TOLERANCE: IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?

The article suggests a re-evaluation of theoretical and practical application of tolerance in its contemporary European-American understanding as a concealed expansion of spiritual values, extraneous to Russian mentality. One of the conduits of this tolerance, propagating “western values” and alien to Russian peoples, is satirical comedy shows on Russian television, where a Russian person is depicted as a primitive brute. We examine the history of various understanding of cultural values between Russian people and western countries. Fundamental traditional moral and ethical values and cultural experience of Russian peoples are considered to be top priority in cultural development. For this reason, the author suggests establishing learning and teaching and academic centres and departments to study, preserve and actualize traditional cultures of native peoples of Siberia, the Far North and the Far East, as well as to research and regenerate Russian traditional culture.