The “Russian Statehood Code: The Past, the Present, and the Future” All-Russian Scientific and Educational Forum has wrapped up at South Ural State University (SUSU). The final event of the two-day program was a plenary discussion entitled “Russian Statehood Code: Strategic Priorities and Best Practices in Higher Education”, which brought together representatives of government authorities, academic and educational communities, Russian Orthodox Church, and public organizations.
Participants reviewed the outcomes of their joint work, discussed the role of universities in preserving historical memory and spiritual and moral values, and explored prospects for developing educational and character-building activities for young people.
The plenary discussion was attended by Alexander Wagner, Rector of South Ural State University; Alexey Denisenko, a deputy of the State Duma; Vladimir Shishkov, Federal Inspector of the Chelyabinsk Region at the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Ural Federal District; Nataliia Loshchinina, Chair of the Committee on Social Policy of the Legislative Assembly of Chelyabinsk Region; and Elena Sidorchuk, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Chelyabinsk Region.
Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, and Metropolitan Alexy of Chelyabinsk and Miass also joined the discussion. Among the participants was Andrey Kormukhin, a Russian public figure, leader of the “Sorok Sorokov” (“Forty Times Forty”) movement, and Chair of the “Semya” (“Family”) movement.
Opening the plenary discussion, SUSU Rector Alexander Wagner thanked the guests, experts, and organisers for their active participation throughout the two days. He emphasised that the forum had served not only as a platform for discussing important issues but also as an opportunity to exchange practical experience in education and youth development.
“Over these two days, we have discussed a wide range of issues and exchanged experience and practices that we apply in delivering educational programmes and working with young people. I feel confident that the projects we have reviewed and the solutions we have jointly outlined will significantly improve the quality of education and youth development activities in the Chelyabinsk Region and help young people gain a better understanding of our country’s historical values and the path of its development,” Alexander Wagner noted.
In his address to the participants, State Duma deputy Alexey Denisenko highlighted the growing role of educational institutions in shaping the younger generation. According to him, cooperation between families and the education system is essential for helping young people develop moral principles and values.
“Today, the education system has a major role to play in raising the younger generation. This is why forums, working groups, and discussions that help establish common principles and approaches are particularly important. Families place considerable trust in educational institutions to help young people develop spiritual and moral values,” Alexey Denisenko emphasised.
Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan focused on the historical foundations of the Russian statehood and the role of spiritual and moral values. He conveyed the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the forum participants and emphasised that spiritual traditions had played an important role in the development of Russian society, culture, and education for centuries.
“If we look at the history of our country, we can see that the origins of the Russian statehood are closely linked to spiritual and moral values. One of the most important events was Prince Vladimir's decision to adopt the Orthodox faith, which had a profound impact on the development of spirituality, morality, education, and other areas of public life. Today, we must preserve and restore these traditional values. Where there is morality, there is also progress in the development of society and in every sphere of our lives,” Metropolitan Vikenty noted.
The plenary discussion continued with presentations by experts. The speakers included Vardan Bagdasaryan, Dean of the Faculty of History, Political Science and Law at the State University of Education, Professor at the Department of Public Policy of the Faculty of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Doctor of Sciences (History); Marina Potapova, Vice-Rector for Education at SUSU, Doctor of Sciences (Pedagogy), and Professor; and Nataliia Ivanova, CEO of the IPR Group of Companies.
In his presentation, Vardan Bagdasaryan proposed examining the forum's theme through the lens of historical continuity and the enduring values underpinning the Russian statehood. In his opinion, alongside the past, the present, and the future, it is essential to consider what remains unchanged across different historical periods.
“The forum’s title contains three important words: past, present, and future. However, I believe one more category is missing — the eternal. Without the eternal, the connection between the past, the present, and the future is impossible. It is fundamentally important for us to identify the constants of the Russian history and demonstrate that Kievan Rus’, the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and modern Russia constitute a historically unified Russia in which our civilizational values continue to be reproduced,” Vardan Bagdasaryan noted.
Marina Potapova, Vice-Rector for Education, spoke about how these values are reflected in SUSU’s educational and student development activities. She presented the approaches the university uses in its work with students, emphasising that modern education must take into account the interests, needs, and worldviews of the younger generation.
“It is a great honour for me to present the model and approaches that have been established at South Ural State University. If we are talking about a modern university and a modern education system, they must, of course, be student-centred. If we remain disconnected from the aspirations and worldviews of the young people who come to study at our university, we will not be able to achieve the goals we have set. Therefore, bringing education, student development, and students’ interests together is one of the most important tasks a modern university faces,” Marina Potapova noted.
The discussion also focused on integrating spiritual and moral values into the educational process, developing pedagogic-educative activity at universities, and applying modern approaches to teaching subjects related to the history and the Russian statehood. Participants examined how the experience accumulated by educational institutions could be used to help students elaborate a comprehensive understanding of our country’s history, culture, and social development.
Particular attention at the forum was given to student participation. Over the two days, students not only attended presentations by invited experts but also delivered their own reports, asked questions, and shared their views of the current social issues.
Andrey Kormukhin, a public figure who actively participated in the forum, shared his impressions of engaging with the student audience. He attended presentations by young researchers and discussed spiritual and moral values with them. He spoke highly of the students’ enthusiasm, their willingness to engage in dialogue, think independently, and express their own views.
The plenary discussion marked the wrapping up of the “Russian Statehood Code: The Past, the Present, and the Future” All-Russian Scientific and Educational Forum. Over the two days, the forum brought together representatives of different professional fields and generations, creating a space for open dialogue among experts, university lecturers, and students. The outcomes included an exchange of best practices in education, a discussion of approaches to youth development, and the identification of future areas of cooperation in preserving the historical memory and the spiritual and moral values.