Traditional Values in Strategic Planning Documents and in the Russian Ruling Elite Rhetoric

There may be significant differences between the official understanding of the traditional values outlined in strategic planning documents, and their interpretation in the rhetoric of the ruling elite. In order to test this hypothesis, the author examines how the principles formalized in the Fundamentals of State Policy for Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, established by the order of the President of the Russian Federation in 2022, are reflected in the elite’s rhetoric. By viewing traditional values as an ideological construct, the author identifies which of their officially documented components are most prominently featured in public statements, while simultaneously pointing out social phenomena and problems that accompany references to traditional values. The research study is based on qualitative content analysis of the texts of public speeches made by the President, State Duma deputies, senators and members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation from 2020 to 2024. As part of the deductive approach, categories derived from the Fundamentals of State Policy are used to code the collected data, which allows to assess the alignment between rhetoric and officially established interpretations. To examine the context, in which the ideological construct is used, thematic coding is applied. The research demonstrates that in the rhetoric of the ruling elite the categories outlined in strategic documents are often connected to the images that are most easily grasped by a broad audience and emotionally charged. This makes vague and sometimes unpopular concepts more accessible to the audience. A central theme in the statements of the elite is the emphasis on threats to traditional values from the “collective West”. Such narratives simplify the perception of state policy, which aims to protect these values, as necessary and legitimate.