Formation the Image of the Future in Modern Russia: Mass Dynamics and the Role of the State

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of forming the image of the future in Russia in the late 2010s – early 2020s. The above problem is considered from two perspectives: from the point of view of factors influencing the crystallization of Russians’ perceptions of the collective future, and in the context of the state policy of constructing the image of the future. It is stated that the fragmentation of the image of the future in modern Russia is due to such factors as the complex nature of Russian society and its generational specifics, the intensive digital transformation of the socio-political environment, the lack of horizontal and vertical social trust, the eclecticism of political values and hypertrophied retrospective orientations of mass consciousness. It is pointed out that the state policy of constructing a national image of the future in today’s Russia is characterized by an insufficient level of institutionalization and elaboration. At the same time, in the semantic sense, at the turn of the 2010–2020s it was consistently aimed at actualizing such mass political values as paternalism, social justice and improving the quality of life. It is emphasized that the political events of the early 2020s were a stress factor for the Russian society and had a serious impact on Russians’ perceptions of the country’s future. Therefore, the role of the state policy of constructing the image of the future as a key tool for the value-semantic consolidation of Russian society is significantly increasing.