Russia’s civilizational identity as a resource for political transformations

Abstract

The article examines Russia’s civilizational identity as a significant resource for political transformations in the field of cooperation with the BRICS countries. The article reveals the role of Russia as a civilizational country with an independent historical path, a multi-ethnic cultural foundation and a stable foreign policy orientation towards multipolarity. Russian identity is defined on the basis of the main civilizational features: polyethnicity (superethnos), a powerful place of development, an evolutionary state, and a unified spiritual foundation. The main focus is on the existing Russian mentality, which has a significant impact on the spiritual, moral and interreligious sphere of interaction between the BRICS countries, which is currently no less important than economic and diplomatic ties. The theoretical problems of the differences and interrelationships of the basic concepts are considered: mentality, interreligious dialogue and its types, interfaith dialogue, religious harmony. It is suggested that at present, in the formation of BRICS, it is possible to achieve a certain spiritual consensus and the beginning of religious harmony on the basis of interfaith dialogues. The role of the Russian civilization is emphasized, on the basis of which solutions to urgent problems in the field of interfaith and interreligious relations can be found. Special attention is paid to BRICS as a new type of international association in which the interaction of states is based on the recognition of sovereignty, cultural diversity and equal participation in the formation of a new architecture of global governance.