METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS AND PREVENTION OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TENSIONS AMONG STUDENTS OF THE NORTH-WEST FEDERAL DISTRICT OF RUSSIA
The object of this study is the ethnoconfessional situation in Russia, and the subject is the diagnosis of ethnoconfessional tension in the youth segment of the North-Western regions of the country, based on extensive field research, collected in 2019 by sociological methods in several regions of the north-western federal district under the author's program of regional monitoring of extremist sentiments and manifestations in the youth environment, the article examines the issues of national and confessional selfidentification of students. Through a series of questions reflecting the hierarchy of ethnic identity criteria, latent interconfessional tension is diagnosed, maintaining a steady trend for several years, recorded in the studied regions. In addition, the level of hostility of respondents to large traditional confessions in Russia is measured with an analysis of the current situation. The summarizing part of the study states the difficulties of confessional selfidentification in some of the surveyed youth and notes the presence of latent interconfessional tension while maintaining a higher level of tolerance for other nationalities.In addition, there is an increased negative background in relation to Christianity and Islam, which is due to a fairly high rating of neo-Paganism in the individual and mass consciousness of students. Part of the radical trend ideasin neopaganism is a breeding ground for the support and development of a wide range of extremist manifestations. Based on the conducted diagnostics, it is necessary to carry out information and preventive work for the destruction of negative stereotypes regarding Christianity and Islam.