Legal Aspects of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia Discussed at KBSU
A roundtable discussion on «Legal Mechanisms for Ensuring National Unity and Security in Modern Conditions» was held at the Institute of Law, Economics, and Finance (IPEiF) of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh. M. Berbekov (KBSU). The roundtable, initiated by the «Legal Russia» student research group, brought together future lawyers, leading scholars of the republic, and government officials. It served as the academic community’s response to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation declaring 2026 the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.
Murat Gukepshokov, Vice-Rector for General Affairs at KBSU, welcomed the roundtable participants and noted the continuity of the topic: «Russia’s multinationality is our strength. I am very pleased that you, students, are raising such important issues. We look forward to hearing your presentations,» Gukepshokov said.
Alim Bogatyrev, head of the «Legal Russia» club and head of the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law at the Institute of Policy and Law, emphasized that the main goal of the meeting was to focus on specific legal aspects of the topic, avoiding general slogans.
Kazbek Tatuyev, Secretary of the Council for Economic and Public Security of Kabardino-Balkaria and PhD in Economics, served as the guest of honor and expert at the roundtable. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized the geopolitical context. Tatuyev recalled that 2026 was declared the Year of Unity for a reason. This is a response to attempts by external forces to destabilize the situation in Russia by exploiting migration factors, domestic conflicts, and narratives of so-called «decolonization.»
«The main objective of national policy at the present stage is to ensure civil unity. The situation in interethnic relations remains stable. The consolidation of society, against the backdrop of historical examples of cohesion, is particularly important. And we see the most striking example of genuine unity today on the battlefields of a special military operation, where representatives of all the peoples of Russia fight shoulder to shoulder. This brotherhood in arms is our great achievement, and our common task is to preserve and strengthen it, including through legal and educational mechanisms.»
The main part of the roundtable was devoted to testing student research. Members of the «Legal Russia» club presented papers in which they attempted to identify legal instruments for strengthening peace and harmony.
The students’ key research areas covered a wide range of current issues:
Andemir Abitov examined the concept of «national identity.» Alina Bocharova and Fatima Shugusheva explored legal mechanisms for countering information warfare. Oleg Gubzhokov, Salima Malkandueva, and senior lecturer Inara Marzei discussed international conventions and population criteria as formal barriers to recognizing the status of indigenous peoples. Marat Karamurzov outlined the limits of cultural and religious autonomy in a multinational state. Alina Murzakanova raised the issue of the intangible heritage of nations, and Kamila Uzdenova examined crimes motivated by ethnic intolerance.
Along with the invited guests, the institute’s faculty also served as experts at the roundtable: Head of the Department of Civil Law and Procedure Zarema Zumakulova, Associate Professor Timur Tenov, and Senior Lecturers Azamat Marzei and Fatima Kyarova. Their questions and comments helped the students examine their work from the perspective of academic scholarship and real-world law enforcement.