External Image as a Geopolitical contour of the National Idea of Russia

Taking into account the historical features of the development of the Russian statehood, the article considers the importance of having a national idea that could spiritually unite the numerous peoples and nationalities of our country. Today, many proposals are put forward on this occasion, among which there is the idea of patriotism — a sense of love for the Motherland, a willingness to sacrifice for it. However, in this capacity, according to many experts, the feeling can not be a national idea, as a driving force in the development of society; it can only be a necessary and obligatory condition for this movement and its development. Using historical examples, the author shows that the national idea cannot exist without the state ideology — a kind of soul of the nation, the value and ideological basis of society, which forms the meaning of the existence of the state and its citizens. It is the state ideology that should form the basis of the national idea and include a whole system of unifying ideals and values that derive from the entire history and culture of the country. Since today the solution of the problem of searching for a national idea largely depends on the attitude to our country abroad, the article suggests using the external image of the country as a living, visual representation of the characteristics of a particular state in the historical, military, demographic, economic, political, recreational, tourist, etc. spheres as the geopolitical contour of the national idea. In this regard, the main directions and performers of the implementation of this proposal are specified.