Ethnocultural Education as a Factor of the Spiritual Security of the Russian Polyethnic Society

The article is based on the idea that in the setting of multiculturalism of the Russian society, the escalation of ethnic conflict is fraught with grave risks to the territorial integrity of the state; therefore, there is much tension around the issue of ensuring the spiritual security of the Russian society as a key factor in preserving the national sovereignty and cultural identity of the Russian Federation. The analysis of ethnocultural education as a social institution and sociocultural space of the socialization of an individual has made it possible to suggest that it has the potential to ensure the spiritual security of the Russian society, particularly in regard to interethnic relations. The authors conclude that the continuity of traditions, the interaction of ethnocultures, their sustainability and renewal in the dynamic changes of modern society is comprehended through ethnocultural education, which allows preserving the heritage of local cultures within the context of the nationhood of the Russian Federation. Hence, ethnocultural education serves as a factor of the spiritual security of the Russian multicultural society, ensuring the continuity of reproduction of historical traditions of long-term cohabitation and cooperation of various ethnic cultures in the common cultural and political space of the Russian Federation, having a beneficial effect on the harmonization of interethnic relations and paving the way for the sustainable development of the Russian society.