The National Idea as the Foundation of National Security of the Russian Federation

Introduction. The national idea is studied as a milestone for strengthening the national security of Russia in today's settings. The relevance of the study is explained by the increased role of spiritual and moral values and social cohesion in countering complex security threats. Despite the absence of an official ideology in the Russian Constitution, the need of the state in a consolidating ideological benchmark remains. The aim of the present study is to analyse the role and substance of the national idea as the foundation of the national security of the Russian Federation, identify its integrative potential and significance in protecting national interests. Materials and Methods. The study was based on the analysis of the normative-legal acts of strategic planning (the National Security Strategy, the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, etc.), constitutional norms, and research works on the problem of the national idea and ideological security. Within the research, the general scientific (analysis, synthesis, and generalization), comparative legal and system analysis methods were used, along with the historical-legal analysis of the national idea concept evolution. Results. It has been established that the national idea is an integrating force, consolidating the multi-national people around the traditional and patriotic values, which directly contributes to strengthening the state security. It has been revealed that stipulation of the national idea in the value-targeted state policy guidelines enables a more efficient counteracting the internal and external ideological threats. Discussion and Conclusion. In today’s Russia, the national idea in fact fulfills the function of the unifying ideology without contradicting the Constitution, and its development is a crucial condition for ensuring national security and sustainable development of the country.