"Speaking About Our Vast Motherland with Love!": patriotism in the digital age explained at the National Centre RUSSIA

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How is the perception of patriotism changing in the digital age, and what role do social media play in this process? These issues were explored by experts during the panel discussion "Speaking About Our Vast Motherland with Love!" held at the National Centre RUSSIA. The conversation focused on new forms of civic expression emerging through the work of bloggers, volunteers, and creators of family- and countryside-themed content. The event was part of the Final Forum of the International Volunteer Corps of the 80th Anniversary of Victory, organised by the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers".

"We are talking about the Motherland – how it manifests itself and how it is understood today. Over the past few years, many people have developed a clear idea of what this means and how to express it. Of course, the topic can be viewed through the prism of the special military operation. But on the other hand, we can see how various trends are gaining momentum online and in social media, as people across our country are learning to speak about their love for Russia in new ways," said the moderator of the discussion, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia, blogger and special military operation volunteer Maria Chadina.

She emphasised that her generation, born in the 1980s and 1990s, grew up surrounded by Western values, fascinated by TV series like "Gossip Girl", fashion trends, expensive accessories, and studying at prestigious schools. In her view, modern youth have made a complete turn: brands and the Moscow lifestyle are no longer essential to them. Happiness, Maria Chadina believes, lies in a peaceful life, honesty with oneself, and the ability to enjoy life away from the city.

One example of this shift is the author of the blog "In the Village with Karolina", winner of the national award in the "Blogosphere" category from the Ministry of Agriculture, and graduate of the federal programme "New Media Workshop" Karolina Moiseyenko. She said she set a trend for rural life entirely by chance.

"I never planned to show village life. On the contrary, I wanted to hide that I spent a lot of time with my grandmother during the holidays, helping my parents. I was afraid my classmates would judge me – in 2019–2020, it just wasn’t considered ‘cool’. The internet at that time promoted a very different lifestyle – luxurious and glamorous. I created social media accounts and decided to show how I care for animals. I received enormous support from my followers. People liked that I showed a natural life – without make-up or embellishment," she said.

According to her, blogging is real work, and posting videos daily can be quite exhausting. However, Karolina Moiseyenko remains enthusiastic – she admitted that her inspiration never runs out, and she is truly passionate about her work.

The topic of love for the Homeland cannot be separated from volunteerism, said blogger, publicist and member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation Dmitry Puchkov, better known as Goblin. He shared that he has been engaged in volunteer activities for 26 years, and most actively since 2014.

"If you live and earn in Russia, you can’t stay ‘neutral’ – you’re either with us or not. In my opinion, helping during wartime is beyond question. One may say they are a patriot and love their Motherland – that’s wonderful. But decent people are judged by actions – by what they actually do to help their country. If you’re not interested in the Homeland, you can still help specific people: support an elderly woman, buy her food, bring her water. It should be simple and clear," continued Dmitry Puchkov. "Since 2014, we have been closely involved with orphanages and individuals in need, purchasing everything from buckwheat to military helmets. Every month I buy medical backpacks worth 300,000 rubles, which are sent to units for soldiers and medics."

The blogger discussion about love for the Homeland also featured the head of the large blogger family FamilyPatrol from Bataisk in the Rostov region, German Kutarai. According to him, online content does not necessarily have to be entertaining – what matters most is sharing the values people find lacking today.

"We make family videos, and their main value lies in simplicity. You don’t need ‘mountains of gold’, fashionable clothes or an expensive car to be a happy family. Family well-being, smiles and a sense of humour are quite enough. Everything else can be resolved through joint effort – and then everything works out," said German Kutarai.

Participants of the International Volunteer Corps of the 80th Anniversary of Victory included representatives of 89 Russian regions and 35 countries. The forum brought together activists from the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers", as well as members of Russian-speaking and international youth associations from countries such as France, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Panama, Tajikistan, Abkhazia and others, along with leaders and volunteers from non-profit organisations engaged in patriotic education and historical awareness.

The forum was organised by the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers" with the support of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy of Moscow, Rosmolodezh’s programme "More Than a Trip", the Presidential Grants Foundation, and other partner organisations.