Tobolsk to be venue for discussion on the formation of a new national identity
On 18–21 April 2025, Tobolsk will be the centre of a large-scale discussion on Russia’s future with the First Tobolsk Readings taking place in the heart of Siberia. The scientific and practical conference is organized under the auspices of the project “Siberian Russia: Turn to the East 2.0” of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs of the National University Higher School of Economics (HSE) and the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
It is hoped that the conference will become a platform for exchanging knowledge and best practices on issues relating to speeding up innovative progress, integrating science and culture, and forming a new model of socio-economic development for Russia based on the unique potential of the Siberian regions.
“We are standing on the threshold of a new era, where Siberia is again becoming the spiritual and economic axis of Russia, uniting our multinational country and defining its unique identity. The historical and civilizational codes of Siberia are not merely a legacy of the past, they are also the key to understanding our future, to the formation of a new model of socioeconomic development based on innovation and spiritual values. The project ‘Siberian Russia: Turn to the East 2.0’ has two key vectors when it comes to focusing ambitions for the benefit of Russia. Together, they form an energy that can unite regions and become a point of growth in the context of global changes. In this regard, the first ever Tobolsk Readings are aimed at a rethinking of Siberia’s role in the history and culture of the country, at creating a platform for discussing new tools for creating an innovative economy and strengthening Russian sovereignty and its position on the global stage,” noted Professor Sergey Karaganov, Ph.D. (History), Academic Director of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs of the National University Higher School of Economics, and Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
The main thrust of the conference is the discussion of strategic areas for strengthening Siberia and Russia as a whole, with the “Turn to the East” and “Siberian Russia” as key factors in the new ethical, cultural, and economic foundation of the country. The central topics of discussion will be the economic and geopolitical turn to the East, the growing strategic importance of Siberia in the new conditions, and the role of education, good parenting, and culture in the context of the agenda of the HSE project. The conference will feature a discussion of a “soft situational analytical” report prepared by the organizers. Topics for future reports will be developed, and the agenda for future readings determined, during the key session, titled “The Socioeconomic Development of Siberia: A New Concept.”
A separate session will be devoted to the discussion of the preliminary version of the report “Russia’s Dream Idea: The Code of the Russian of the 21st Century”. The discussion will cover such issues as the development of a concept of the Russian national idea and the creation of a code of values capable of uniting the country and serving as a reference point for shaping, guiding, and educating the youth. The living Dream Idea should become a generator of meanings and ideas for society; it should serve as a basis for rethinking, for liberation from Western intellectual and cultural influence.
The First Tobolsk Readings are part of a broader trend within the country of the return to the Russian national idea and the search for a national identity based on the culture of small regions and peoples. This direction is also supported by the “Soul of Russia. The Arctic” project run by the Innosocium Foundation, the social platform of the Roscongress Foundation, which is aimed at preserving and expanding the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North – the Arctic and the Far East. These initiatives are mutually complementary. They both promote the integration of regions and peoples into a single space, support spiritual and cultural diversity, and help build a strategy for the country’s sustainable development based on historical traditions and modern innovations. Together, they form the basis for a new ethical and ideological foundation for Russia that meets today’s challenges and is in line with Russia’s national priorities.
The results of the First Tobolsk Readings and the “Soul of Russia. The Arctic” project will be presented as part of the business programme of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 18–21 June 2025. These materials will be reflected in key discussions on the comprehensive and innovative development of Russia’s regions, and the strengthening of Russian identity based on the country’s rich heritage: its unique cultural monuments, its spiritual and moral traditions, and the historical and cultural codes of the regions.
