NATIONAL CULTURAL CODES IN THE IDENTITY OF RUSSIAN BRANDS: BETWEEN GLOBAL TRENDS AND LOCAL IDENTITY

The paper analyzes the practices of integrating national cultural codes with global design trends in the identity of modern Russian brands. The concept of cultural code is used, as well as a method of structural and semantic analysis of key elements of branding, based on identifying the relationship between the meanings communicated by the brand and their visual and graphic embodiment – color, fonts, ornaments, compositional solutions and visual images. The empirical basis of the study includes an analysis of the identity of six Russian brands: the tourist brand “Visit Russia”, the Moscow Cycling Festival, the styles of the cities of St. Petersburg and Kazan, as well as the brands of the Moscow Kremlin and the cultural center “Zotov”. It has been revealed that hybrid design solutions combining national cultural codes with a universal visual language are the most effective. Such approaches allow brands to preserve their national identity while remaining modern and understandable to an international audience. Universal values and unifying visual elements play a special role, contributing to the formation of a stable and emotionally significant image.