Exploring Constitutional Guarantees for National Unity Amid Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Russia: A Discussion in Adygea

On April 29, the National Museum of the Republic of Adygea hosted the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference titled "Constitutional Foundations and Legal Guarantees of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia in the Context of Ethnocultural and Linguistic Diversity." This event was held in celebration of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, as declared by the Russian Federation. The Year aims to promote societal cohesion, preserve historical memory, and strengthen the centuries-old traditions of mutual assistance and friendship among all peoples of the country.

The conference was organized by the Russian Political Science Association, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Adygea, and the Institute of Law Research and Education Cluster of Adyghe State University.

Participants included scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates from Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Belorechensk, and Maykop. The event also brought together representatives of government agencies, public and national cultural organizations, scientific and educational institutions, experts in interethnic relations and human rights protection, as well as journalists.

Opening the conference, Ruslan Ustov, Chairman of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Adygea, emphasized the significance of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and highlighted the vital role of civil society institutions in fostering interethnic harmony. Dovlet Dolev, Chairman of the Committee of the Republic of Adygea on Nationalities, Relations with Compatriots, and the Media, presented awards to members of the organizing committee in honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.

Oksana Gaman-Golutvina, Head of the Department of Comparative Political Science at MGIMO University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, President of the Russian Political Science Association, Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Member of the Public Chamber of Moscow, and Deputy Chair of the Public Council under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech to the conference participants.

Zuriet Zhade , a member of the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Adygea and head of the Department of Theory of State and Law, Constitutional Construction, and Political Science at ASU, Doctor of Political Science, and Professor, delivered the plenary address . She emphasized that "the unity of the peoples of Russia is not a unification of cultures, but the legal protection of diversity. The Constitution creates a strong framework within which each ethnic group, while preserving its language and traditions, is an integral part of the unified Russian nation. The task of lawyers and scholars is to transform these constitutional guarantees into everyday law enforcement practice."

Conference speakers included Zarema Tseeva , PhD in history and associate professor of the Adyghe History and Culture Department at ASU; Sergei Zakharov, ataman of the Maykop Cossack Department of the Kuban Host Cossack Society; Ramazan Tlemeshok, chairman of the "Adyghe Khase – Circassian Parliament" public movement of the Republic of Adygea; and Yunus Khairov, deputy chairman of the Adyghe Republican public organization, the Tatar Cultural and Educational Society "Duslyk . " Presentations by second-year law students Daria Akimenko, Vladimir Bardakov, Vladimir Vatsura, Victoria Guzenko, and Arina Shakhmelyan , devoted to analyzing various aspects of legal guarantees of the unity of the peoples of Russia, generated great interest among conference participants. Future lawyers understand the importance of legally ensuring interethnic harmony and the state integrity of Russia.

Following the plenary session, the work of four sections continued at the ASU Institute of Law scientific and educational cluster: "The Constitutional and Legal Mechanism for Preserving the Unity and Sovereignty of the Russian Federation," "Identity Politics at the Crossroads of Modern Socio-Political Trends," "Historical Memory and Traditional Values ​​as the Foundation for the Unity of the Peoples of Russia," and "Student Science for the Unity of the Peoples of Russia."