One of the scientific techniques in the study of value orientations and preferences consists of determining adolescents' attitudes toward personality qualities. It is well known that the model of a personality as an ideal construct formed in a person's consciousness correlates with value orientations and life goals. Its study permits us to determine the most important ideals, characteristic factors of the motivation of activity, and value parameters of behavior, both in constructing one's own personality and evaluating that of other people, and in determining the character and forms of an individual's way of engaging in activity in society (Leont'ev 1975). This article presents the results of sociological surveys carried out by the author in small, medium-sized, and large cities of the Republic of Bashkortostan in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2010. The survey was conducted in compliance with standard procedures, using a single questionnaire and a quota cluster sample to ensure over 95 percent representativeness. The size of the sample ranged from 850 to 950 students in general education secondary schools, technicums, and secondary vocational-technical schools. In the distributions of answers practically no differences were observed in accordance with age, nationalities, or types of communities (small, medium-sized, or large cities). For the purpose of rating qualities of personality the respondents were presented with this question: "What is it that you like most of all in people?" and were asked to choose up to five answer choices among twenty offered. Analysis shows that the hierarchy of values in the preferences of various qualities of personality that is traditional in Russian society persists, in particular the predominance of goodness and patience, beauty, the ability to be a friend and to sacrifice for the sake of a friend. The results of the surveys show once more that a scientific approach is needed to the formulation of decisions and solutions in the field of youth policy. Such an approach has to be based on the stable traditions that are reproduced in society in order to turn them into competitive advantages.