Abstract

Applying to the findings of sociological research by the Federal Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the author analyzes the features of historical memory in modern Russian society. The study examines images of the national past that are embedded in the mass consciousness and serve as the fundamental foundations for the collective identity of citizens, contributing to the consolidation of society. The author notes that, amidst the current emphasis on historical topics in the public discourse of Russian leaders, there is also a high level of interest among Russians in their national history. At the same time, citizens have a poor understanding of the fate of their relatives who lived through significant historical events. Only the family memory of the Great Patriotic War seems to be comprehensive, serving as a key foundation for national historical memory. Today, Russians, whose national identity and family memories are centered around the Soviet legacy, are increasingly declaring their need to resist attempts to revise history, especially when it comes to the Great Patriotic War.Although four out of ten Russians prefer to focus on the present and leave "the battle over history" to experts, the majority (57.3%) believe that the future of our country largely depends on how historical events are interpreted. Therefore, "the struggle over the past" has great political and international significance.