One of the significant problems today is the preservation and development of national cultures, prevention of their dissolution in another cultural space, absorption by other cultures. The solution to this problem largely depends on the position of the younger generation, on their identification preferences. In the article, based on empirical research conducted among students of the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University, the authors identify the identification preferences of student youth, determining the importance of national identity for them. The results of the analysis allowed the authors to conclude that national identity is in the process of formation. Based on the dialectical method, principles of synergetics and systematics, the article attempts a comparative and comparative analysis of the concepts of "patriotism", "nationalism" and "citizenship".