Multicultural education in the value system of the modern world

balization processes, in connection with the historical development, interpreted by the concept of «melting pot». It is shown that in modern civilization, accelerating unification, assimilation, the formation of common standards, the reciprocal confrontation invariably intensifies in the form of a return to traditional values, which mark the characteristics of individual cultures. Multicultural education as a principle of formation of tolerant relations, tolerant personality traits have the potential to smooth out emerging contradictions. It is shown that historically it is science and education that are the cumulative contribution of all peoples to the development of a culture of peace and civilization, in the content and forms of organization of which universal human values are formed. The idea of bilingual education, cultural training of teachers working in polyethnic schools and universities is supported, an example of the project of St. Petersburg scientists «Ethnocalendar of Russia» is given, which provides ethnocultural education of teachers, educators and students for a number of years. It is argued that education is a factor preventing separatist sentiments and uniting the nation in the pursuit of development if it is multicultural in content and form. At the same time, unlike inter-confessional and ritual differences, preserved in the form of festive and everyday customs, education is a real resource that helps to assess the expediency and preserve traces of the contribution of even small peoples to world culture. Attention is drawn to the significant markers of the identity of ethnic cultures – language, folk art, traditional crafts, the maintenance of which in the education system is, according to the author, a condition for both the preservation of identity and the progressive development of society.