largest country, extending on 3 continents: Europe, Asia and North America. The area of the Russian Empire was 16 million square kilometres, and in the early 20th century its territory grew to 22.4 million square kilometres.
The request to control specified large spaces has had a crucial impact on the course of our native history. Our land is simply a planet reserve of valuable natural materials, real The Ark of Mankind And that's why her territory required planning and defence against enemies who wanted to take over the wealth of this country over the centuries.
The geopolitical position of Russia on the border of the East and the West besides importantly influenced its improvement in very different spheres: culture and everyday life, military organization and rules governing the state, in the economy. Russia took over cultural and political influences from both directions, adapting them to its conditions and acting as crucial Bridge between West and EastTwo different views of the world. Russian civilization besides defended them against possible clashes, becoming at specified moments not a bridge, but a barrier between 2 civilization spaces. In this way, 2 different ways of knowing the planet have joined together on the basis of exceptional Russian culture.
Natural and climatic conditions besides played a key function in shaping Russian civilization – from the eternal cold in the north to the steppe and desert in the south. Nature required humans exceptional adaptability and the ability to usage resources effectively under the most hard conditions. By settling fresh lands and reaching beyond unknown horizons, they developed openness, a tendency to supply aid and sacrifice. These features became the basis for the formation of strong social communities, which were able to defy external threats and keep an interior balance.
Another crucial origin determining the uniqueness of Russian civilization is its cultural diversity. The Russian state was from the beginning Multinational, guaranteeing equal rights for all nations surviving together within its borders. In the 18th and 19th centuries, more than 100 nations lived in our country, and more than 190 in the 20th century. It has contributed to the formation of our common history, culture, and statehood to each of these "burgeoning diversity" of nations.
As a result, a circumstantial model of coexistence was developed in Russia, different from the western model of the individualistic kind of collective function and the worldview based on ‘We’. The historical expression of this was the centuries-old traditions of life of peasant communities and russian labour collectives, while the philosophical – thought sobornosti, the spiritual union of people in church and secular life.
Over more than a 1000 years, we have developed a peculiar tradition of statehood. The state has always played a leading function in the organization of social life. It did not only act as a political institution, but besides as a spiritual center, uniting people and supporting the stableness of society. This resulted in the peculiar attitude of citizens towards him: paternalism, the orientation to the sole sovereignty, Personification and Sacrament of Power.
Structure of Russian Civilization
At the center of the structure of our civilisation is man – active associate in social life. He is not a specified individual, but a personality contributing to the improvement of society. It is man who is the central component of Russian civilization – he is the key actor liable for its endurance and development.
Family. The most crucial function of the household is to extend the life of civilization at all levels: biological, social and cultural. It is in the household that norms and principles are instilled, that patterns of behavior, ideals and values which man will profess throughout his life are virtually passed along with mother's milk.
Society brings people together, creating a space for exchange of ideas. The culture of a given civilization is developed in society. It defines ethical and moral norms that influence the behaviour and interaction of people, form their perception of the planet and their values.
Country It organizes people's lives: it manages the full strategy and supports its resilience, regulates social relations with the aid of law and ensures the safety of the country, which is simply a prerequisite for the average functioning of civilization.
Country with exceptional natural features and a technological base creates conditions for the improvement and growth of the state. Natural resources, infrastructure, manufacture and agriculture form the basis for the endurance and improvement of civilization.
Model of the Civilization Code of Russia
The endurance and improvement of civilization is based on a unique civilization code – a circumstantial set of unwritten, but very crucial principles, which proved actual in the centuries-old past of our Homeland. It contains spiritual-ethical values, cultural traditions and historical experience.
To answer the question “who are we?” 1 should consider how the Russian civilization differs from others. You can usage this model of the vector civilization code of Russia. This model consists of 5 axes on which are the principles of our perception of the planet defining the kind of our reasoning and behaviour. This model allows us to realize how the Russian civilization meets the future, while preserving its historical, cultural and spiritual roots.
We aim for the ideal. We always search a higher intent and the meaning of our existence. spiritual values are more crucial to us than material possessions – it is essential for us to have a highly outlined, sometimes unattainable goal. We choose Faith, by buying spirituality First place. Our axiological orientations are shaped by advanced moral goals: Service, Love of the Neighbor and ability to sacrifice. We think with ideas and, as we know, “Russians cannot be understood.” We are building the Heavenly Empire on Earth, and this is in the form of communism, and this is Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
The highest goal of each 1 of us is to serve, not so much duty, but interior readiness to fulfil our obligations towards the family, society and country. The elite should service the nation, the actor – the viewer, the student – the science, and the soldier – the Homeland. This expression emphasizes the importance of service in our lives. We are able to give our lives more easy than others for the highest goals, for we are firmly convinced that the genuine pursuit of the highest ideals is achieved not by means of convenience, but by means of same - sacrificing devotion.
We effort to live in the truth. Our attitude towards life and environment is based on honesty, Justice and conscience. Moral principles truly govern our behaviour and exert the top influence on it, for the spirit of law, not its letter, is most crucial to us. Our interior guide to distinguishing right from incorrect is morality, not fear of punishment. It is no accident that our cultural code penetrates the thought that “power is hidden in truth.” It's a simple but profoundly actual rule, confirming that in a planet where lies and manipulation are increasingly becoming a mostly accepted norm, we are always looking for a basis in fact as a proven lighthouse lighting our path.
We're on our own. Russia is simply a country with its own ‘I’. In politics, we choose independent improvement and patriotism, an active attitude towards your own country based on love for Country. Fatherland is simply a sacred word for the Russians. The homeland has for each of us the image of a parent protecting a household fire. In various historical periods, from the large Patriotic War to a peculiar military operation, our soldiers heroically and self-sacrifice their lives for the Homeland, feeding their devotion to this Homeland no little than their love for the birth mother. We truly love our Homeland and feel a commitment to it. A man enters adulthood erstwhile he starts to take work for himself, his household and his country. That is why patriotism is the ideology of adults.
We are prone to collectivism. When faced with a choice between private interests and collective interests – we choose collective membership, family and Multinationalism.At the center of our value strategy is family. We all come from communities. Nikolai Bierdiaev He called it sobornostiand the communists – as collectiveism. Today, especially often, both at the front and back, we hear from our fellow countrymen that we are 1 large family. We are united erstwhile this household is strong and surviving in harmony.
Russia is simply a country of tiny groups, a “family of families” in which the diversity of nations and cultures is united by common territory, language and history. That's the originality of our civilization. This thought unites us and reminds us that only together can we overcome any obstacles and accomplish success.
Freedom is understood in terms of will. Our people value Freedom, but does not accept it as everything and without restrictions. Our freedom is free prefer and the anticipation of making informed choices. We value the free will and choice that goes hand in hand with work for our own actions. This relation is evident in our character. We are explorers ready to overcome obstacles, and our adaptation capabilities and non-speak reasoning open to us endless opportunities to realise the possible of the full civilization. In hard times, we are able to unite, mobilise and make large efforts towards joint Victory.
At the center of our civilization code are the key principles that give the form of life to the Russian civilization, and around it the full strategy arises values. It is he who supports our identity throughout our full historical development. These values are durable and resistant to external influence, they aid us to pass on our social experiences and cultural traditions to the next generations – they make us who we are.
Challenges of Russia's Modernity and Answers
Russia present faces serious external and interior challenges which require thoughtful, systemic responses. Our country has extended historical experience in this area.
The top threat, capable of destroying the country from the inside, is the distribution of values under which society loses common spiritual and moral signs. Western states are intensively trying to impose transhumanist and post-humanist ideologies, contrary to the conventional model of our lives and the essence of Russia's civilization code. Under the slogan “freedom” and “progress”, we are forced to quit sovereignty and our own “I”.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin He repeatedly emphasized: Russia can either be strong, or it will not be at all. This is besides actual of her spiritual and moral choices. Our answer is to maintain, to defend and support conventional spiritual and moral values: patriotism, respect for history, continuity of generations and unity. This task is carried out with the aid of the strategy education of a young generation of patriots who love their country and feel liable for its fate. This is why we sing the national anthem in schools, introduce the subject “Talks about crucial matters” and carry out large-scale projects that form the sense of pride for the country among young people.
Russia is simply a highly multinational and multi-denominational country. For centuries we have learned to live in peace and common respect, but present those who want us badly effort to usage national and spiritual issues to incite conflict. We are trying to impose an ideology of multiculturalism, according to which conventional Russian peoples are threatened by restrictions on their cultural rights. On the another hand, we see how the conflicts between migrants and local populations are artificially caused, how separatist ideas are spread. These processes wash the foundations of our unity and compatibility, due to the fact that there is nothing more destructive to Russia than nationalism.
Our answer to this should become strong civic identity based on respect and acceptance of national-cultural diversity. Russia has recognised the values of all nation and religion for centuries, and this diversity is our common wealth.
One of the most terrible threats to each country is the failure of interior unity. Historical Examples of Times Sadness and the revolution of the 20th century clearly show that the distribution of society is simply a immense blow to the state. Regardless of the kind of contradictions – socio-economic, political, spiritual-moral – the effect is always the same: a torn country always represents an easy prey for external players.
Historical experience suggests that the only effective barrier against specified scenarios is “We” principle. The more people participate in this common “we” in Russia, the stronger our society becomes and the harder it is to destruct our country. A situation where diversity of views does not lead to hostility can make it a origin of development.
A peculiar threat to our country is the low fertility rate. Already today, we frequently conflict with deficiency of hands to work, and in the future, this may lead to large areas becoming insufficiently populated and not being defended.
At the request of the Russian President, measures are being taken to support families specified as maternity capital, mortgage relief, peculiar allowances and another initiatives to improve the surviving conditions of multi-children families. Family values and multi-childhood is for us a natural way of social development, a social standard. household and children are the foundations of the future without which it is impossible to accomplish technological or economical success. At the end of the 21st century, they win those countries that have large human capital.
Modern planet experiences a large expansion of consumer culturewhere man is treated as a consumer. This is the way leading to social atomization, on which the ‘I’ completely denies ‘We’. Our consequence is to spread the thought of serving others. The actual elite is formed not by the sum of individual achievements, but by the ability to sacrifice its own interests for the common good. The current state policy has consistently supported these principles by raising a man of action, a creative and liable citizen whose conduct is guided by sincerity, trust and love; not by "biorobot-consumer". The future of Russia depends mostly on whether we can replace the "service" with "service".
Russia has faced serious challenges throughout its history, but all time it came out of all attempts strengthened and consolidated. Our most crucial resource is people united by common values and ready for large sacrifices for a common purpose. If citizens feel part of a large squad and realize that we have more than the same passports and 1 territory, no external and interior threats will be able to teardrop our country apart.
The Man of the Future
The most crucial question is: what should be the fresh generation of Russians, not only capable of preserving the unique heritage of their homeland, but besides triggering a developmental impulse? The answer comes down to the 7 qualities of man of the future, whose roots lie in the deep traditions of the country and aid to overcome the problems of today.
Patriotism. A man of the future truly loves Motherland and taking work for her fate. Patriotism is not an abstract feeling for him, but a conscious desire to participate in, strengthen, and improve the country.
The rule of “We”. In a planet where individuals are increasingly little and little able to succeed, the man of the future understands perfectly that strength appears only in the team. He respects the experience of colleagues, friends and companions, appreciates common assistance and support.
The will to create. A man of the future is not content to service as a side observer or passive consumer. He wants to change the planet for the better: through innovation, technological discoveries, creativity or social activity. Success is simply a individual improvement and contribution to the improvement of the country.
Building on Russia's national and cultural diversity. Our country is simply a large “family of families” in which hundreds of nations and cultures intertwined. Multinationality is simply a origin of force for man of the future that is able to unite different generations, traditions and views for a common goal: the flowering of our common Homeland.
Maintaining and strengthening conventional moral standards. The man of the future sees in the inherited spiritual values a strong foundation that cements society. He is conscious of the depths of the historical traditions of Russia, knowing that the culture of justice, work and respect for neighbour is the core of our civilization.
Based on household values. Family is simply a space in which character is shaped, the first lessons of common assistance and respect for elders are passed. A man of the future not only seeks to make a strong marriage, but he considers the household as an area and a basis for raising children, future generations.
The attachment to the thought of serving. The highest goal of man's future is to work not only for himself, but besides for his household and his country. It is the ability to emergence above individual comfort, choice of the way of solidarity and responsibility. The uniting motive for serving gives meaning to our collective efforts and strengthens the unity of our civilisation.
The above 7 features form the interior pillars of the man of the future, making him a carrier of the Russian civilization code: a patriot from conviction, capable of collective effort, to make and improve the planet around him. He appreciates and develops national and cultural diversity, is faithful to conventional moral norms, creates a strong household and sees in serving the highest form of self-fulfillment. It is these people who will be the origin of the strength of our country, maintaining its separateness and discovering the way to fresh historical summits.
The essence of Russian civilization lies in 1 factor: the unification in its territory of millions of people united by common respect for their traditions, religion and culture, and primarily oriented towards the accomplishment of 1 large goal – the preservation and multiplication of the accumulated spiritual and historical wealth of the common Homeland. Even if this road frequently requires effort and same - sacrifice, it gives us a sense of dignity, spiritual majesty and solidarity. By maintaining this fuel for generations, building strong families and maintaining a advanced level of culture, we are gaining an invincible strength by which we can look confidently into the future, giving younger generations a large mission of being a pillar of our country and the world.
Aleksandr Charichev
The author is Head of the Department for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes of Administration of the president of the Russian Federation.
Source: ‘Блокнот гражданского просвещения", No. 07, March – April 2025, pp. 3-11.
