On August 21, 2024, the VII International Summer School “Bulgarian Dialogue of Cultures: Family in the Value System of Modern Youth” took place in Bolgar. The event participants discussed the most important issues related to the family as a social institution and exchanged experience in preserving traditional family values. Scientists, representatives of government authorities, scientific and educational organizations, religious and public figures were invited.
The traditional reading of selected ayats of the Holy Quran opened the ceremonial part of the event. Rector of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy Farhat Khusnutdinov addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. The rector noted that in accordance with the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the protection of traditional family values is a principle of state cultural policy. It is assumed that the country's religious organizations should play a special role in fulfilling the task of reviving the traditions of family education.
“This year the traditional summer school is taking place in difficult conditions. We successfully repel attacks that encroach on the ideological integrity of our country”, - the rector emphasized. At the same time, the preservation of family values, which are the key to the existence of Russian statehood and the preservation of its civilizational foundations, acquires particular relevance. More than 40 delegates from four countries attend the school, Farhat Khusnutdinov also emphasized.
The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Tariq Ali Bakhit, in his speech clearly pointed out current negative trends. “Attempts are being made to rethink the concept of family, to impose a new definition, by passing fundamental cultural and religious traditions”, - the speaker noted, also calling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict one of the crisis factors.
“In Islam, family has an important place. In this regard, I would like to specifically thank the national leader of Russia Vladimir Putin for declaring the Year of the Family. Now the Muslim world is facing a challenge, and we must all join forces and protect the very value of the family, protect what our religion gives us”, - emphasized Tariq Ali Bakhit.
Mr. Ali Bakhit also spoke about the activities of the OIC in this area, in particular about the Ministerial Conferences on social development in the member states of the Organization. At the second such conference, held in Cairo in 2023, a resolution was adopted, the first paragraph of which talks about strengthening family well-being and protecting the institution of marriage and family. It is worth noting that as part of his visit to Russia, Tariq Ali Bakhit will take part in the Kazan Global Youth Summit.
Greetings from the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia - Islamic World” Farit Mukhametshin was read by the head of the Center for Interreligious Dialogue of the BIA, member of the GSV, executive director of the Foundation for Promotion of Strategic Dialogue and Partnership Elmira Sadykova, who moderated the meeting. In his address, the diplomat noted that, as part of its activities, the Group repeatedly and at different levels speaks about the preservation and enhancement of traditional spiritual values, one of which is the family.
“Russia is truly a family, one might say, a family of families. People of different nationalities have lived here for centuries in harmony, and the diversity of cultures, languages and customs doesn’t divide, but, on the contrary, unites Russia”, - said Mukhametshin. According to the speaker, the family is an important social institution where newlyweds can find emotional support, attention, and a safe space to express their feelings and ideas.
On behalf of the Director of the Council for Islamic Education, Rector of the Russian Islamic Institute Rafik Mukhametshin, Associate Professor of the Department of Theology of the BIA, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Russian Islamic Institute Robert Shangaraev addressed the school participants. During the speech, it was emphasized that the protection of traditional family values, common to all, is a matter of maintaining a strong and healthy society throughout the country.
“A strong marriage between a man and a woman, love for children, honoring parents, respect for elders, caring for the younger, raising worthy and well-behaved children - this is approved by every society and state. The Almighty commanded to carefully preserve and pass on these values to subsequent generations”, - the greeting also said.
The chief adviser to the department of state-confessional relations of the Department for Interaction with Religious Associations of the Department of the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan on internal policy issues, Askar Gatin, also agreed that the modern situation poses certain threats to the preservation of traditional values. But at the same time, speaking about problems, it is necessary to talk about opportunities, “positional changes that can become elements of our development. Because it’s very easy to talk only about bad things”.
Askar Gatin also paid attention to the values common to different religions. “When we look carefully and deeply at religions, we see that they unite us”, - the speaker noted. In particular, for Orthodoxy and Islam, family, raising children and procreation occupy an important place among common values.
The Chairman of the Expert Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for interaction with the Islamic world, Hieromonk Gregory, spoke via video link. “Live for yourself and don’t take everything from yourself” - with such an attitude it is impossible to create a family. At best, it is possible to implement the option of cohabitation without obligations, which is now so widespread”, - the speaker noted. Hieromonk Gregory wished modern youth to realize a higher degree of happiness, which lies in the gospel covenant “It is more blessed to give than to take”.
Address by Mufti of the Religious Board of Muslims of Tatarstan Kamil hazrat Samigullin was read to the participants by the head of the social development department of the RBM RT, Aigul Biktimirova. The mufti's message spoke about the importance of the spiritual and moral education of youth as the basis for the formation of a modern personality with traditional religious beliefs, an active civic position and a respectful attitude towards the historical heritage of one's people and other cultures.
“To hear and see how Muslim youth live, you need to communicate with them”, - urged the Mufti of Tatarstan. For a constructive dialogue, it is necessary to know the answers to the questions of the younger generation and develop a Muslim infrastructure that would include everything necessary for a full life.
During the working meeting, Aigul Biktimirova made a report on the topic “Family lifestyle in the value system of Muslim youth”. The speaker complained about the excessive passion of modern people for digital gadgets to the detriment of live communication and the development of traditional values. Mrs. Biktimirova also spoke about the unique project of the Religious Board of Muslims of Tatarstan “Young Bride”, aimed at preparing for family life. Thanks to the project, were formed 35 families, only one of which broke up.
The head of the Executive Committee of the Council of the Assembly of Peoples of Tatarstan, Renat Valiullin, gave a detailed presentation on the activities of the Assembly. Currently, this organization is actively working at the federal level, carrying out work aimed at stabilizing public policy.
The range of activities of the Assembly of Peoples of Tatarstan is quite extensive and includes the preservation and development of folk arts and crafts, intangible heritage, information support and services, participation in resolving migration issues, and the formation of a youth movement within the organization. Humanitarian aid is being collected and sent to the special military operation zone.
A welcoming message to school participants on behalf of Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan was read by Priest Nikita Kuznetsov. The letter expresses the clergy's deep concern for the fate of Russian families and youth. Modern negative trends are defined as “a real war against the family, the front of which is in the hearts of people”. “According to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the family is the main school for the education of the individual. His Holiness notes that the family not only helps a person to understand the world around him, but also teaches him love, kindness and compassion”, - the message also said.
The Russian Orthodox Church, in addition to daily pastoral work, supports legislative initiatives and organizes events to strengthen family values among young people. Various events are held at the diocesan level, among which is the annual celebration of the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.
Vice-Rector of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius for Youth Policy and Educational Activities Hegumen Anthony (Kadyshev) in his speech emphasized that the task of spiritual people is to form a value-based and worldview space in which the guidelines for society are faith, conciliarity and common principle. Interreligious and intercultural cooperation in Russia has always been of particular importance, especially under the auspices of the GSV “Russia - Islamic World” and the Project Office for International Youth Cooperation in the direction “Russia - OIC”.
Head of the department of the UNESCO department, associate professor of the branch of the Dagestan State University in the city of Derbent, senior researcher at the Museum of the History of World Cultures and Religions Gulchokhra Seidova spoke to the summer school participants twice. During the solemn part of the meeting, Mrs. Seidova confirmed the existence of anxiety due to the negative trends of globalization that threaten national security. The speaker addressed the event participants with a call for personal example and greater activity in promoting family values.
Gulchohra Seidova’s speech was informative and revealing with a report on the topic “Modern youth and family values”, devoted to a comprehensive study of the issue. At the same time, during the presentation, photographs from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics were shown as a clear example of an ideology incompatible with traditional values that is making itself known at the state level.
Chief Researcher of the Department for the Development of Methodologies for Social, Psychological, Educational and Pedagogical Work of the Federal Institution Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia Sergei Oganesyan noted a turning point in the history of human development. In his speech “On the spiritual and moral values of the modern family”, the speaker stated the importance of the Constitution as the fruit of intellectual activity provided for in the sacred scriptures. Traditional values of religion must become the principal and fundamental basis of new rules, “laws of the new path” formulated by humanity.
The Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania, Khadzhimurat Haji Gatsalov, cheerfully welcomed the participants of the event via video link and noted that the study of issues of unity, education and family is especially relevant today. “This is what our morality, brotherhood and strength, our constructive future are built on,” the speaker emphasized. The mufti also recalled the past, referring to the common phrase: “There was no religion under Soviet rule”. In this case, Khadzhimurat Haji called to remember the years of the Great Patriotic War and the feats accomplished by the people: “These are the people who never forgot the Lord God. We stood on the basis that we call family and religion”.
Acting Director of the Center for Family and Demography of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Aigul Khuramshina spoke about the activities of the Center, formed in 2007. Thus, in order to formulate a holistic republican family and demographic policy, scientific research, methodological support for the national demographic project and consultation with authorities on issues in this area are carried out.
Speaking about the problem of the crisis of family values and demography, Aigul Khuramshina noted that more than ten years ago the Center conducted research, the results of which did not identify the necessary parties for developing programs. “Unfortunately, scientists don’t hear right away. A certain amount of time passes, during which many degradation processes take place in society. I would like scientists to hear right away”, - the speaker noted.
Aigul Khuramshina also shared details of the interaction of the Center for Family and Demography with the authorities. In addition, the Center carries out an active practice of social and scientific-educational activities. Thus, the day before, a lecture was held in the second most important city of Tatarstan - Naberezhnye Chelny, where representatives of the entire economic zone gathered. In 2025, it is planned to hold the next round table meeting on the topic “Modern family and the regional aspect”.
Doctor of Shariah Sciences Bolbol Ismail Hamdan Musa, before teaching at BIA, was the dean of Al- Azhar University in Gaza. To date, the last educational institution has been destroyed as a result of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. “Nevertheless, the people of Palestine remain determined to prove to the world that the family is the center of society in every state”, - the speaker said.
Arguing that the collapse of the family institution threatens the fall of the state, Bolbol Ismail Hamdan Musa spoke about his personal experience of visiting America at the invitation of local universities. He was struck by the attitude towards the institution of family in Western society. During his speech on the topic “Muslim family in modern society”, Mr. Hamdan Musa showed the failure of same-sex marriage and the “equality” of the qualities of men and women, stemming from the covenants of the sacred scriptures, which form the basis of human civilization.
Rector of Dar al- Uloom Alimiya, one of the teachers of the BIA, Doctor of Sharia Sciences (India) Anwar Ahmad highly appreciated the diligence of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy, the government of Tatarstan and the Russian leadership. According to the speaker, Russia's achievement of a prominent political status became possible thanks to the efforts made by the state in the field of preserving traditional spiritual and moral values.
In his speech on the topic “Preservation of traditional family values from the point of view of the Quran”, Anwar Ahmad emphasized that man was not created by the Almighty to live alone. Many Westerners believe this way; however, other civilizations do not believe in this theory and cannot agree with it.
Associate Professor of the Department of Church-Practical Disciplines of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, Head of the Center for Research on Law and Culture, Head of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law of the Law Faculty of the State Academic University for the Humanities Yulia Erokhina made a report on the topic “The importance of traditional family values in teaching the academic discipline “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood”.
Mrs. Erokhina spoke about the objectives of the discipline introduced last academic year according to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation. The formation of the educational and methodological complex proceeded in parallel with the joint mastery of the discipline by teachers and students. At the same time, classes in the discipline “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” were conducted in person, offline.
Thanks to teaching methods, traditional family values are not only preserved, but in some cases are formed. The Presidential Decree of August 19, 2024 on providing humanitarian support to persons who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values allows foreign citizens and stateless persons who do not agree with the policies of their countries to come to Russia. In this regard, it is important to note that several English-language programs were developed as part of the “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” course. In addition, the discipline will soon be supplemented with a separate course “History of the Religions of the Peoples of Russia”.
“The wife supports her husband and gives him strength. And fathers support their daughters in their marriage and education”, - noted Doctor of Sharia Sciences (Yemen) and BIA teacher Al- Asri Saif Ali Mohamed during his speech on the topic “The Value of Peaceful Coexistence, Creation and Cooperation in Islam”. The speaker said that discussing the preservation of traditional family values is especially important in order to take a strong stand in the face of distorted ideas coming from Western countries.
A lively discussion among the participants was sparked by the speech of a senior researcher at the Department of Religious Studies of the Institute of Ethnological Research named after R.G. Kuzeev Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Zilya Khabibullina spoke about the transformation of the Islamic tradition in the context of the digitalization of religion. In particular, this phenomenon, called “cyber-Islam”, can influence religion outside the Internet, thanks to the popularity of Muslim communities on social networks.
Head of the Department of Islamic Studies of the Kazan Orthodox Theological Seminary, Associate Professor of the Department of Religious Studies of the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Vladimir Rogatin spoke about the Christian perception of the qualitative component of traditional values. “The Christian finds certain answers in such a segment as “moral theology”. If dogmatic theology examines issues related to God, then morality is connected with relationships between people”, the scientist explained during a speech on the topic “Family relationships and the family in the context of moral theology”. In conclusion, Vladimir Rogatin noted that the religious perception that led to the rise in the birth rate in the Russian Empire is also in demand in the modern period.
Maryam Kozhevnikova, assistant for mentoring among teenagers at the Religious Board of Muslims of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, noted in her speech that adolescence is one of the most vulnerable periods in a person’s life, when he is actively searching for himself and his place in the world. At this time, parental authority is tested, and the influence of external factors becomes especially significant. Ms. Kozhevnikova’s report is devoted to the topic “The online platform “Teenager’s World” as a tool for helping parents in matters of upbringing and preserving traditional values”. This platform is a multi-format project, including the organization of thematic events and active interaction on social networks for the purpose of support and mentoring.
The decline in the authority of adults for teenage children is also noted by the master's student of the department of church-practical disciplines of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, the rector of the Church of the Epiphany in the village. Parzi Glazov district Hieromonk Abraham (Alisher Kalandarov). In a presentation on the topic “The experience of the Glazov diocese in introducing young people to traditional family values through volunteering and thematic quest games”, Father Abraham shares his experience in developing and organizing interactive games that involve teenagers in exploring the significance of traditional family values. Only peers take part in the process of direct play; in this case, the transfer of information between them reaches high quality. The speaker also emphasized that the university is involved in the development of programs, and the games carry Orthodox morality.
Director of the Center for Islamic Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Ilshat Mukhametzaripov gave a fascinating report on the topic “Normative preferences in family relationships using the example of Muslims of Tatarstan and Dagestan”. Thanks to the interesting data of the study, the participants of the summer school had the opportunity to clearly see the dynamic nature of traditional values.
IV year BIA student Islam Akuev presented interesting statistics in a presentation on the topic “Demographic situation in Eurasian countries”. No less interesting was the proposal of the respected speaker to invite more youth representatives to subsequent events.
RII teacher Aigul Huseynova outlined the main issues of education and family values in the Tatar media. The younger generation was also represented by 4th and 2nd year students of the Russian Institute Ksenia Pupkova and Elza Minashaeva, who made presentations on the topics “Informal teenage subcultures from the point of view of family values and education” and “Moral and cultural attitudes of family and youth, the influence of the media on their formation”. In the first case, we looked at destructive ideas adopted by modern Russian children from Asian social networks. The second report revealed the features of the functioning of the Tatarstan youth magazine “Yalkyn”.
The above-mentioned speeches took place after a report on the topic “Journalistic experience in creating books about motherhood and family”, which was prepared by Oksana Biryukova, a teacher at the RII. Assisting various experts in preparing their own publications allowed us to study the features of modern book culture. These include greater demand for electronic media and the popularity of the “non-fiction” genre, based on real events and the transfer of personal experience. In this vein, such publications can be used to disseminate and preserve traditional family values.
In particular, Ms. Biryukova spoke about a project launched in 2023 - a book of 18 stories about the choice facing a mother: to keep the child or have an abortion. Each story ends with a refusal of abortion thanks to the recommendations of doctors and experts. The publication gained popularity among workers in this field, which resulted in a request for additional circulation.