The Youth Code: How the Young Generation is Shaping the Visual Language of Contemporary Russia
What shapes the modern visual code of Russia, how the younger generation perceives it, and which projects are already helping to create the country’s unified cultural language – all these topics were addressed at the National Centre RUSSIA during the “Youth Code” discussion. The event summed up the results of the large-scale initiative of the same name, which brought together young graphic designers, artists, fashion designers, and manufacturers from across the country. Participants discussed key trends, as well as the opportunities and methods through which state and public institutions can respond to these changes.
According to Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, the Russian visual code is based not only on folklore and traditional patterns. There is more to it. For instance, the symbols of the New Year at the National Centre RUSSIA are the nevalyashka, (a roly-poly toy), and the feather of the Firebird. The main theme of the events and the future regional exposition is Russian fairy tales.
"A fairy tale helps to bring order to chaos and leads to a miracle – the fulfilment of dreams. Every person is familiar with it since their childhood, which is why it awakens warm memories and inspires one to dream. This is precisely the goal of the National Centre RUSSIA: to show, through fairy tales, what the country is proud of today, and to unite people around shared values," said Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.
During the discussion, Mikhail Shtyrev, Candidate of Psychological Sciences and Head of the Sociology Department at the Feedback Research Centre, presented the results of a comprehensive study of the attitude the young people have towards the visual environment in Russian settlements. He stated that online surveys and focus groups were conducted. The study sample was segmented into three age groups: 14–17 years old, 18–25 years old, and 26–35 years old. Furthermore, at all stages of the research, participants were divided by type of settlement to account for territorial specifics.
"To understand the youth's attitude towards the visual environment, it was important to identify common sentiments. As the study showed, 69% of participants trust government institutions, slightly more than half believe in the country's bright future, and one in three has stable value orientations and life strategies. We also directly asked participants whether they understand the visual code of their settlement. It turned out that 44% fully comprehend the visual code, 47% perceive it neutrally – they grasp the general background but see no specifics, and only 9% do not understand the meaning of the visual communication," said Mikhail Shtyrev.
According to him, the Research Centre gathered information on which elements constitute the visual code, how young people view these elements, and what they consider important. He noted that an interesting discovery was the state of road infrastructure, which turned out to be not the primary visual trigger. The most significant factors for young people were the state of building facades and infrastructure.
Speaking about the visual code of the future, Mikhail Shtyrev observed a trend towards environmental matters. The “green” agenda is becoming a key one: forest shades dominate the colour palette, and eco-elements are perceived as an important component of visual identity. This is especially relevant for Generations Z and Alpha – the young people growing up in an era of increased focus on sustainable development and environmental values, he added.
Any decision a person makes is formed based on an impression, an emotion that arises in the heart, believes Gulnara Agamova, Director General of the Creative Industries Agency ANO. This is how people decide whether they will buy something, use a particular service, or attend an event or not.
"How much time does an average Muscovite spend on leisure per day? Conscious leisure amounts to about two hours. But if you add background activities – for example, when a person is jogging and listening to music at the same time – it takes about eight hours a day. It is these hours of background leisure consumption that shape our perception: what we like and what we don't. It is on this basis that the cultural agenda and demand for creative industries are formed. Consumption trends are changing: it's clear that we are spending more time online, and viral content formats are popular," shared Gulnara Agamova.
The cultural code is transmitted through viral content. According to her, people look to mega-projects in film, animation, music, and video games. For example, in Russia, 380 billion roubles are spent annually on video games, with Muscovites accounting for about 80% of this. Video games are becoming a means of transmitting cultural and visual meanings, serving as a social and educational platform, explained Gulnara Agamova. Using such tools, she believes, ideas of the visual code can be conveyed to a wide audience extremely quickly. At the same time, design is a cross-cutting industry – encompassing communication, environment, and industry simultaneously. It creates the foundation upon which all subsequent transmission of meanings depends.
The “Youth Code” project by Rosmolodezh unites young designers, artists, fashion designers, and manufacturers from across the country and is aimed at creating a unique visual code for young people. Participants' ideas are reflected in clothing, household items, and accessories, and the project itself allows young talents to realise creative ideas, gain experience working with professionals, and contribute to forming a style that will become a symbol of the generation.
Before the project launch, a survey of over 8,000 young people from all regions of Russia was conducted. It showed that young people use visual elements for self-expression, prefer minimalism and bright colours, combining openness and creative activity with ambition and a readiness for change.
Over 1,000 participants from 82 regions of Russia applied for the competition, and in the final stage, 10 design concepts competed for victory in a popular vote, where over 10,000 people cast their votes.
The winners of the popular vote – the projects named “Horse of Fire” and “Impulse of the Generation” – have begun working with Artemy Lebedev's Studio to create a unified concept of the modern youth code based on their projects.
Event photobank
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