This article traces the complex and multifaceted process of shaping Russian collective identity within the context of historical, political and socio-cultural changes. The work examines key concepts and ideas that have defined Russian identity at various stages: from the idea of the “Third Rome” and “Official Nationality” to Eurasianism, the Soviet project of a “united family of peoples”, V. A. Tishkov’s concept of a civic nation, and the idea of the “Russian World”. Special attention is paid to contemporary challenges associated with the transition to a network society: the fragmentation of social ties, the crisis of grand narratives, the weakening of traditional sources of ontological security, and the rise of existential anxiety. The article analyzes how multiple collective identities and social movements are becoming new forms of solidarity and meaning-making. The author argues that, in the conditions of late modernity, collective identity – especially in a civic, supra-ethnic format – remains critically important for social cohesion, state legitimacy, and ensuring the ontological security of citizens. A successful search for a contemporary Russian identity requires synthesizing historical experience with an understanding of the network logic of society and the ability to combine all-civic unity with recognition of internal diversity. This task is viewed as a necessary condition for Russia’s sustainable development in the 21st century.
collective identity; network society; ontological security; Eurasianism; Russian World; civic nation.