Political Perceptions and Values of the Russian Youth in the Context of Their Historical and Cultural Foundations

Abstract

The category of the Russian state has become the central analyzed concept of the research presented in the article. The subject of the analysis was also the political perceptions of the values of patriotism, directly related to the image of the state. The article was written based on the results of a representative survey of Russian youth conducted in the fall of 2022 (sample size 2500 people). Based on the analysis of the survey results, some conclusions were drawn by the authors about the specific features of the image of the Russian state in the minds of young citizens, as well as the main trends in understanding the value category of patriotism associated with it. Among the features and peculiarities of the perception of the state, such characteristics as the simultaneous presence of alienation and paternalism, which have a significant impact on the understanding of the other categories under study, were highlighted. The authors note that in the minds of the younger generation there are no understandable or clear images, behavioral patterns that would correspond to the idea of patriotic behavior. This approach to understanding and interpreting these most significant categories that determine the process of self-identification and the formation of the unity of the nation is dangerous as a possible object of manipulation by external and internal enemies of Russia.