Formation of the All-Russian civil identity in the territories liberated during the SVO: risks and prospects

Introduction

For modern Russia, the problem of the formation of the all-Russian civic identity, as is known, is one of the most urgent. At the same time, it becomes doubly relevant in the territories liberated during the SVO. On the other hand, these territories become, in their own way, the driving forces that allow Russian citizens to realize themselves as a single civilizational socio-political space of the Russian world and overcome various kinds of chaotic, destructive tendencies. The relevant risks and prospects will be discussed in this article.

Traditional values and the "theological-psychological approach"

On November 9, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Decree No. 809 "Fundamentals of state policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." These values include, among others, patriotism, citizenship, service to the Fatherland and responsibility for its fate, high moral ideals, a strong family, creative work, the priority of the spiritual over the material, humanism, mercy, justice, collectivism, mutual assistance and mutual respect, historical memory and continuity of generations, unity of the peoples of Russia.

It is obvious that in the educational and youth spheres, the solution of the tasks outlined in this Decree requires the use of a practice-oriented theological and psychological approach. This approach should contribute to the actualization in the spiritual and spiritual reality of Russian citizens and, above all, young people, of the imperative expressed in the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The appeal to this commandment can and should evoke a response from those young people who are conducting an unconscious spiritual search, but are not yet able to consciously enter the space of one or another traditional religious denomination ^[8], and steadily accept traditional values for Russia ^[5]. The spiritual charge that this commandment carries, in our opinion, will help to balance the two main trends of society: "I" and "We". This opens up an extremely promising field of work with creative attitudes of the individual in the "horizontal" sphere, which then naturally passes into the "vertical". It also opens up the prospect of working in the paradigm of the existential approach in psychological and educational activities using various kinds of "thought experiments", visualizations, metaphors, comparisons, game techniques, lectures, seminars, lessons ^{[10, 11]} and personal development programs, etc.

In practice, this means accepting traditional values in the form of personal beliefs and in the immediate "fabric" of mental life. In addition, for consciously believing people, this approach may correlate with awareness of the psychological correlates of faith ^[7].

As a result, a value basis is created that manifests itself in the beliefs of the individual ^[9], which allows the individual to constructively interact in society and resist the influences associated with destructive, including extremist activities, which fully correspond to the goals of the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation of 02.07.2022 and the Strategy for Countering Extremism in the Russian Federation until 2025 of 29.05.2020.

It should be noted that this is important both in the context of "supportive and preventive" work with Russian citizens living in the territories reunited with their Homeland, and when extrapolating the creative experience of forming and (or) acquiring their all-Russian civic identity on a federal scale.

The theological and psychological concept of extremism prevention

The corresponding theological and psychological Concept of the prevention of extremism in education and the youth environment implies the search for effective practices in the field of interdisciplinary space of modern theology of education, pedagogy and psychology, work to identify specific methods, technologies and methods of forming beliefs based on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values in Russian children and youth.

Adaptation and preventive meetings, special personality development classes for students, including foreign ones, classes within the framework of the project "Conversations about important things", psychology lessons, friendship lessons, "class hours", individual and group classes with children and youth, and other educational activities can become variants of the forms. events (for example, involvement in significant activities), scientific and applied scientific forums, expert work, professional development and (or) retraining of specialists.

Initial approbation of the approach

This approach was tested by the staff of the Center for the Prevention of Extremism in the Field of Education and Youth Environment of the A.I. Herzen RSPU at the A.I. Kuindzhi MarGU according to the built program.

At first, these were adaptation and preventive meetings with elements of psychological support, successfully tested in 2021/2022 within the framework of the project "Lessons of Friendship" in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region (the "basic summary" for such meetings is presented in the Appendix). These adaptation and preventive meetings were held in the context of the socio-psychological situation that developed in the territories liberated during the SVO, which required discussion among students of such topics as the history of the Russian state, features of Russian culture, as a culture of spirituality, belonging, friendship of peoples, justice and protection of the weak.

Then the students participating in the program were asked to describe their inner world in the framework of a "Psychological essay" or "Letter to myself" to obtain a cross-section of their condition from a psychological and socio-psychological point of view.

Finally, they performed the practice of visualizing creative symbols (as symbols they were offered images such as "Flower", "House", "Temple", etc.).

Russian Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess" and drawing the listener of the fairy tale to the values expressed in the commandment of Orthodoxy about love for one's neighbor as the basis of Russian culture, an open seminar was held in the final part of the interactive interaction on the topic "The Secret meaning of a fairy tale" with an emphasis on the attitudes embedded in the Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess".

Proceeding from the fact that the shocks caused by military actions led the participants of the program, on the one hand, to a traumatic shock, but, on the other hand, to going beyond the usual "ego-consciousness" into the realm of belonging (transcendence) to one's neighbor, as well as awareness of the existence of a Higher (sacred) principle. Russian Russian culture, in addition, the practice of working in the youth environment of the university was based on the assumption that with the actualization of relevant creative attitudes and the conscious removal of these attitudes into the semantic space of Russian culture (culture of soul manifestation), traumatic experiences will be worked out and both the process of internal reintegration of the psyche and the formation of an all-Russian civic identity based on involvement in Russian culture will intensify.

Thus, it is advisable to combine "non-linear" work to overcome the consequences of traumatic shock (stress social disorder), primary prevention of extremism and the formation of an all-Russian civic identity.

Feedback from students of A.I. Kuindzhi MarGU

During the work, some participants described what had changed in them, in their lives after being in a combat situation.

According to experts of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University and PSTU, there were signs of PTSD (or SSR) in the descriptions to one degree or another, some had longing and childhood memories of peaceful life, as well as fear and uncertainty about the future (normal life in the city has not fully recovered yet).

At the same time, there is a belief in a happy future, a sense of the beginning of a new life. People note that they have become stronger in spirit, more resilient, began to look at the world more realistically ("rose-colored glasses fell") and at people ("I saw who is who"), stopped "going with the flow", analyze what is happening, live more consciously. Life has not become easier, but it has become more satisfying. People feel love for life and for themselves, self-esteem has increased. There is also such an opinion: "I saw a real miracle."

There have been serious changes for the better in the lives of many. And it's not just that the relationship that is no longer needed has "disappeared". The main thing is that people are doing what they could not even think about before – what brings them real pleasure, corresponds to their individuality ("I got what I dreamed of"). Both in the Humanities and Technical Universities of Mariupol, people of all ages entered the first year not only by correspondence, but also full-time. The "youngest" student of PSTU studies social work in the first year, having a date of birth in 1958, according to which "she wants to live, not survive."

The life of many, according to the respondents, has been filled with meaning, and it is precisely meaning that is lacking today for many people who identify themselves with the "culture of consumption" ^[4]. If earlier they sometimes did not know where to put their free time from solving everyday problems, now there is little time ("it seems that I'm missing something").

Similar processes of rethinking occurred with one of the authors of the article, who survived extreme events in Mariupol. It is no coincidence that experts who have visited Mariupol note that "we need them (residents of the liberated territories) no less than they need us."  There was a reboot and expansion of consciousness.

There is no doubt that the experience that people have received in the conditions of hostilities deserves the closest study of a wide range of specialists — psychologists, sociologists, political scientists, philosophers. This will help to improve the quality and efficiency of the processes of social adaptation of the people of the annexed territories, as one of the most important tasks on the agenda of Russian society.

It should be noted that in the above-described workshop program, 38 out of 50 students of MarGU, who somehow encountered traumatic experiences, declared an improvement in their condition after undergoing visualizations at the junction of R. Assagioli's psychosynthesis ^[1] and H. Leiner's symbol drama ^[6]. Russian Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess" with an emphasis on the archetypes manifested in Russian culture and, above all, the archetype of belonging to one's neighbor, which leads us into the field of theology, 48 out of 50 participants of the seminar "The Secret Meaning of Fairy Tales" positively assessed their well–being after visualization - immersion in the space of the Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess" with an emphasis during this immersion on archetypes manifested in Russian culture and, above all, the archetype of belonging to one's neighbor.

Of course, it is impossible to talk about full-fledged mathematical statistics here, but the trend, in our opinion, is obvious: a deep (including with the help of psychological tools) appeal to the creative symbolism embedded in the "field" of Russian civilization allows us to simultaneously work on eliminating the consequences of PTSD (SSR) and contribute to the formation of an all-Russian civic identity. All this, in turn, also leads to the primary prevention of destructive (including extremist) behavior.

At the same time, helping the residents of the territories where the fighting took place implies immersion in the basic existences of human existence and, at the same time, in the key issues of our socio-psychological existence ^[2].

Here are some examples from the essays of students (female), each of them has passed (often several or many times) visualization practice with a positive effect (according to self-reports, which were issued separately from the essay; names changed):

Varvara: "It has always been easier for me to talk about the past. In the past, I had both joys and failures, but at least it was and passed. The past gives me some confidence, it is with the help of experience that I can not repeat the same mistakes.

In the past, I was different, not like now. Everything has changed, and I am first of all. Other people, other living conditions, other authorities. Native Russian is now freely available, and it opens my eyes.

"Mariupol, studies, psychology." Before that, there was no thought in my head that I would connect my life with this. <...> The war "taught" me to read books. She appropriated the love of different genres and not just because I had nothing to do, but because I did it with a special desire. <...> Despite my experiences, I remain an emotionally stable person, since I cannot fix the situation, but I can support. When I left, the first month was very hard for me, I was worried and studied all my time, but I realized that it was mine and I was interested in it. After all, becoming a psychologist is an important and responsible step for me, but I will definitely prove to myself that I can do it!"

Maria: "I was born in a unique, great and diverse state – the USSR. My hometown is Donetsk, the capital of the industrial region of Donbass, a beautiful, hospitable city. The city of roses and coal. A particularly important role in my ethno–education was played by my grandmother - Lyudmila Ivanovna. She was a very interesting person. Literate, intelligent (a teacher of Russian language and literature, a school director, a newspaper editor), ideological (a member of the CPSU, a participant in the WWII fighting) and sincerely believed in Nicholas the Wonderworker, affectionately called him Nicholas the Saint. It was my grandmother who developed my life values: spiritual and moral. I have always listened with pleasure and interest to her truthful stories about life, about our family, ancestors and the Russian spirit <...> I am sure that my ethnic status will remain unchanged throughout my life, while I understand that ethnic identity is not a static, but a dynamic education. Considering the recent events taking place in my homeland, my ethnic identity coincided with the civil one. So, ethnic identity – Russian, helps me in finding the meaning of life, provides a sense of belonging, promotes self-esteem, a sense of my own uniqueness. I am glad that I am an ethnophore of ethnic Russian consciousness";

ANASTASIA: "A fascinating discovery was the study of word-education and imaginative thinking – Letters and Forty lessons of Russian.

The search for the meanings of life took place in the intervals between cooking borscht and other household issues, it was unclear why the "neymaetsya" and daily bread does not give a feeling of happiness. Over time, this misunderstanding resulted in psychosomatics in the form of terrible migraines and excruciating insomnia. Which stopped exactly when the author noticed the need to express her thoughts in written words, in the form of internal dialogues, notes, just short posts on the social network. It became clear that I and the People around me are an interesting topic for study, observation and cognition, so it was decided to study psychology, to get to know myself and others in the scientific environment of the university";

Anna: "Hi. I know it's strange that I write to myself in the past, but it's easier to write there. Everything there is so real, present, not like the future. I would like to read this letter on December 23, 2022, having passed away from Anya's birthday with huge plans, as they say "if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." <...> War. Yes, you didn't really see her, no, no? Don't worry, the boys are fine! You will hear so much, who is right, who is to blame, it doesn't matter, and you can't make out. You will see such terrible things, but you will also see a real miracle, how people rally before trouble. You will understand who are truly "your" people. You're so brave. I know you don't even know that, you've always considered yourself a coward."

Such essays combined with the conscious and self-reported experience of immersion in creative images, as well as positive responses to lectures and seminars in the overwhelming majority of cases, during which the emphasis was on the peculiarities of the Russian identity culture, allow us to conclude about the effectiveness of the methodology for the formation of the all-Russian civic identity and the prevention of destructive behavior through "theologo-psychological approach".

Conclusions and conclusion

Thus, we see huge opportunities in extrapolating the experience of returning to the basic foundations of being in the post-war territories to the entire territory of modern Russia, where the "vacuum of spiritual meaning" and creative identity is a very serious problem.

Combining the "theological-psychological" approach of work to eliminate the consequences of PTSD (SSR) through psychological tools and work on the formation of an all-Russian civic identity based on the history of the Russian state, the features of Russian culture seems to us extremely promising both in terms of eliminating the risks of destructive behavior and in terms of the possibilities for the development of our society.

We continue practical and analytical work in this direction and in the near future we will present a generalized material, including statistical data.