On approving the Fundamentals of State Policy to Preserve and Strengthen Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values

Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation 

In accordance with Federal Law No. 172-FZ On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation of June 28, 2014, I hereby resolve:

1. To approve the Fundamentals of State Policy to Preserve and Strengthen Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.

2. This Executive Order comes into force as of the day of signing.

President of the Russian Federation

Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin, Moscow

November 9, 2022

No. 809

APPROVED by Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022, No. 809

Fundamentals of State Policy to Preserve and Strengthen Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values

I. General provisions

1. The Fundamentals constitute a strategic planning document related to ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation; it sets forth a system of goals, objectives and implementation mechanisms for delivering on the strategic national priority titled Defending Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, Culture and Historical Memory as it pertains to defending traditional Russian spiritual and moral values (hereinafter also referred to as “traditional values”).

2. The Constitution of the Russian Federation, universally recognised principles and norms of international law and the international treaties of the Russian Federation, as well as Federal Law No. 172-FZ On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation of June 28, 2014, and the Fundamentals of State Policy in Strategic Planning of the Russian Federation constitute the legal framework for the Fundamentals.

3. The Fundamentals specify certain provisions of the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation, the Information Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation, the Strategy for Countering Extremism in the Russian Federation until 2025, the Strategy for State Ethnic Policy of the Russian Federation until 2025, the Fundamentals of State Cultural Policy, the Strategy for Developing the Information Society in the Russian Federation in 2017-2030, Presidential Executive Order No. 204 dated May 7, 2018, On National Goals and Strategic Objectives of the Russian Federation through to 2024, and Presidential Executive Order No 474 dated July 21, 2020 On the National Development Goals of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030.

4. Traditional values are the moral precepts shaping Russian citizens’ worldview, handed down from one generation to another and forming the foundation of Russia’s national civic identity and the country’s single cultural space, as well as reinforcing civic unity, and they are reflected in the unique and authentic spiritual, historical and cultural development path of Russia’s multi-ethnic people.

5. Traditional values include life, dignity, human rights and freedoms, patriotism, civic consciousness, service to the Fatherland and responsibility for its destiny, high moral ideals, strong families, productive labour, the primacy of the spiritual over corporeal, humanism, charity, justice, collectivism, mutual assistance and mutual respect, historical memory and the continuity of generations, as well as the unity of Russia’s peoples.

6. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and other religions which are an integral part of Russia’s historical and spiritual heritage have had a considerable influence on the emergence of the traditional values shared by believers and non-believers alike. The Orthodox faith has played a special role in the emergence and strengthening of traditional values.

7. The Russian Federation views traditional values as the foundation of Russian society, enabling it to defend and strengthen its sovereignty, ensure the unity of our country with its diverse ethnic and religious structure, preserve the people of Russia and enable them to develop their human potential.

8. By seeking guidance from traditional values and accumulated cultural and historical experiences when assimilating social, cultural, and technological processes and phenomena, the people of Russia are able to effectively respond to new challenges and threats in a timely manner while preserving Russia’s national civic identity.

9. The state policy of the Russian Federation to preserve and strengthen Russia’s traditional spiritual and moral values (hereinafter “state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values”) consists of a series of coordinated measures carried out by the President of the Russian Federation and other government agencies with input from civil society institutions for countering sociocultural threats to the national security of the Russian Federation pertaining to the defence of traditional values.

10. State policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values is implemented in the spheres of education, work with young people, culture, research, inter-ethnic and inter-faith relations, mass media and communications, and international cooperation. Federal executive agencies in charge of defence, national security, internal affairs, public order and other government agencies are responsible for carrying out this state policy within their respective areas of purview.

II. Assessing the situation, main threats and risks to traditional values, development scenarios

11. The efforts made in the Russian Federation to develop the spiritual potential of the people are increasing the cohesion of Russian society and public awareness of the importance of preserving and strengthening traditional values amid the global civilisational and values crisis, which is leading to the loss of traditional spiritual and moral bearings and moral principles.

12. The National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation assesses that the situation in Russia and the world requires emergency measures to defend traditional values.

13. Threats to traditional values come from extremist and terrorist organisations, some news media and communication platforms, the actions of the United States and other unfriendly foreign states, several transnational corporations and foreign NGOs, as well as the activities of some organisations and individuals in the territory of Russia.

14. Ideological and psychological influences on citizens are leading to the dissemination of a system of ideas and values that are alien to the Russian people and destructive for Russian society (hereinafter referred to as “destructive ideology”), such as the fostering of egoism, permissiveness and immorality, rejection of the ideals of patriotism, service to the Fatherland, the natural progression of life, the values of a strong family, marriage, raising multiple children, productive labour, and Russia’s positive contribution to global history and culture, as well as the erosion of the traditional family through the promotion of non-traditional sexual identities.

15. Destructive ideological influences on Russian citizens are threatening the demographic health of the country.

16. The activities of public law entities, organisations and individuals helping to promote destructive ideology constitute an objective threat to the national interests of the Russian Federation.

17. The dissemination of destructive ideology entails the following risks:

    a) emergence of conditions for the self-destruction of society and the erosion of family, friendship and other social ties;

    b) accelerated socio-cultural stratification, decline of the role of social partnership, and devaluation of the ideas of productive labour and mutual assistance;

    c) damage to the moral health of the people, imposition of concepts that disregard human dignity and the value of human life;

    d) promotion of antisocial behaviour, dissolute lifestyles, permissiveness and violence, growing alcoholism and drug addiction;

    e) emergence of a society that rejects spiritual and moral values;

    f) distortion of historical truth and erosion of historical memory;

    g) rejection of Russian authenticity, weakening of the national civic identity and cohesion of the multi-ethnic Russian people, development of conditions for interethnic and interfaith conflicts;

    h) erosion of confidence in government institutions, discreditation of the idea of service to the Fatherland, and development of a negative attitude to military service and government service in general.

18. To preserve and strengthen traditional values and prevent the spread of destructive ideology, reforms in the spheres of education, culture, science, mass media and communications should be implemented with due regard for the historical traditions and experience accumulated in Russian society, with obligatory broad public discussions.

19. The task of preserving and strengthening traditional values should be undertaken in the following key areas:

    a) adjustment of strategic planning documents to find more effective methods of preserving and strengthening traditional values and to determine guidelines for identifying goals and finding more effective mechanisms to uphold national interests in this sphere;

    b) interagency coordination of efforts to uphold traditional values;

    c) improvement of the system of state support for culture and education projects with due regard for the objectives of the state policy of preserving and strengthening traditional values;

    d) development and improvement of the forms and methods of countering the risk of dissemination of destructive ideology in the information environment;

    e) improvement of education and awareness-raising forms and methods for children and young people in accordance with the objectives of the state policy of preserving and strengthening traditional values;

    f) enhancement of the efficiency of academic, educational, awareness-raising and culture organisations in protecting historical truth, preserving historical memory and preventing the distortion of history;

    g) improvement of the work of law-enforcement agencies to prevent and disrupt criminal activity aimed at disseminating destructive ideology.

20. Conditions will subsequently follow a positive or negative scenario.

21. A positive scenario will result if the state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values is implemented systemically and consistently. This scenario provides for strengthening Russian society’s defences against threats and risks to traditional values. It is aimed at nurturing moral human beings who respect traditional values, have relevant knowledge and skills, are capable of realising their potential in modern society and are prepared to engage in peaceful productive labour and defence of the country. Under a positive scenario, existing problems will be gradually resolved and answers found to new challenges based on traditional values.

22. A negative scenario is possible if no efforts are made to combat the spread of destructive ideology.

III. Goals and objectives of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values

23. State policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values shall have the following goals:

a) to preserve and strengthen traditional values and ensure that they are passed on from generation to generation; 

b) to counter the spread of destructive ideology;

c) to position the Russian state on the international stage as a custodian and defender of traditional universal spiritual and moral values.

24. Implementing the strategic national priority titled Defending Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, Culture and Historical Memory entails delivering on the following objectives set forth in state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values:

a) to strengthen civic unity, national civic identity and Russian singularity, inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony based on the unifying role played by traditional values;

b) to preserve historical memory, counter attempts to falsify history, safeguard the historical experience that gave rise to traditional values and the way they impact the course of Russian history, including the lives and work of Russia’s outstanding figures;

c) to preserve, reinforce and promote traditional family values, including marriage as a union between a man and a woman, to ensure generational continuity, care for the elderly so that they can live in dignity, and to promote the importance of perpetuating the people of Russia as a top national strategic priority;

d) to carry out state information policy reinforcing the role traditional values play in mass consciousness and to counter the spread of destructive ideology;

e) to promote education in the spirit of respect for traditional values as a key tool of state policy in education and culture so that individuals can develop in harmony;

f) to support public projects and civil society institutions in the sphere of patriotic education and preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the people of Russia;

g) to support organisations of traditional religions, and enable them to contribute to activities designed to preserve traditional values, and to counter destructive religious movements;

h) to award government contracts for carrying out research and creating informational and methodological materials, including film chronicles and other audio-visual materials, works of literature and art, to provide services aimed at preserving and promoting traditional values, as well as to monitor performance under these government contracts;

i) to provide for state protection of cultural heritage sites (historical and cultural landmarks) of the peoples of Russia, and to make them more accessible to raise awareness, as well as to offer a supportive environment for shaping historical self-awareness and teaching people to love and respect their Fatherland;

j) to support projects promoting traditional values in the media;

k) to safeguard and support the Russian language as the language of a state-forming nation, to ensure that the norms of today’s Russian literary language are respected, including preventing any use of obscene language, and to counter excessive use of foreign words;

l) to provide protection from destructive external information and psychological impacts and to disrupt efforts to destroy Russia’s traditional values;

m) to enhance Russia’s global role by promoting traditional spiritual and moral values based on long-standing universal values.

IV. Tools for carrying out state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values

25. State policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values shall be carried out using the following legal means:

a) improving laws and regulations at the federal, regional, and municipal levels;

b) having government agencies draft strategic planning documents taking into consideration the goals and objectives of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values.

26. State policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values shall be carried out by relying on the following main means of implementation:

a) having government agencies develop event plans for implementing these Fundamentals;

b) evaluating projects, including informational and other materials, programmes and events for their compliance with traditional values when deciding whether offering government support would be advisable;

c) monitoring whether the goals of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values are achieved, including in terms of fulfilling plans of events for implementing these Fundamentals;

d) having government agencies monitor compliance of the events financed from the budgets pertaining to the system of budgets of the Russian Federation with the goals and objectives of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values;

e) involving civil society institutions, including religious organisations, in carrying out state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values.

27. Research and analytical tools used as part of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values include: 

a) undertaking research projects on matters related to implementing state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values at the federal, regional, and municipal levels, including performance assessments of these programmes and projects;

b) developing methodological guidance for implementing state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values.

28. The outreach by government agencies to mass media outlets in an effort to promote traditional values shall operate as an informational tool for implementing state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values.

29. To monitor whether the goals of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values were achieved, a system of indicators shall be developed based on the following inputs:

a) official statistics;

b) opinion surveys;

c) monitoring problems related to preserving and strengthening traditional values (for constituent entities of the Russian Federation and within the area of purview of government agencies).

30. Budgets in the budgetary system of the Russian Federation, as well as other sources of funding as set forth by the laws of the Russian Federations shall provide funding for carrying out initiatives to implement state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values. Budgets that are part of the budgetary system of the Russian Federation shall be drafted taking into consideration the goals and objectives of this state policy.

V. Expected deliverables from state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values

31. Efforts to implement state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values are designed to help maintain and expand the population of Russia, preserve national civic identity, develop human potential, sustain civil peace and accord in the country, strengthen the rule of law and order, build a safe information space, shield Russian society from the spread of destructive ideology, achieve national development goals, and enhance the competitiveness and international prestige of the Russian Federation.

32. These Fundamentals may be adjusted, if necessary, at least once every six years following a performance review of state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values.