Paper accepted on 31 July 2025
https://doi.org/10.18485/sres.2025.4.1.1
ABSTRACT: This paper examines the process of patriotization in the Russian Federation following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. While often presented in the West as a temporary political reaction to the crisis, the research shows that patriotization in Russia is the result of over two decades of state-driven efforts to reinforce traditional values, national unity, and loyalty to the state. Through content analysis of official documents, policy speeches, and ideological writings — supported by comparative and case-study methods — the paper explores how these efforts have intensified since 2022 and become central to both domestic governance and foreign policy. Particular attention is given to the influence of contemporary Russian thinkers such as Aleksandr Dugin, Sergey Karaganov, and Fyodor Lukyanov, whose ideas reflect and sometimes anticipate official state narratives. The creation of new state-led initiatives, such as the “Time of Heroes” program, illustrates how the state seeks to shape not only public sentiment but also a new elite aligned with these values. Finally, the paper contributes to the academic discussion by introducing and applying the concept of “patriotization” — still rarely explored in Serbian academic discourse — as a framework for analyzing societal and ideological consolidation in modern Russia.
KEY WORDS: Russia, patriotization, traditional values, Eurasianism, World Majority.
