The Historical and Cultural Factor of Russians Current Political Perception of Their Countrys Development

The article discusses the results of empirical political research 2023—2025, devoted to the study of Russians perception of the development of their country. The research model is compiled within the framework of the political-psychological approach and involves the study of public ideas about national development in the context of the substantive and symbolic filling of the images of the past, present and future of Russia formed in the mass consciousness. The article concludes that the fragmentation of public ideas about the history of Russia is increasing, aggravated by the communicative factor and the clip-like thinking of the young part of society. The results of the study revealed the persistence of incongruence of the elements of the countrys image in the context of assessing its potential. The intensification of renaissance mechanisms in the process of constructing scenarios for the future development of the country by the mass political consciousness only increases this incongruence. Contradictory assessments of the cohesion of Russian society (which serves as the foundation for stabilization development, according to a significant part of Russians) were revealed. The values of social equality or tolerance were not defined as priorities. The tendency to associate successful scenarios of the future with mythologized personified images of power was more relevant. The value and political polarization of modern Russian society blurs the clarity of the criteria for assessing the countrys development. A tendency to perceive national development in association with the theme of overcoming and resistance was recorded. The tendency of transformation of the image of the people described in the work appears to be the most dangerous for the national-state identity these days. An assumption is made about the growing public anxiety regarding the risks of social disunity, radicalization of views, and the dangerous increase in conflict potential of individual groups and communities.