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Today, under the chairmanship of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, a scheduled meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation was convened.

The meeting focused on improving state policy concerning the protection of traditional spiritual and moral values and the historical memory of Russian society.

In our country, with its unique, over thousand-year history of statehood, it is the traditional values and historical memory that define a common civic identity and serve as the foundation for the unity of cultural space.

Under current conditions, the preservation and development of Russia as a nation rely on safeguarding the spiritual and moral principles inherent to our people, the capability of society to ensure the proper upbringing of new generations, and the preservation of the memory of our country’s glorious history.

The Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, adopted in 2022, have outlined the directions for large-scale work involving virtually all government bodies. Public and religious organisations, civil society institutions, and simply concerned citizens are also engaged in implementing measures within this framework.

Through joint efforts, a number of strategic planning documents have been prepared: the Strategy for State Cultural Policy until 2030, the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Historical Education, the Strategy for the Implementation of Youth Policy in the Russian Federation until 2030, and others.

Concurrently, the system of grant support for projects aimed at reinforcing traditional values is being refined. During 2023–2024, more than 1,500 public initiatives in historical and cultural heritage preservation and patriotic education received support, with over 12.5 billion roubles allocated for these purposes.

That said, the effective promotion of healthy values among the population requires clearly defined priorities and principles in the field of state information policy.

Protecting historical memory is an integral part of our national security and historical sovereignty. Most Russians believe that attempts are currently being made to falsify history. They believe that the events of the Great Patriotic War and the Red Army’s decisive role in defeating Nazism require the most relentless efforts to be protected from distortions.

Over 746,000 events to protect historical truth were held in Russia and abroad in 2023–2024. Media outlets and social networks carried nearly 2 million publications on Russia’s history and countering falsification of history, reaching up to an audience of over 400 million.

Personal involvement and immersion in history and the war time events help the younger generation preserve the memory of our people’s feat, provide crucial moral benchmarks the present-day Russian young people will keep and pass on to the future generations.

Children and adolescents should know the real heroes who used to live and still live near them, in their families, and should take pride in them and be aware of their labour and military achievements. Understanding their significance for our entire country gives rise, among other things, to engagement with the fate of the Fatherland and readiness to defend it the way it is being done today by special military operation participants – grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the victorious WWII soldiers.

Therefore, raising our young generation is our strategic task. Today, all possible tools are being utilised to this effect – general educational programmes, historical education, promoting children’s and youth movements, and the system of training educators.

In 2024, the Foundations of the Russian Statehood educational module was introduced in over 600 educational institutions. Also, since last September, the Training Through Serving module was incorporated by over 415 educational institutions.

During the meeting, the role of the Russian language was highlighted, which is important today as never before. Clearly, the Russian language is a foundation for countering the threats of external ideological expansion. Our country successfully resists attempts to restrict the use of Russian, cancel Russian culture and literature, and impose attitudes that contradict traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

During the Security Council meeting, the activities of museums, theatres, libraries, and cultural institutions were also lauded, as they contribute to the careful preservation, development, and transfer of invaluable knowledge about the Russian history and traditions to future generations. It is culture that has a positive impact on the upbringing of young people of our country, who will determine the future of Russia.

A lot is still to be done. Above all, work must be continued to improve the legal framework, ensuring that strategic planning documents that are under development fully align with the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.

In the area of educational policy enhancement, it is essential to both broaden the reach and improve the effectiveness of educational initiatives. The Russia National Centre can play a pivotal role in this effort, serving as a key platform for the promotion and dissemination of spiritual and moral values among young people. Today, the Centre hosts a wide array of high-level thematic events, including those of international significance.

In order to elaborate coordinated approaches to patriotic education, it is needed to develop the Fundamentals of State Policy for Patriotic Education of Youth.

In international relations, the image of Russia as the keeper and protector of traditional spiritual and moral values must be promoted. This should become a priority of our foreign policy.

These were the main issues raised at today’s meeting of the Russian Security Council.

The press service of the Security Council of the Russian Federation