Kuznetsov I.M. Variability of the Content of Patriotic Identity of Russians. Issues of National and Federative Relations. 2022. Vol. 12. No. 11 (92). Pp. 4204-4213.

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the variability of the content of Russian patriotic identity. Both the variability of the content of the concept Russia is our country and the variability of the image of the ideal patriot of Russia were studied. The empirical base of the study was the data of the 2020 surveys. According to the results of the study of the content of the image of Russia, it was found that only a third of the respondents associate the country with their homeland, fatherland and state. For about a quarter of the respondents, Russia is associated with the Motherland, but not with the state. And a third of those who answered in the image of Russia have no idea of Motherland. The features and foundations of group identification characteristic of patriotic identity (i.e., the image of a “real” patriot of Russia) were studied in two dimensions - civil and protective. The civil dimension of patriotism is the belief in the need to know and maintain the history and culture of one's country, its traditions and customs of interaction, the importance of activities for the good of the country. The protective dimension is made up of dispositions emphasizing the importance of protecting the historically established value-cultural system from various kinds of external influences. We also considered two types of complexes of patriotic beliefs that are most characteristic of Russia in 2020. This is a convinced type of patriotism, characterized by full support for both civil and protective meanings, and a moderate type, when civil meanings are more likely to be supported and not supported (or rather not supported) protective meanings of patriotism. In general, it was concluded that convinced patriots significantly differ from moderates in their systemic conservative, traditionalist orientations.