The “inherent” Russian cultural code in the philosophical thought of G. P. Fedotov

<jats:p>The purpose of the study is to identify the “inherent” Russian cultural code in the philosophical legacy of G. P. Fedotov (1886-1951). Based on Fedotov’s texts, the article reconstructs the thinker’s religious and philosophical ideas about cultural genesis, freedom, humanism, and the cultural types of the Russian people. Special attention is given to the status of motherhood, the role of mercy in the social ethics and spiritual culture of the Russian people. The scientific novelty of the work is related to the actualization of the philosopher’s views in the context of the current discussion on the national cultural code. It is noted that the thinker’s foundation of value dominants is based on a deep understanding of historical experience and the specificity of national culture. As a result of the study, it has been established that G. P. Fedotov’s approach of emphasizing the polar traits of the national character can have heuristic value when addressing the issue of the cultural code. The thinker’s views on the national anthropological specificity have also been revealed, and the value dominants that are considered to be inherent have been identified.</jats:p>