Unlike many fellow Russian musicians (including Schnittke, Gubaidulina and Kancheli), Yuri Bashmet has kept his home in Moscow, although his touring schedule means that he gets home for only about six weeks of every year. With his wife Natasha he has two children: his daughter, Xenia (a talented pianist) and his son, Alexandre.

Retaining his home in Moscow was a natural decision for him to make, given his love both for his fellow Russians and Russian culture.

Russia has a very wide view on life. With regard to its literature and culture, which is much younger than Europe, from one point of view it is not as strong, from another it is younger, with more energy. Yet at the same time Russian culture has a very deep tradition – think of Tolstoy, Dosteyevsky, Pushkin, or composers such as Tchaikovsky and musicians like Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Gilels and Richter. Such tradition can be seen in Gergiev's Kirov Young Academy.

His commitment to his people and the young musicians in Russia is one of his most fundamental tenets. He was the youngest ever professor at the Moscow Conservatoire - appointed in 1976 - and has also become a major personality in Moscow, even to the point of hosting his own TV show. His musical relationships have a special resonance with his Russian compatriots; Kremer, Rostropovich (who spotted him once when Bashmet was in the Conservatoire orchestra, and marked him out as a future soloist) and Valery Gergiev, who he has known since Gergiev was conducting in Armenia, before his glory days at the Kirov.

Another very special relationship, perhaps the most influential and personal, was with Sviatislav Richter - with whom he recorded Britten, Hindemith and Shostakovich - after whose death, Bashmet took over the December Nights Festival. Also of particular note is Bashmet's regular recital partner, pianist Mikhail Muntian.