Institutional framework for forming all-Russian identity in the North Caucasian region: difficulties and achievements

Based on the content analysis of regional regulatory documents of the subjects of the Russian Federation located in the North Caucasus Federal District, the paper examines the institutional framework for the formation of socio-cultural identities in order to strengthen the all-Russian (“Rossiyan”) identity in the region. The legal and institutional base data for making the analysis were: constitutions (charters), regional documents on languages, education, culture, youth and ethnic politics, etc. Since the formation of identity is a process of socialization and education, the key research categories were defined as “language policy”, “educational policy”, “patriotic education”, “cultural policy”, and “youth policy”. On the basis of the analysis it was concluded that, from an institutional point of view, the integration of the federal subjects into the Russian political space is sufficient, while in the cultural sphere maintaining and reproducing of ethno-cultural specificity is accentuated and institutionally supported. Additional efforts on the part of federal and regional authorities are required in order to strengthenthe all-Russian civil and civilizational identity in the North Caucasus.