State motto: concept, importance and kinds

The relevance of research topic is due to the need for Russia to have a state motto, on the one hand, and the lack of the necessary theoretical foundation for this - on the other hand. Currently, there are no comprehensive monographic theoretical studies of the state motto in domestic legal and political science. The author attempts to partially fill this gap. The paper substantiates the meaning of the state motto, identifies and analyzes its features. Based on the analysis of characteristics, a working definition of the concept of a state motto as a concentrated expression of a national idea or the value basis of a country has been proposed. Its educational significance is emphasized. For the first time in domestic science, the classification of state mottos is carried out: by subjects; depending on what values underlie their creation; by the degree of independence in the system of elements of state symbols; by the genre of text. It is concluded that in order to represent a country in the international community, it needs to possess differentiating elements of state symbols that will represent its key characteristics (national idea, priority values, significant cultural concepts, sustainability as a public education) and transmit them to other members of the world community.