New episode of "The Nature of Values" on the origins and development of our country's code of values — on the National Centre RUSSIA's social media

What lies behind the concept of "Russia" — a state, a territory, a culture or something more? Why have we returned time and again over the centuries to discussions of justice, freedom, faith, power and the common good? And are there values that continue to be passed down from generation to generation despite revolutions and changes in political systems? The new episode of "The Nature of Values", an original video podcast from the National Centre RUSSIA, explores the answers to these questions.

In the new episode, host Alexei Slushchev was joined by Fyodor Gaida, a scholar of Russian social and political thought, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Professor in the Department of Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Russian History at the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Together, they examine how Russia's code of values took shape and what happened to it over the centuries, attempt to separate historical facts from myths, and explore whether it is even possible to speak of shared values across a vast country whose people, in different eras and generations, had entirely different ideas of a good life.

"The broader conditions in which people live have long influenced them, and our system of values also began to take shape many years ago. However, we need to understand that we no longer live in an agrarian society and are no longer so heavily dependent on, for example, the grain harvest. Humanity has reached a point where the social environment has a far greater influence on people than the natural environment," said Fyodor Gaida.

"The Nature of Values" is a series of podcast interviews about how human and cultural values emerged and evolved, and why they need to be protected. The project combines expert discussion with first-person stand-up storytelling and invites viewers to join the search for answers, encouraging independent critical thinking. The project is supported by the National Centre RUSSIA and the Internet Development Institute (IRI).

Watch the new episode on the National Centre RUSSIA's VKontakte page.