A meeting with a renowned philosopher, political scientist and public figure Aleksandr Dugin was held at South Ural State University. This event, part of the "Activate Values!" Youth Media Meeting brought together students, residents of Chelyabinsk, and distinguished guests.
The philosopher explained that the "2050" project aims to concretize ideas about the future and thereby situate the present within a broader historical context, defining its place and significance. The idea is to look 25 years back, to the year 2000, and compare this experience with possible scenarios for our country's development by 2050. The project, with the participation of experts, examines the most important aspects of social, cultural, and political life.
In his speech, Aleksandr Dugin addressed the issues of Russia's future, the role of traditional values, and outlined possible scenarios for our country's development in the coming decades.
"Values accompany a person throughout his/her entire life. From the moment of birth, people enter a family—their first system of values. These values are then transmitted through school, university, culture, media, and the professional environment—and this continues throughout life. Values are the living fabric of society, a special form of its existence. Essentially, these are ideas that can transform over time and acquire new meanings. Therefore, a discussion of values is always a discussion of the idea of society itself, and it must be approached responsibly," noted Aleksandr Dugin. "Values belong to a person's spiritual world, and their transmission is one of the key tasks of education, as well as an important area of work for the older generation. Young people, as part of the society, naturally share fundamental value orientations. But it is in youth that these values fulfil their primary function—they become the foundation for shaping a life strategy."
Among the meeting's distinguished guests were public figure Irina Texler, Chelyabinsk mayor Aleksey Loshkin, South Ural State University Rector Alexander Wagner, and representatives of the clergy.
Irina Texler addressed the meeting participants with a welcoming speech. She emphasized the importance of such events in shaping young people's worldviews:
"Thank you to all the young people in our audience today. This speaks volumes: it means Russia is in good hands. For us, Aleksandr Dugin is a beacon, an honour, and the conscience of our era."
The Secretary of the Chelyabinsk Diocese, Archpriest Igor Shestakov, also addressed the participants:
"Today, we have people gathered in the assembly hall of South Ural State University, who are genuinely interested in this dialogue. I would like to thank the university's leadership for organizing this meeting and say that we are truly fortunate: Aleksandr Dugin is a man whose name is inextricably linked with the development of philosophical thought in modern Russia. For decades, he has set directions and trends in this field and is the author of numerous significant works."
Following the lecture, students asked the speaker questions regarding geopolitical aspects, traditional values, and the formation of worldviews among young people.
The event closed with an awards ceremony for the participants of the "Activate Values!" Youth Media Meeting held at SUSU on April 17th. The best teams and authors of media projects received certificates for their contribution to the development of youth media and the promotion of traditional values.