“the Generation of Stability”: Russia’s Vectors of Development in the Youth’ Consciousness.

The results of the research represent the perception of an image of Russia and possible directions of its development in the consciousness of the modern youth. The concept “image of the country” have been explicated in the following aspects: spatial (a geographical position, extent, etc.); symbolical (the official and informal, historically developed and designed symbols); personal (historic figures, the outstanding people, acting politicians); temporal (an image of the past and future, social memory); civilizational and geopolitical (ideas about a country place in the world, symbolical identity within the limits of system of co-ordinates «the East - the West»).

The empirical base is represented by the mass poll of Tyumen citizens at the age of 17 - 77 years old. The volume of representative samples constituted 1600 respondents, then it was divided in four segments on the generational approach basis: Soviet generation, late–Soviet generation, post-Soviet transitive generation and “stability generation”.

The results of the research demonstrate the growth of traditionalist tendency moods in all allocated groups. It is paradoxical that some basic parameters «the stability generation» (covers the youth of 1994-2000 year of birth) show more traditionalism in comparison with the senior generational groups. On the contrary, the most senior Soviet generation respondents have shown more modernist position than young respondents on a number of the key questions.

The youngest generation civil political socialization period was passing in “stable” Russia when the key steps to the consolidation of the split Russian society were undertaken. The system of patriotic education at schools and youth organizations was renewed. Conservative values were basic; great support was given to the military-patriotic education of children and youth. Nevertheless, despite the broad support of the modern course of Russia, a considerable protest potential among the youth has been fixed.