SELF-IDENTIFICATION OF THE POPULATION OF RURAL TERRITORIES OF THE RUSSIAN CASPIAN SEA

The main objective of this article is to identify trends in building a hierarchy of basic identities and assess the specifics of national / ethnic identity in the public opinion of the population of rural areas of the Russian Caspian regions. The article is based on the analysis of the results of a series of field sociological studies conducted with the support of the Russian Science Foundation in 2024 in the Russian Caspian region (Astrakhan Region, the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Kalmykia) using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results of the study showed that in the public opinion of the majority of the population of rural areas of the Russian Caspian region, a certain hierarchy of bases (dimensions) of identity construction is formed, where the leading one is civic identity, which is associated, first, with birth and residence in each territory, and only then with citizenship. The second most important dimension for most respondents is national / ethnic identity, which is mainly formed through traditional cultural values, national mentality and language. At the same time, the distinctive features of the Russian mentality, according to informants from rural areas, are openness, generosity, patriotism, and a generous spirit, primarily associated with vast territories. In addition, territorial self-identification and historical memory were characterized, where differences in results were recorded both by region and by age. The specifics of historical events for each region are different, ranging from pedaling traumatic events to rejection of the Soviet past. However, for more detailed results, an additional pool of studies is required.