XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

In modern conditions special attention is being paid to the problem of improving patriotic education, upgrading preparation of the young generation for the military service and protection of the State’s national interests. Upbringing of devoted Fatherland defenders, capable of providing the enhanced country’s security, presupposes the search of directions in the sphere of patriotic education, its organizational and methodological methods connected with formation of high moral and psychological qualities of military service members [2].

Patriotism is a characteristic feature of military men in the Russian Army. It reveals itself in knowledge of the Russian history and national traditions, respect of the country’s spiritual and cultural values, responsibility for the future of the Fatherland. Patriotic education assumes understanding the constitutional and legal rules by cadets, having the sense of duty, honor, love to the Homeland, and pride for the Fatherland in their mind.

Patriotic education includes a systematic and purposeful work of public authorities, institutions of civil society, and family for developing the high patriotic consciousness of citizens. The Conception of patriotic education for Russian Federation citizens denotes that the constituent part of patriotic education is military patriotic education aimed at formation of service members’ readiness to the Army service as a special kind of the public service. Military patriotic education is characterized by special directivity, deep understanding of the role and place in serving the Homeland by each citizen, high personal responsibility for implementation of the military service requirements, conviction of the need to develop the necessary qualities and skills to perform military duty in the Armed Force of the Russian Federation [1].

The objectives of patriotic education are the following:

learning and understanding by cadets the requirements of the military oath, regulations and manuals, following commanders’ orders;

developing service men’s responsibility for protection of the Homeland, conscientious attitude to mastering combat techniques and weapons;

formation of such military men’s moral and psychological qualities as persistence, courage, and ability to overcome difficulties of military service;

development of service members’ initiative, independence, and creative attitude to implementation of educational tasks.

The main goal of cadets’ patriotic education is formation of moral values, bringing up a personality possessing special significant qualities, capable of demonstrating them in the constructive process in the interests of society, in strengthening and upgrading its basics, including the activities connected with its stability and security [4].

The analysis of the theoretical and methodological literature has made it possible to point out the following directions in organizing patriotic education of cadets.

1. Taking into consideration historical traditions, examples of courage and heroism of preceding generations in teaching and upbringing cadets shapes their world outlook, motivates their consciousness and will to perform military duty. At the present time the necessity to look back to the history and the feats of Russian people has become evident. There are numerous examples in the period of the Great Patriotic War when over 11, 6 thousand Soviet soldiers were made Heroes of the Soviet Union and over 7 million people were awarded with orders and medals for their courage, selfless devotion to the Fatherland, strong commitment, and great bravery. In the modern history there are a lot of examples when the entire units of Russian soldiers demonstrated mass heroism: the Airborne Forces 345^th separate regiment 9^th company, the Airborne Forces 76^th Guard Pskovskaya Division 104^th parachute infantry regiment 6^th company in Chechnya [3]. Developing this theme, it is necessary to note that among the heroes of the Russian Federation there is a graduate of Voronezh Higher Military Aviation Engineering University, senior lieutenant of police Vyacheslav Shibilkin. He closed the bombshell that had fallen on the armor with his body and protected other soldiers from fragments during combat actions in Chechnya. To remember the fearless feat of the officer the hand-to-hand combat tournament named after the Hero of Russia Vyacheslav Shibilkin is being regularly organized in the Air Force Academy.

2. An important direction of cadets’ patriotic education is explaining the meaning and content of the Russian Federation national symbols – the state emblem, flag, and the anthem, as well as celebrating public and professional holidays generating the sense of pride for the service in aviation units [6]. An essential role in this direction is given to museums of military educational institutions. In this regard it’ necessary to pay attention to the military patriotic materials being kept in the museum of the Military Scientific Education Center of the Air Force «N. E. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin Air Force Academy» (Voronezh). One of the halls in the museum is devoted to the founder of the Academy, Professor N. E. Zhukovsky – «father of the Russian aviation». Namely N. E. Zhukovsky’s works were the source of basic ideas for developing the Academy, the aviation science, and techniques. Looking through the old albums and viewing the unique exhibits, every visitor of museum can learn more about the history of aviation origin and development. In this hall it is possible to see the first aircraft models, interesting documents, to view personal items and medals of the famous scientists who carried out research in the sphere of aircraft building. The hall of the museum devoted to the first cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin and to the history of developing the military scientific education center is of particular interest. The museum collections are being continuously replenished with new exhibits, documents, and pictures. Interesting activities being conducted by the museum workers develop future officers’ patriotic qualities, expand their outlook, promote positive attitude to education, military service, and professional activity.

3. The results of modern pedagogical research show that improvement of patriotic education involves using the potential of different religious dominations in work with cadets. The problem connected with interrelation of educating service members and religious potential has a long history. It is conditioned by the increasing influence of religion on development of society, outlook of people, culture and morality of military men. In the religious views of Russian traditional confessions military duty has a strong basis. Meetings cadets with representatives of traditional religious confessions, spiritual and educational conversations, attending religious services, conducting excursions in churches, and visiting exhibitions with subjects of historical value are being regularly organized in the academy to use the religious component in the educational process.

One of the patriotic orientation activities in the Air Force Academy is organizing the annual church and historical conference named after Mitrofaniy Voronezhsky, in which representatives of different religious confessions take part. Understanding the modern patriotic education problems in the church and historical context is the purpose and subject of discussion for participants of this conference. A lot of reports are devoted to the spiritual values of military professional activity, the role of religious values in developing spiritual and moral potential of cadets in military educational institutions. Special attention at the conference is usually being paid to such examples of patriotism as the feats of Boris and Gleb, Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Fyodor Ushakov – the admiral who didn’t lose a single battle and always took part in combat actions with orthodox icons. Participants of the conference discuss the traits and generalship talent of Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov and other known patriots of the Russian land.

4. The next direction of patriotic education is organization of meetings with veterans and officers as well as watching documentary films about Russian army activities in peace-making operations. These forms of patriotic education promote development of cadets’ readiness to overcome difficulties of military service, to act properly and decisively in dangerous situations, to master military skills perfectly.

Patriotism is a necessary part of cadets’ outlook being formed in a military educational institution over the years in the process of studying national culture, history and traditions of the society [5]. To give cadets military and historical knowledge different forms of informational and educational work are used. They allow cadets to become familiar with the feats of Russian people, to study combat traditions of the Russian Armed Forces thoroughly. Well-planned events of military patriotic education promote formation of cadets’ high moral and psychological qualities; increase motivation to educational and professional activity, develop the sense of confidence in the process of mastering the chosen military specialty.

References

1. The State Program «Patriotic Education of Russian citizens during 2016–2020». 42 p.

2. Levchenko Yu.A. The Theory and Methods of Upbringing. Patriotic Education of Military Service Members. Voronezh: Military Aviation Engineering University, 2010. – 48 p.

3. Nikolaev O.S. Using the Russian Military Traditions in Military Patriotic Education of Students // Pedagogy: Traditions and Innovations: Materials of the 2^nd International Scientific Conference. – Chelyabinsk, 2012. P. 93–94.

4. Ovchinnikov O.A. Patriotic Education of Cadets and its Types // Young Scientist. – 2014. № 15. P. 293–295. – URL https://moluch.ru/archive/74/12561/ (date of request: 13.12.2020).

5. Utkin V.E. The Objectives of Military Patriotic Education of Cadets and Directions of their Realization // Proceedings of A.I. Gertsen Russian State Pedagogical University. – 2008. P. 304–308.

6. Shutko D.V. The Role of Spiritual Component in Military Men Upbringing // Scientific Research in Education. – 2012. P. 46–50.