Formation of Russian Civilizational Identity in the Context of Ethno-Cultural Diversity

The process of forming of the Russian nation faces today the alternatives of multiculturalism and assimilation. The model of multiculturalism, manifested in the concept of a "nation of nations", as well as the model of assimilation of the peoples of Russia within the Russian ethnic nation, are unacceptable. The most preferable variant of harmonization of ethnocultural diversity with social, political and cultural unity is integration, understood as the integration of heterogeneous parts and elements into an organic whole. This kind of integration can be effectively implemented only on the basis of a shared cultural identity. That’s why leading
Russian politicians are turning to the idea of formation of a unique civilizational space based on Russian cultural dominance. Indeed, only such path – the path of formation of common to all peoples of Russian civilizational identity – can lead to the demobilization and depoliticization of ethnic and religious identities, as well as to overcome the social and cultural cleavages in contemporary
Russia.