Valery Fedorov: the military, medical workers, and rescuers are the main heroes of Russia
Who are the heroes and how has Russians' attitude towards them changed over the past few years? How does culture influence the perception of a hero by society? What will be remembered about the outgoing Year of the Defender of the Fatherland? These and other questions were answered at the National Centre RUSSIA by Valery Fedorov, Director General of the VTsIOM Analytical Centre and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. His lecture titled "The Image of a Hero in Contemporary Russia" was delivered as part of the All-Russian Patriotic Forum.
At the beginning of his speech, the head of the VTsIOM Analytical Centre presented data from a recent public opinion survey. It involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. To the question "What can be called heroism?", most responses contained self-sacrifice and personal risk (31%); defending the country and serving society (27% of responses); and rescuing, helping, and caring for people (18% responses, 31% of votes). According to the respondents, heroes in Russia are distinguished by such qualities as courage and selflessness (27%), kindness and mercy (19%), honesty, conscience, and reliability (18%).
When answering the question "Whom would you call the heroes of the country in 2025?", most Russians named the military — 52% of the votes. For comparison, in 2020 this figure was 20%, and with the start of the special military operation, it grew to 54%. Medical workers hold second place — 45% (in 2020 — 55%). In third place are employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and rescuers — 40%. Furthermore, respondents often named volunteers and social workers, police officers, teachers, virologists, and vaccine developers as heroes.
"There is one special element of heroism that distinguishes us compared to the heroes admired in other societies. It is the readiness to suffer, to sacrifice oneself for others, and in its highest form — to give one's own life. One perishes themselves but saves their comrades. That is precisely why, for us, a hero is first and foremost one who sacrifices themselves for others," said Valery Fedorov.
Speaking about the results of the outgoing Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, respondents noted that the country is experiencing a growth in patriotic activity: more attention is being paid to the theme of victory in schools and among youth; new urban thematic elements and memorial symbols are appearing; media interest in the history of the war is increasing; and support for veterans and military personnel is strengthening.
Questions from the audience were also raised during the lecture. For instance, the head of the VTsIOM Analytical Centre was asked how the image of a hero in Russia might change in five years. According to Valery Fedorov, it is possible that in the near future, scientists could become heroes for Russians, as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Why? Because their work is somewhere far away, in laboratories, in white coats; and this work, which is very complex, unclear, and inaccessible to most people — turned out to be extremely in demand and necessary for saving human lives. Their labour ceased to be perceived as something distant and not very needed. Today, other problems are in our focus. But I hope that when the special military operation concludes — we are all, of course, eagerly awaiting this moment — then people of science will once again come to the forefront of heroism: those who advance our knowledge, who make the world around us more understandable and more suitable for life," noted the Director General of the VTsIOM Analytical Centre.
Answering a question from the audience about in what ways culture influences the image of a hero, Valery Fedorov noted that many factors influence the formation of a person's character. But first and foremost, of course, it is what is instilled in childhood. Everything else — school, university, the army, work — matters, but to a lesser degree.
"This software cannot work without hardware. It is the family, of course, that provides the hardware, but on the other hand, the family itself is constantly subjected to the influence of literature, art, news, and so on. It is such an interactive system of universal influence. But the main thing, of course, is the family — the source of cultural values and the main source for forming ideas about many important matters, including heroism and heroes," emphasised Valery Fedorov.
Valery Fedorov's address took place as part of the Znaniye.Heroes programme at the National Centre RUSSIA. The event is dedicated to Heroes of the Fatherland Day. More than 3,000 young people from across the country are participating in the business programme of the Russian society Znanie. Over three days (7 to 9 December), government officials, Heroes of Russia, participants in the special military operation, and military correspondents are talking about heroic deeds, their personal experience, and the role of citizens in the country's development, and are also answering the audience’s questions.
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