Where Does Patriotism Come From and How to Foster It?

The article is devoted to the philosophical understanding of patriotism as one of the key traditional values established in Decree No. 809 of the President of the Russian Federation dated November 9, 2022. This research addresses a range of interconnected issues, including: the essential characteristics of patriotism and the controversy between patriotism and cosmopolitanism; contradictory interpretations of the moral foundations of patriotism in Russian and Western scientific and philosophical discourses; mechanisms of patriotic sentiment formation; challenges in effective patriotic education amid increasing urbanization and globalization; and alternative approaches to strengthening patriotism through deurbanization, revival of national cultural codes, and creating environments for natural identity formation. The study focuses on developing practical recommendations for reinforcing patriotic sentiments in Russian society. As research methods at various stages, the study employs hermeneutic and semiotic analysis of texts from Russian and Soviet songs expressing love for the homeland; self-reflection (autoethnography) allowing the author to better understand the nature of patriotic feelings; and thought experiments enabling analysis of the moral consequences of policies based on principles of patriotism and cosmopolitanism. The novelty of the research lies in synthesizing philosophical, sociological, political science, and psychological-pedagogical approaches to the problem of patriotism. The author rejects abstract moralizing interpretations and demonstrates that patriotism serves as a "self-preservation instinct" of the nation in the context of globalization. Moreover, patriotism represents not so much a rational system of views as a conglomerate of impressions, emotions, and behavioral patterns, most of which form during childhood through imprinting. Patriotic education scarcely engages this mechanism, rendering it largely ineffective. The conclusion posits that a more effective approach to strengthening patriotism may involve creating environments where emotional attachment to native nature and culture forms naturally. A set of measures has been formulated that could form the basis of state policy for creating such environments. Specifically, the study substantiates the necessity for gradual deurbanization and development of rural territories alongside the creation and subsequent popularization of a new "Russian style" across various cultural spheres. The research also identifies risks along this path - primarily bureaucratization that could discredit the very idea, and the substitution of authentic traditions with simulacra

patriotism, Russian traditional values, Russian identity, Fundamentals of Russian Statehood, native landscapes, cosmopolitanism, deurbanization, national culture, cultural imprinting, globalization