The Revival of Russian National Identity in the Cultural Dimension: Explanation of Putin's Actions

Introduction: The issue of national identity has always been a fundamental concern among the Russian people and policymakers. Russia has enjoyed a stable national identity that has been sought throughout different periods of Russian history. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, national identity gained more traction among Russians. Given the vast territory and diversity of ethnicities and religions, the lack of a stable national identity could have led to separatist conflicts that would have brought the country to the brink of dissolution. To reverse the situation, Russia needs a strong leadership that can restore the country’s damaged identity, greatness and integrity and provide a clear vision for the future. The identity crisis in Russia has been a major concern for the country's presidents since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a collapse to which they have dedicated their policies to countering. Based on this background, the present article adopts a multidisciplinary cultural approach to first examine the state of national identity in the post-Soviet era and then analyze the initiatives of Russian leaders in the cultural realm to revive the lost Russian identity. For constructivists, understanding the role of national identity in determining the national interests of states and providing guidance for them in international politics is key. Therefore, analyzing the performance of Russian leaders in crisis management will shed light on their approaches to research question. Yeltsin's legacy in managing the identity crisis and its national revival is assessed as destructive in neglecting the historical past and discarding cultural values, with negative effects on the process of collective identification and a sense of belonging, which delays the realization of a coherent Russian identity. The memories of his administration are marked by economic stagnation and separatist turmoil, while Vladimir Putin’s achievements show positive progress. Although his government was by no means flawless, his reforms convinced Russians that he was the one who could reclaim lost glory and build respect from historical humiliation.
Research question: How did Putin, as president of Russia, deal with the national identity crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Research hypothesis: Vladimir Putin highlighted Russia's historical past as a superpower and emphasized the centrality of cultural heritage to advance a different reformist approach to redefine Russia's global position and provide a compelling response to the identity crisis.
Methodology: This article is a qualitative, descriptive-analytical study, and its research method is documentary and uses structural analysis.
Results and discussion: Vladimir Putin acknowledges that his country is made up of different ethnicities, religions, generations with unique ideals, experiences, and expectations, and that to redefine national identity in the current circumstances, he must take all this diversity for granted. The cultural divide between younger generations, who have no idea what life was like under the Soviet Union and middle-aged people who have completely different values, makes things worse for the policymakers. The young generation suffers from a lack of national awareness, a decline in patriotic sentiment and the increasing grip of cyberspace - which is fundamentally associated with the Western lifestyle - and has failed to fully integrate with its national identity.
Putin redefined modern Russian national identity as a combination of Tsarist and Soviet identities; one of the fundamental Soviet values based on contemporary Russian realities that encompasses the values of different groups and can mobilize them as a nation with common symbols, beliefs, values, political culture and national heroes, so that heterosexual tendencies are minimized. He takes the concept of nostalgia and uses it as a device of collective belonging and patriotism. Dedicating specific days on the calendar to commemorate historical events, opening museums, holding events to celebrate the achievements of past leaders and restoring cultural buildings are all part of Putin’s recognition of the importance of nostalgia in reviving identity. 
Vladimir Putin’s policy of managing the identity crisis and redefining it over the past years has been successful in restoring hope to Russian society by reconciling generations, ethnicities and religions. It is worth noting that Russia still has a long way to go to become a unified society. While governments strive to consolidate national symbols and emphasize the glorious past to resolve the identity crisis, cyberspace hinders the process of national awareness, especially among young people. The widespread influence of cyberspace dominated by the Western culture continues to further alienate the young generation from their cultural heritage and identity, hindering the pace of identity building in Russia.
Conclusion: Yeltsin's legacy in managing the identity crisis and its national revival is assessed as destructive in neglecting the historical past and discarding cultural values, with negative effects on the process of collective identification and a sense of belonging, which delays the realization of a coherent Russian identity. The memories of his administration are marked by economic stagnation and separatist turmoil, while Vladimir Putin’s achievements show positive progress. Although his government was by no means flawless, his reforms convinced Russians that he was the one who could reclaim lost glory and build respect from historical humiliation.