This article stresses the significance of Russian national identity as important factor of Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. It describes the influence of natural and social conditions on shaping identity features which are inherent for the Russian people. The article shows the role of peasant family, Russian rural community, service-home civilization, state-institution as well as Russian language, orthodoxy and communist ideology for shaping Russian national identity. Its saving and strengthening challenges are described - under circumstances of its previous shaping social and spiritual bases destruction.