The problems of the unity of the Russian people and the issues of its solidarity in modern conditions

Tarkhanova Aleksandra Vladimirovna ORCID: 0009-0001-3379-6186 Student, University of Tyumen 625048, Russia, Tyumen region, Tyumen, Elizarova str., 6 a.v.tarkhanova@mail.ru

Avdeev Dmitrii Aleksandrovich PhD in Law Associate Professor, Department of Theoretical and Public Law Disciplines, University of Tyumen 6 Volodarsky str., Tyumen, Tyumen region, 625003, Russia d.a.avdeev@utmn.ru

The formation of a solidary identity of citizens in all countries is considered a necessary condition for preserving the integrity of the state and maintaining harmony in society. However, in the conditions of global turbulence in many multinational countries, there are numerous unrest, rallies and speeches among the population, which are due to social and political reasons. Events taking place in the international arena, as well as within countries, changes in thinking and the growth of national consciousness of peoples and ethnic groups inhabiting countries, uncontrolled migration flows lead to a crisis of identity, the emergence of problems of patriotism and solidarity of peoples.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the problems of unity and solidarity of the Russian people and to develop a number of measures aimed at increasing the patriotism of citizens of the Russian Federation. To achieve this goal, general scientific methods (dialectics, system analysis, formal logic), interdisciplinary methods (lexical, statistical) and special methods (comparative legal, formal legal) were used.

In order to identify possible reasons for the low level of patriotism among the Russian population, it is necessary to analyze historical events and identify problems of solidarity and unity at different stages of Russia's historical development. At the same time, it is worth noting that Russia was not alone in finding ways to develop patriotism and solidarity. 

In 2019, Emmanuel Macron concluded his speech at a press conference in France with the words about the need to "restore inclusive patriotism" for the sake of "French and European common interests", which caused extreme discontent among the population ^[8]. In order not to rely on closed, "totalitarian patriotism", the head of state introduces a new term implying "emotional attachment to the political map of France on a voluntary basis or on the basis of a terminated contract in which a person (to a much greater extent than a citizen) has the right to choose what he considers necessary to keep or remove from the inherited he has a historical, cultural and political heritage." Thus, Emmanuel Macron actually denies true patriotism, and the French multinational people are losing the support that is so necessary in the modern world. Patriotism in France is not formed and is not instilled from school years, patriotic education of young people and adults is at a very low level.

Unlike France, in Russia since the time of Peter I, through the opening of military schools and gymnasiums, love for the Motherland was instilled, patriotic education was manifested in the implementation of special disciplines in educational institutions. The reforms and opinions of many Russian figures instilled in a person not only patriotism, but also responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the state's policy in this area changed. V. I. Lenin, G. V. Plekhanov and other Marxists denied patriotism as an important component and driving force of the state and even recognized it as an "echo of autocracy" ^{[5, p. 86]}. After the death of the leader of the world proletariat and the coming to power of I. V. Stalin, Russian traditional patriotism becomes the basis of Soviet ideology. This is manifested not only in the active political agitation of the unity of the people in front of common enemies, but also in propaganda through the mass media (newspapers, posters depicting the Friendship of Peoples, etc.). The high level of consolidation of the people was clearly proved during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, when the country rose to defend its Homeland ^{[5, p. 86]}.

However, in the post-war period, patriotism began to be used as a tool for political games and achieving state goals. There was a suppression of any personal initiative, ethnic cultures and traditions were eliminated. National elites began to demand first cultural, and later political sovereignty. The problem of internal unity began to emerge in the USSR ^{[5, pp. 86-87]}. So, in the 1960s and 1970s, Soviet cultural policy was carried out in the Volga region, during which the Bolsheviks actively fought with the local population and tried to integrate traditional rituals into the nascent Soviet holidays. 

The collapse of the Soviet Union, in turn, led to active criticism of the past regime and, among other things, "Soviet patriotism" as a manifestation of unity and solidarity of the people. The fact of the loss of patriotism is the sovereignization of republics, separatism of regions, national movements, etc. ^{[2, p. 10]}. Thus, the Russian patriotism of the Soviet period not only needed stable conditions for restoration and further development, but also required the awareness of the citizens of the "new country" themselves of the need for unity of peoples. 

The low level of patriotism in the post-Soviet years is clearly visible in surveys among the population, where the values about the benefits of multi-nationality practically coincided with the values about its harm ^[6]. Despite the predominance of the adult and older generation at that time, they were the driving force of future patriotism. However, the new country, the fall of the "Iron Curtain", and subsequently economic crises negatively affected not only the standard of living of the population, but also its trust in the state authorities and, accordingly, the unity of the people.

For a long period of time, the meanings of the concepts of "patriotism", "unity of the people" and "solidarization" have been the subject of disputes among various scientists.

So, in the understanding of N. M. Karamzin, patriotism was the main goal of education. He denied any foreign educators, believing that only Russian education is necessary. It is Russian upbringing and Russian education that form a child's, and subsequently a teenager's, love for the Motherland ^{[6, p. 135]}. However, in our opinion, it is necessary to note some narrowing of the understanding of this term. 

Such scientists as M. H. Djukaev, F. Y. Gogoberidze, D. T. Zhovtun, V. I. Merkushin interpreted this term in different ways, but almost all adhered to the same point of view, patriotism is a synthesis of moral, civic and ideological qualities of a person, which manifest themselves in love for the Motherland, responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland, in the desire to to preserve and multiply the best traditions, respecting the spiritual and cultural values of people ^{[3, p. 45]}. We fully share and support this approach of the authors to the understanding of patriotism. 

By the term "solidarization", I. P. Khutyz today means mutual respect for cultural, historical values and traditions, mutual understanding and consent, and in fact speaks of the "solidarization of peoples." Solidarization is realized through "harmonious communication between partners", that is, recognition of everyone's points of view without inciting hatred to another person and, moreover, to another nationality ^{[7, p. 176]}.

The term "unity of the people", in our opinion, is similar in meaning to the term "patriotism". At the same time, it is important to note that it is necessary to talk about patriotism as the initial stage of the unity of the people. After all, in order to talk about the unification of peoples for the sake of one goal or about any cohesion of a multinational population, you need to have a patriotic upbringing and political consciousness, in which a person soberly assesses not only opponents, but also allies, and also knows how to conduct a constructive dialogue with people of another culture or religion.

Today, the problem of the unity of the Russian people is one of the most acute and key. In the conditions of global instability, Russian citizens should understand that it is necessary not only to expect any actions from the state aimed at solidarization of society, but also to make attempts to unite with other peoples themselves. But, first of all, the solution to this problem should be based on various regulatory legal acts, national development strategies and federal programs.  

With the choice of the Russian people as President V. V. Putin, we can talk about the beginning of solving national problems. A number of regulatory documents adopted since 2012 are a direct confirmation of this. However, these were only attempts at regulatory regulation, since legal acts were approved at the federal level, and the local authorities of some subjects of the Russian Federation did not pay due attention to work in this direction. Thus, the adopted decrees and federal programs did not mention their specific implementation, the creation of special events, the approval of holidays, etc.

The changes occurred after the approval of the Federal Program "Strengthening the unity of the Russian nation and ethno-cultural development of the peoples of Russia (2014-2020)" by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 718 dated August 20, 2013 [See. Federal target program "Strengthening the unity of the Russian nation and ethno-cultural development of the peoples of Russia (2014-2020)]. After monitoring the state of affairs based on the results of this program, employees of the Southern Branch of the Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage found out that in some regions the indicators were not achieved. This was due to a lack of funding and the lack of special programs ^{[1, p. 6]}.

Of course, it is worth considering the current conditions that require solving the problems of solidarity and the development of Russian unity. The active participation of the West in the conflict in Ukraine, more and more new packages of sanctions imposed against Russia as a result of the start of a special military operation, have become an occasion for adjusting, developing and approving new acts related to ethno-cultural values and strengthening civil unity, new national programs aimed at rallying the people in such a difficult time. In 2022, the President of the Russian Federation signed Decree No. 809 "On the approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values", the main objectives of which were "strengthening civil unity, all-Russian civic identity and Russian identity, interethnic and interreligious harmony based on the unifying role of traditional values" and "preservation of historical memory, countering attempts to falsify history" [See Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 809 dated November 9, 2022 "On approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and strengthening of Traditional Russian spiritual and Moral values".] Later, another decree was issued related to the introduction of amendments to the "Fundamentals of state Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values", in which the problems of "state sovereignty and civilizational identity of the country, strengthening of the all-Russian civic identity, unity and cohesion of Russian society" are given the first place [See. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 35 dated January 25, 2023 "On Amendments to the Fundamentals of the State Cultural Policy Approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 808 dated December 24, 2014".].

However, in addition to the regulatory framework, it is necessary to take into account the opinion of citizens of the Russian Federation about multinational and the need to increase the level of patriotism.

To provide empirical data, it is advisable to refer to the FOMA survey conducted in honor of National Unity Day and published on the FOM website on November 4, 2022 (Fig. 1). National Unity Day was established as a public holiday on December 29, 2004 after the adoption of amendments to the Federal Law "On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia" dated 13.03.1995 N 32-FZ and is defined as a day off [See. Federal Law "On Days of Military Glory and memorable dates of Russia" dated 13.03.1995 N 32-FZ (latest edition).].  

Fig. 1. Russia is a multinational country. Do you think the fact that people of many nationalities live in Russia brings it more benefit or more harm in general?

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of [See FOM survey. "National Unity Day is November 4. What emotions Russians have associated with the word "Russia""].

These diagrams indicate a change in the attitude of Russians to multinational over the period 2002-2022. The turning point is 2012, when the percentages of positive and negative values of respondents coincide. However, already in 2013, a sharp discrepancy in indicators can be observed, which is due to the approval by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation in 2012 of the Strategy of State National Policy until 2025 [See: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On the Strategy of State National Policy  Of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025".]

It should be noted that in 2022 there is a jump in the positive attitude towards multiculturalism among the population, which may be due to the awareness of citizens of the need to stick together and resist all those who are trying to split Russian society. It is also impossible not to note the special importance of the southern peoples of Russia, who today participate in the SVO zone. The fact of its multinational nature speaks of the unity of the people to fulfill state tasks.

At the same time, civil society treats the National Unity Day differently (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Some people treat National Unity Day as a holiday, others – as an additional day off. Which people, in your opinion, are more likely to be the first or rather the second?

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of [See FOM survey. "National Unity Day is November 4. What emotions Russians have associated with the word "Russia""].

The results of this survey allow us to conclude that respondents of all ages treat National Unity Day in the majority as an additional day off, rather than as a holiday of unity of the peoples of Russia. First of all, this is due to the passive and largely negative perception of the holiday among the population. The answers to the question indicate that 6% of respondents believe that this is an artificially created holiday that does not bring any benefit to society. At the same time, in fact, there is no unity in Russia, so there is no point in celebrating this holiday. One of the reasons for this is the decline in the role of public holidays and, accordingly, a significant drop in the level of patriotism. It is also worth noting that only 5% of respondents believe that this holiday contributes to the education of patriotism and causes this feeling, and 42% believe that this holiday unites, unites.

Thus, as a result of the conducted research, it is possible to identify some patterns:

- with the adoption of the State National Policy Strategy of 2012, the approval of the "Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values" of 2022 and other normative legal acts, the active development of interethnic relations began, the state took a step towards the solidarity of peoples;

- low rates of patriotism and solidarity before 2012 are due to the fact that the population was influenced by the "post-Soviet shock" and active anti-Soviet propaganda, which demanded never to return to Soviet politics;

- a special military operation had a positive impact on the solidarity of the people during 2022.

Thus, the main problems of the unity of the Russian people are: low level of patriotic education; low interest of local authorities of individual regions in the implementation of programs, as well as skeptical attitude to decisions taken at the state level not only by young people, but also by the adult population, which directly sets an example. At the same time, the skeptical attitude is primarily due to the low level of legal consciousness of the population. In Russia, civil society is poorly expressed (the reason for which is the low level of patriotism, solidarity of the people, as well as the low standard of living of the population, and, as a consequence, the education of citizens). More and more often there is such a concept as "legal nihilism", which means the denial of law and legal institutions, etc. Therefore, the state must act "from below", raising the standard of living of the population, the level of literacy, legal education and legal awareness. 

We can also talk about the lack of regulatory and legal regulation in relation to ethno-cultural education and personal development, equality of all peoples on the territory of Russia, which subsequently generates problems of solidarity of the Russian people.

At the same time, over the past two years, there have been some steps towards the formation of unity and some identity in a distorted form by comparing the negative content of the internal "we" and the external "they" (Ukraine, the USA, Western countries).  Therefore, at present it is necessary, first of all, to fill the inner "we" with positive content, which should manifest itself in the efforts of not only the state, but also civil society ^{[4, p. 19-20]}.

In this regard, it is important to consider the solution of the problems of solidarity of civil society from three sides: from the state (formation of strategies, development of normative legal acts regulating the actions of events), the adult population (patriotic education in social institutions, familiarization with cultural and spiritual values) and youth (understanding and awareness of the need for unity of the people and his solidarization).

In general, in modern conditions, the development of patriotism, strengthening the unity of the Russian people should be manifested in the following activities: the creation of an online educational base for patriotic education not only of young people, but also of the adult population, advanced training courses for teachers of social studies and history who could teach patriotic education, etc. Patriotism should be laid from birth, and then we can talk about its decent level in Russia.