Abstract
<jats:p>This article examines the development of adolescents’ national and cultural identity in contemporary Russia. In the context of a values crisis and globalization, adolescents’ identity is becoming complex and mosaic in nature, which requires a rethinking of traditional educational methods. The article aims to provide a theoretical justification for the use of cultural practices as a key mechanism for construction of adolescents’ national and cultural identity. The author analyzes the current state of the issue, examines the specifics of adolescent identity, analyzes existing theoretical approaches, and systematizes the main types of cultural practices. The article explores the concept of complex social identity and introduces the concept of mosaic identity, reflecting adolescents’ ability to flexibly activate various components of identity depending on the context. The article examines linguistic, family, play, culinary, and educational types of cultural practices. Each of them represents a tool for transmitting traditional values - from patriotism and civic consciousness to historical memory and intergenerational continuity. It is through such active and practical acquisition of culture that an adolescents not only learns about norms, but appropriates them, making them part of their identity. The author concludes that the systematic application of cultural practices fills a spiritual vacuum, helps overcome adolescent crises, and transforms youth from an object of education into an active subject, ensuring the continuity of generations through the transmission of cultural and historical experience, strengthening civic unity, and promoting national security.</jats:p>