The Content of Education in the Context of Military Patriotic Upbringing

Military patriotic upbringing is a component of the educational process. One would think that there is nothing to be argued about in this regard. However, a number of textbooks and school handbooks on the history of Russia that have been recommended by the Ministry of Science and Education of Russia cannot stand up to any criticism in this regard. In a number of such publications, for example, the Great War for the Motherland is mentioned as an episode of little importance, and other events that are just as significant are treated by the authors dismissively. Unworthy actions by the country's leaders are highlighted, and episodes taken out of historical context are accompanied by negative commentary. These authors describe atrocities committed under Ivan the Terrible, Stalinist repressions, and similar deeds, but skim over such events in other countries or make statements that do not correspond to reality. Also missing from history textbooks is a description of atrocities committed by foreign leaders during World War II, such as the forcible resettlement of tens of thousands of Japanese-American citizens in camps in the United States, the annihilation of a hundred thousand peaceful inhabitants of Dresden by American and British bombing raids, the use of the atomic bomb (without any military need whatsoever) and the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, and so on. And yet when it comes to cruel acts by Stalin, these are portrayed in every detail. In this article, the author argues that young Russians are being given a distorted view of Russian history and Russia's place in world affairs. The author further contends that it will not be possible to teach students patriotism unless pedagogical innovations are made in the content of curricula, textbooks, and school handbooks. [This article was translated by Kim Braithwaite.]