The article discusses issues related to the role of state ideology in the patriotic education of young citizens. It’s substantiated the necessity of development of the patriotic idea as a core of national spirituality and cohesion. In modern Russia, the ideology of patriotism should be formed on the basis of solidarity of representatives of various social and professional groups of the population and institutions of civil society. The article examines the concepts of civic identity, historical memory and historical self-identification as fundamental in the implementation of state policy aimed at strengthening the patriotic education of youth.