Extremism prevention is an essential component of the work in the field of national security of the country. The article reveals some of the main forms of extremism, such as religious-political, ethno-social, economic, pseudoscientific, and others, and provides examples. The main content of the article is devoted to the disclosure of the essence and diversity of manifestations of cultural extremism in the country, especially in the North Caucasus and Dagestan. Numerous concrete examples are given, proving that cultural extremism takes place and sometimes takes on quite acute forms. It is shown that the manifestations of cultural extremism are more difficult to combat, since it manifests itself among more literate and intellectually savvy people and does not have open ideologically organized forms, as in the case of religious and political extremism. The article considers the current law of the Russian Federation and the draft new law on culture, which notes all the mechanisms for overcoming extremism in culture, and which clearly emphasize the primacy of the rights and freedoms of an individual creative personality.