Collective historical memory as a source of shaping the image of the future

The article examines the results of sociological studies of the public opinion of residents of the Nizhny Novgorod Region from the standpoint of studying the influence of collective historical memory and the value base formed under its influence on the construction of the image of the future. Based on the research materials, the conclusion is made about the extremely insignificant level of idealization of the Soviet socialist system in the mass consciousness. The key thesis of the article is the assumption that the existing post-Soviet collective historical memory is not an obstacle, but one of the main tools for further development of the country. At present, the Soviet socialist past, in all its contradictory manifestations and ambiguous assessments, serves as a natural basis for this process. The construction of a social state in Russia may be precisely based on the collective historical memory of socialist principles and practices. The materials presented in the article are based on research data conducted by the Volga Branch of the Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Research Institute of Social Management Problems (Nizhny Novgorod) in the period of 2015-2022.