The goal of the paper is to substantiate the standpoint that the national identity is possible only in the interaction between cultures based on the intercultural dialogue, where various ethnic units would act as inherently valued and equal partners. Methodologically the article analyses the concept "dialogue" and related concepts "interaction" and "communication" on the basis of the historical and comparative study of concepts and definitions of a dialogue in the history of foreign and Russian philosophical thinking. The output of the research is the explication of the meaning and importance of dialogue relations between cultures, taking into account the fact that the dialogue of cultures is treated both as the most prominent form of communication between cultures, and as a result of their mutual influence, as a form of simultaneous existence and communication between people, the past, present and future of cultures. The results of the study may be used in building of theoretical and methodological models of dialogue interaction between different cultures. The main conclusions are the following: the understanding of your own culture and yourselves is possible only through understanding of other cultures, through the dialogue of cultures; literature and philosophy as a form of national identity arise when people start to feel the need for awareness of themselves, their place in the world, when radical changes in the thinking take place contributing to the development of various sectors of society; direct and indirect literary and philosophical dialogue relationships both within the country and between different countries promote spiritual unity and consolidation of the nation.