Russia is in everyone's heart: how national identity unites the country

In the year 2025, the growing demand of Russians for national identity has become quite obvious. People are proud to talk about their country, young people are listening to Kadysheva and Babkina's songs, Orthodoxy is becoming more popular, and sociologists call the indicators of patriotism "off the charts."

2025 was the year when it was impossible not to notice a huge shift in Russian society. The popularity of everything national and patriotic was expressed everywhere and took on a variety of forms.

One of the most popular songs in 2025 was the patriotic "Mother Earth". After Vladimir Putin's speech at the Valdai Forum, interest in kokoshniks suddenly increased: search queries for "buy kokoshniks" jumped by 200 percent, and marketplaces recorded sales of hundreds of thousands of kokoshniks.

Over the past three years, Kinopoisk has recorded an increase in interest in domestic content from 63 to 87 percent. That is, domestic films are not just competing, but also beginning to displace foreign ones. According to TelecomDaily, the share of Russian TV series in the largest online cinemas is close to 50 percent.

Examples can be multiplied. It is important that all these are fragments of a common national identity. This is eloquently indicated by the situation among young people.

According to VTsIOM, the indicator of patriotism among Russians aged 18-24 reached 99 percent. Sociologists call the values "off the charts." The answer to the question of whether respondents are ready to defend their Homeland has almost the same number. 92 percent of respondents aged 18-24 said they were ready.

One of the "wow effects" of the past year is the growing number of Orthodox youth. According to a VTsIOM survey, the proportion of young people who consider themselves Orthodox has almost doubled in recent years: from 25 to 45 percent. There is even a peculiar youth trend – "monastic": an unusual format of recreation, when young people go to monasteries for several weeks.

"The values shared by young people always show how the country lives and where it is heading. For several decades, Western values have dominated among Russian youth: in fashion, music, culture, and even communication. But this situation has changed in recent years. If earlier patriotism was unpopular among young people, today it is really sincerely approved – young people respect those who love their Homeland and look up to them," says Dmitry Fedotov, a young political scientist.

The cultural turn is connected with disillusionment with the West, whose double standards have become obvious, and with government policies aimed at forming a patriotic identity. There are dozens of examples here, too: from the introduction of parenting advisers and "Talking about important things" in educational institutions to the comprehensive support of the "Movement of the First", "Unarmia", "Knowledge" and many other projects for young people.

The growth in popularity of the state symbols – the flag and the anthem – is particularly noticeable, which is explained by the unity of the nation in response to external challenges. According to a recent RussianField survey, the most significant song of the year was the Russian National Anthem, which took first place among two age categories (18-29 and 30-44) and second place among older respondents who still preferred Victory Day. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that there are no Western names in any of the "top" favorite musical artists.

Obviously, the interest in the national in 2025 has finally ceased to be niche. It has become part of a new, relevant style. I am no longer ashamed to be a patriot, I am not ashamed to support the country and believe in its future.

"Russians are increasingly finding strength and inspiration in their homeland, its culture, history and values. And this process has become widespread. This is a victory in the struggle for the minds of our citizens, which many doubted would be achieved. Russian Russians Today, each of us speaks Russian, loves Russian, and proudly demonstrates that we belong to Russia. If ten years ago patriots could be looked at askance, now people who distance themselves from their country come under a barrage of criticism. This is an important trend – the main thing is to strengthen and preserve it," says political analyst Pyotr Kolchin.

The interest in one's native land, in the achievements and culture of one's country, is also reflected in the popularity of the National Center "Russia", which in its first year of operation (from November 4, 2024 to November 4, 2025) was visited by over 500 thousand people. By the way, it is at the National Center that the Council for the Development and promotion of a new Russian style in public space is working today. And the very mission of the National Center – "to know and love Russia" – fully reflects the request for national identity.

At the same time, the attitude towards working and living in the Homeland is strengthening in society. Emigration sentiment has been at a historic low for the second year in a row.

The year 2025 made it clear that these changes are not just a fashion and a trend, but something more: the foundation of a new identity, which is being formed both from below and from above. Russian Russian National Policy Strategy until 2036, recently approved by the President, emphasizes that Russian society is united by a common cultural code, which is based on the preservation and development of Russian culture and the Russian language.

Already today, the all–Russian civic identity, which implies that residents first of all recognize themselves as citizens of Russia, and only then celebrate their religion or ethnicity, is steadily prevailing among other forms of collective identity. In 2025, it exceeded 92 percent. This is an important result for the country. The target by 2036 is to raise the level to at least 95 percent. Given the trend, this figure even seems to be somewhat underestimated.