Abstract. The article is devoted to the thematization of the concept of «civil identity» (CI) in modern socio-humanitarian knowledge in theoretical and methodological aspects. The authors seek to find out what methodological approaches to the interpretation of identity exist in modern scientific knowledge, to what extent the content of the concept of identity is influenced by socio-cultural and civilizational factors associated with the special development of certain countries and peoples. Special attention is paid to the applicability and fruitfulness of Western models of CI on Russian soil.

Key words: civil identity, socio-cultural and civilizational foundations of CI, liberal and statist models of CI.