The purpose of this article is to clarify the knowledge about the role of ideology in modern Russian society. The author demonstrates the scientific difficulties with the definition of the term “ideology” and proposes own understanding of ideology as a certain type of spiritual activity (and simultaneously the complex of products of this activity), defined by it’s goal to legitimate one or another socio-economic and politico-legal regime and/or programs of its change. In addition, the article shows the place of ideology in the system of public consciousness, it is argued that ideology is both a form and project and orientational consciousness, and always contains value component. The author also claims that ideology is always political. Such abstracts allow the author to distinguish the concepts of ideology and the national idea, to show that the problem of finding a way to consolidate nation, the system of values in modern Russia is not necessarily connected to creating an ideology. It is argued that one should not understand article 13 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in a negative way, because it's not about banning ideology itself, but only the state ideology.
