Russian Identity: Internal and External Challenges

Abstract

The article identifies the main components of developing national identity in Russia as the foundation for building nationwide civilization on a civic basis. Those importantly include the study and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage, i.e., archival and archaeological materials, cultural monuments, places of memory, and historical and cultural landscape. In addition to the outlined findings of the projects already completed by researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences, some promising projects have been proposed, such as compiling the corpus of the Russian language and other languages of the peoples of Russia, comprehensive dictionaries and encyclopedias, and publishing of collected works of classical Russian writers, as well as preparation of multivolume publications on the history of Russia. The importance of humanitarian and scientific support for infrastructure development projects, mass housing construction, and creating large-scale facilities and transport communications aimed at preventing the loss of cultural and natural environment and values necessary for national identity is substantiated.