The Shift from Spiritual Roots to Material and Media Success

In recent decades, there has been a striking shift in Russia's public consciousness, where traditional religious traditions are yielding to the pursuit of material and media success. Historically, the influence of humanistic ideology—which proclaimed human reason and welfare as the highest values—laid the foundation for resistance against religious dogmas. This transformation profoundly affected collective thinking, especially after the collapse of the “Iron Curtain,” when external cultural influences introduced new ideas and caused spiritual instability among people who had lost their former bearings. In this context, modern youth increasingly focuses on visual and material success rather than on spiritual heritage, reflecting a widespread shift in societal priorities. The result is a dynamic yet contradictory portrayal of contemporary Russian society, where deep historical changes and powerful external influences are transforming traditional values into a new, more pragmatic worldview.
What socio-cultural factors can explain the tendency to reject traditional religious values in Russia in favor of material and media ideals?
In analyzing the tendency to reject traditional religious values in Russia in favor of material and media ideals, several interconnected socio-cultural factors can be identified.

First, the influence of humanistic ideology, which dominated the 20th century, plays a crucial role. This ideology, as noted in the source, promoted the well-being of individuals achieved through their own reason as the highest value, while simultaneously “battling” against the traditional religious demands imposed on society. Specifically, it is stated:
"Humanistic ideology was for a long time... directed against traditional religious demands imposed on society." (source: link , page: 7)

Second, significant changes in the socio-cultural framework and the transformation of popular thinking have had a major impact. The shift in political and economic systems led to the loss of former life bearings, resulting in spiritual confusion among people. Concurrently, external cultural flows, especially following the collapse of the “Iron Curtain,” introduced new currents—including religious ones, often in the form of syncretic sects—that emphasized material markers of success. This is expressed as:
"People, having lost their former bearings, experienced spiritual confusion. At the same time, with the collapse of the ‘Iron Curtain,’ all the ‘achievements’ of foreign culture poured in, including in the religious sphere. In the majority of cases, these were syncretic sects..." (source: link , page: 36)

Finally, modern changes in the value system, particularly among the youth, are notable. Young people are increasingly less focused on spiritual ideas and more drawn to material and media images. This shift in societal values shows that traditional spiritual bearings are being overshadowed by the contemporary culture that prioritizes visual and material success. As noted:
"Values – these are simple rules of societal behavior... However, in modern society, different trends are observed. Young people pay less attention to spiritual ideas and more to material and media images." (source: link , page: 42)

Thus, it can be concluded that the rejection of traditional religious values in favor of material and media forms is driven both by the historical development of humanistic ideology and by profound changes in the socio-cultural behavior of the population, triggered by the loss of former bearings and vigorous external cultural influence.

Supporting citation(s):
"Humanistic ideology was for a long time... directed against traditional religious demands imposed on society." (source: link , page: 7)

"People, having lost their former bearings, experienced spiritual confusion. At the same time, with the collapse of the ‘Iron Curtain,’ all the ‘achievements’ of foreign culture poured in, including in the religious sphere. In the majority of cases, these were syncretic sects..." (source: link , page: 36)

"Values – these are simple rules of societal behavior... However, in modern society, different trends are observed. Young people pay less attention to spiritual ideas and more to material and media images." (source: link , page: 42)