In the process of the transformation of Russian society in the 1990s, the concept of upbringing just about disappeared from the sphere of education and youth policy in this country, as well as from the work of the mass media. The idea that labor training, patriotic indoctrination, and moral upbringing should be components of civic education, an idea that had been validated in practice, began to fade into oblivion. Very quickly it became clear, however, that these areas of work with young people must not be ignored. One reaction designed to make up for gaps in upbringing was the Russian Federation Government Decree of 16 February 2001, spelling out the state program "Patriotic Education of Citizens of the Russian Federation for 2001-5." A new government document came out in July 2005 concerning a similar program for 2006-10, and the program itself was published. This article explores the life values and social attitudes of today's young people with reference to data of sociological surveys carried out by associates of the Scientific Research Institute for Comprehensive Social Research at St. Petersburg State University. The study focused on young people representing social groups (upper-grade students, college students, and young people employed in jobs), for the most part in St. Petersburg, up to the age of thirty. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)