The article reveals the continuity of the value foundations of Russian identity,
their representations in periods of war in the socio-political discourse, and the politics of memory. The methodology proposed for addressing the issue is an updated version of the civilizational approach, drawing on the insights gained from memory studies and political science in the research of the politics of memory and its interconnection with national identity. The socio-political discourse of 1914 is examined, reflecting the understanding of Russia’s goals and the meaning of its struggle against Germany and its allies during the onset of the First World War. It is argued that the war was seen as a confrontation of values, a struggle against the anti-Christian tendencies of the West embodied in Germany’s politics. The use of images from the Patriotic War of 1812, past wars with the “Teutons” to justify Russia’s liberating mission is shown in the politics of memory of 1914. The use of images from the First World War and
other wars in the modern politics of memory is analyzed. Its intensification since 2022 is highlighted. Similar to 1914, Russia’s struggle is represented as resistance to the evil spawned by the West, the protection of true Christian values. However, unlike the discourse of 1914, where Germany was portrayed as the embodiment of Western degeneration and Russia was part of the coalition of Western powers, in the modern discourse, the united position of the West is presented as a result of its degeneration.
The commonalities and differences in the discourses of 1914 and the present confirm the connection between history and the current reality, “posing questions” to the past, and the continuity of the basic elements of the value structure of Russian civilization and national identity
