Any political "Us" needs common ideas about the general welfare, the historical past, further development in various spheres of society, as well as a system of values that will ensure the stable, effective and solid operation of this "Us". However, the Russian Federation, being a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, faces the problem of forming a common identity, primarily within the state. It should also be noted that the interest in Russian identity is caused by the fact that at the turn of the XXI century, it experienced its transformation associated with the process of transition from one identity (Soviet) to another (new Russian). In this article, the authors consider the features, which are typical for the Russian identity, and also highlight the influence ofthese features on the ways of building relations between the Russian Federation and other countries, mainly with Western countries.