The contemporary geopolitical changes, especially after the collapse of bipolar world distinction, are characterized by socio-political changes in many countries of different continents. One such country which pace of changes, especially in the socio-political area, is especially visible and draws attention from throughout the world is Rwanda. To comprehend changes in the political awareness of Rwandans one needs to understand a role played in this transposition by political rituals, especially national holidays. The aim of the article is to determine to what extent the ritual nature of national holidays celebrations in Rwanda influence the society, especially in the context of traumatic events of 2004 and how politicians use these celebrations for the realization of current political goals.

The article concerns the state of political awareness of contemporary Russians. It must be noted that the vast majority of Russians are characterized by apathy with a very strong separation between the private and the state spheres. The state sphere is understood through stereotypes and myths shaped by the state-owned media and it is characterized by the emotional mentality and the besieged fortress syndrome, with an increasing level of alienation and a feeling of hostility towards all „others”. In the private sphere, there is a predominance of vegetative thinking and, in many areas (especially in the North Caucasus), of tribal or post-tribal mentality. Only a small minority is characterized by this type of thinking, that is characteristic of a totalitarian political gnosis. Such criteria of the existence of totalitarian political gnosis as an objective foe or an aspiration to save the world (or at least a part of it) are met only by a small portion of the Russian society.