Examples of patriotism and education of schoolchildren. Patriotism is the main key to the revival of Russian Civilization

Test: Matvey Vologzhanin

Patriotism is one of the almost instinctive feelings of a person. The presence of this quality in us, alas, as always, is very vulgarly explained by biological laws. Tigers would be very bad patriots, cows too, but wolves, on the contrary, would make wonderful sons of the fatherland.

The fact is that humans were initially adapted to exist in related pack groups (not very large, most likely 6–10 people: pairs of parents with grown-up children). Our methods of nutrition and self-defense were ideal for such a design. At the same time, the mutual affection of members of one pack is so great that a person is ready to take significant risks in the name of saving his relatives. And this strategy turned out to be the most profitable for us.

For example, among ruminants that graze in large herds (bison, antelope, gazelles), the “die but protect your own” strategy turns out to be a losing one. James Gordon Russell, who spent a long time studying the behavior of wildebeest in the Serengeti, repeatedly noted cases when individual animals, instead of running away from the lions hunting them, went into a frontal attack. Two or three antelopes, each weighing a quarter of a ton, could easily trample a predator with their sharp hooves and injure it. If the entire huge herd joined the actions of the “wrong” wildebeest, all that would remain of the impudent cats would be a dark spot on the dusty ground of the savannah. However, the herd rushed as fast as they could away from the scene of the fight. And even though the brave men prevailed over the lions, they paid too dearly for it. Russell marked fighting antelopes and saw that the wounds received often led to exhaustion of the animal, its death, or, at a minimum, to a complete fiasco in the battle. love front. The cowardly and fleet-footed egoistic individuals lived much longer and multiplied much more abundantly. Therefore, patriotism is unprofitable for ruminants, just as it is not suitable for large predators, who need a large hunting area in their sole ownership for food.

With us, those who survived and won were those who knew how to fight shoulder to shoulder with members of their pack, who were ready to take risks and even self-sacrifice. Groups grew, turned into tribes, into settlements, into the first proto-states - and ultimately we survived and won to such an extent that we created a civilization.

Greek beginning

"Patriotism" - the word Greek origin, “patria” literally translates as “fatherland,” and the concept itself arose precisely during the era of the Greek city-states. Why did it not exist before this, when, as we have seen, the phenomenon itself is a thing as ancient as the human race? Because there was no need. Before the Greeks, the idea of ​​patriotism was tied by the ideologists of that time mainly to symbols (usually to the symbol of their god or king) as the official embodiment of a deity, or, with a weak influence of religion on public life, as among the northern peoples or in China, to the idea of ​​“blood” that is, to a sense of community with representatives of one's tribe, people who speak the same language and belong to the same people.

The Greeks, who created a civilization of city-states that desperately butted heads with each other, were in complete disarray on this ideological front. All of them - the Spartans, the Athenians, the Sybarites, and the Cretans - were Greeks. Everyone had the same pantheon of gods (although each city chose one or two favorites, who were considered its special patrons), and as a result Greek mythology turned into a description of endless skirmishes between the gods: Apollo and Ares, Aphrodite and Hera, Athena and Poseidon, etc. As for the kings, in most cities they simply were not there, and where there were, there were fewer democratic-minded Greeks they were generally inclined to deify them.

Therefore, they had to look for a different ideological base. And they very quickly found it, proclaiming patriotism to be the first human virtue - the willingness to sacrifice their interests not in the name of sunny Mithras, not in the glory of the great Ashurbanipal, but simply in the name of their fellow citizens, their city, their beloved sunny Athens with its silvery olive groves and old a mother sitting in a modest tunic at a spinning wheel and waiting for her son with victory...

This type of patriotism is now called “police patriotism.” (By the way, when the Greeks began to regularly fight the Persians, their polis patriotism was temporarily, but very quickly replaced by national patriotism, and the speakers of that time, all these Herodotus, Thucydides and Ctesias, very quickly learned phrases like “great Hellas”, “stinking Persians” and “in unity is our strength.”)

The greatest patriots are the Romans

Hellenic ancient ethical norms, as we know, were sometimes taken by the Romans more seriously than the Greeks themselves took them. From a Greek point of view, a patriot is someone who regularly pays taxes, participates in public life, does not violate laws and sends horsemen and foot soldiers from his home to the army in case of war. In the era of the Roman Republic, patriotism was synonymous with the word “glory” and was revered above personal valor.

For the Romans, the absolute hero was not Hercules or some other Perseus, who would have fun spending his life in various interesting exploits, but Curtius. This semi-mythological character was a fifteen-year-old youth who, having learned that the smoking bottomless crack that crossed Rome after the earthquake can only be gotten rid of by throwing there the most precious thing that is in Rome, shouting: “The most precious thing in Rome are its patriotic sons.” ! - he jumped into the crevice together with the horse (the horse, according to the myth, was a so-so patriot, for he tried weak-willedly to retreat in front of the abyss, but his trick did not work). Blind obedience to the law, renunciation of one’s own self and willingness to give everything in the name of Rome, including one’s own children - this is ideal program Roman patriotism. This ideology turned out to be the most successful for the aggressor nation: tiny Rome subjugated all of Italy, and then three-quarters of Europe, the Mediterranean and a large part of Asia and Africa. (And here the Romans had to change their national patriotism to imperial patriotism, which was much weaker and unreliable.)

Until now, the patriotism of the era of the Roman Republic is considered a commodity of the highest grade, and many ideologists of statehood today dream in the depths of their souls that the capricious, selfish and lazy idiots called their people would go somewhere, and in return they would have millions of true people at their disposal. Romans*.

« Probably, I am also an ideologist of statehood. Moreover, I could do without millions of Romans - the first point of the program would already suit me enough. Although I may just be moping: winter, lack of vitamins... »

Christianity is unpatriotic

At first, Christians were active opponents of patriotism in any form. IN best case scenario they agreed to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, that is, to pay taxes, but they were still deeply convinced that there is neither Greek, nor Jew, nor Scythian, nor barbarian, but there is only the kingdom of God, in the presence of which any earthly states are dust and decay . “Any foreign country is a fatherland for them, and any fatherland is a foreign country.” There was no talk of a Christian going to serve in the army, because any murder is a sin, this is clearly and clearly stated in the Gospel. Of course, the Roman Empire fought Christianity as best it could, for such an infection could wear through the very iron foundations of the state in a matter of years.

But, as it turned out, Christianity turned out to be a very plastic thing. Firstly, it split into several directions, which were not a sin to fight with each other; secondly, it turned into an excellent weapon for inspiring peoples to fight against the filthy infidels, of which, thank God, there were still plenty of all over Asia, Africa and the Americas. As for “thou shalt not kill,” they managed to elegantly sidestep this issue: after all, one cannot take ideal but unattainable standards seriously (although any early Christian would be sickened if he saw a modern priest busily consecrating an anti-aircraft missile system ). As for the Orthodox Church, which initially relied on closeness to secular authorities, here patriotism is a virtue not only not discussed, but also simply obligatory.

Critics and the flirtatious state

In the “patriot - country” pair, the latter behaves like a notorious coquette. You must love her and be ready to sacrifice yourself in her name. For her, you are an empty place. Moreover, the more insignificant a cog you feel, the more patriotic your essence (“Let me die, but my death is nothing compared to the prosperity of my homeland”). You are a booger, you are a zero, you are a trifle, “the voice of one is thinner than a squeak”*).

* - Note Phacochoerus "a Funtik:
« Mayakovsky wrote this when he compared the individual and the party. They say that when he first thundered these lines with his thunderous bass at a poetry evening, people there crawled out of their chairs »

The Fatherland has every right melancholy to chew you up, chew and digest you, and all other patriots will only welcome this if they consider that what they ate benefited the body as a whole. This imbalance in relationships was very clearly expressed by James Joyce in his famous phrase: “I will not die for Ireland, let Ireland die for me!” (IRA supporters now really dislike James Joyce for this phrase.)

Patriotism manifests itself most dangerously where power, in the popular imagination, is a kind of quintessence of the state. The Roman Republicans, who perceived their elected authorities as hired servants, were in little danger in this case: they endlessly debated about what was most beneficial for Rome, and, in general, kept power with a tight grip. But where power was traditionally hereditary, despotic, where the king-priest was the symbol of the country, there the loyal patriotism of the majority of the population allowed rare outrages to happen, often dangerous not only for the inhabitants of the country, but also for the fate of the power itself.

Therefore, since the Enlightenment, there have been thinkers who have tried to modify the idea of ​​patriotism - undoubtedly, the most useful for the survival of society, but fraught with the most unpleasant complications. Kant, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Hobbes, Henry Thoreau - dozens and hundreds of the smartest heads tried to develop the norms of a new patriotism. And as a result, they all came to the conclusion that a true patriot not only does not have to be blind and submissive, but his first duty should be to look for spots in the sun. In order to lead his fatherland to the ideal, it is necessary to monitor him more strictly than a teenage girl - instantly stopping, albeit at the risk of his life, any of his attempts to behave dangerously, stupidly or wrongly. This is how the phenomenon of “critical patriotism” arose, in which a person not only does not praise his country, but, on the contrary, meticulously examines it under a magnifying glass and yells in a loud voice when he notices some nasty thing. One of the programmatic works in this direction was the work American writer Henry Thoreau “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” in which he called the first duty of a citizen and patriot a categorical refusal to comply with “wrong” laws that are “disastrous” to the country.

Critical patriots always advocate maximum freedom of the press. For the vigilant supervision of society over the work of officials at all levels. For the honest teaching of history, no matter how disgusting the role of the fatherland may look in some cases, for only such knowledge will give society immunity from repeating mistakes.

Usually the authorities, and the majority of the country's residents, do not like critics of patriots and call them enemies of the people. They are sure that love must be blind and unreasoning and perceive criticisms as a humiliation of their ideals, as a betrayal.

There is no hope that both of these types of patriots will ever come to an agreement.

Modern patriots

IN modern world attitudes towards the concept of “patriotism” have changed greatly since the times of the Romans. Such unpleasant words as “chauvinism”, “Nazism” and “xenophobia” are dangling too close to him. Nevertheless, there is no point in saying that the time of patriots has passed: they still have a lot to do on this planet.

Even in Europe, which still shakes at the memory of Schicklgruber, there is a rise in patriotic sentiment. Either in Austria Jörg Haider comes to power, then in France Le Pen's ears rise proudly in the elections, then Pino Rauti seduces the Italians with the promise of clearing Milan and Parma of gypsies and Moroccans. This is Europe’s response to two factors: globalization and the mass emigration of Asian and European residents there.

“Immigrants are uneducated, they work for pennies, they claim our benefits, they bring an outdated culture that is alien to us, they rape our daughters and eat our infant sons!”

“Transnational corporations are strangling small entrepreneurs, they are destroying our identity, they are turning our fields and gardens into asphalt-filled sites of dull progress, they are lobbying for their idiotic laws and feeding us their rotten McDonald’s!”

National patriotism as a rejection of foreign influence is undoubtedly appropriate in a world that wants to remain consistently diverse. Therefore, no matter how decent people wince, looking at Tymoshenko in wheat braids and Haider in an Alpine hat, it is worth understanding: as long as patriotism of this kind remains in a position “from below”, as long as it is not supported by laws, as long as it does not call for cannibalism and pogroms - his role cannot be called exclusively negative. It is much more dangerous when national patriotism begins to walk hand in hand with state patriotism.

There are only a few countries in the world in which state patriotism is one of the mandatory components of the ideology carefully instilled by the authorities. These are, for example, the USA, Russia and Japan.

In the United States, a country with an extremely heterogeneous population, it serves as the cement that holds together the motley bunch that is the American people. At the same time, ethnic patriotism in the States, as everyone understands, is practically excluded.

In Japan, national patriotism and patriotism state essence same. For the Japanese, it is a way to preserve their specific way of life (nevertheless, it is being eroded from year to year: modern Japanese is already much closer psychologically to representatives of post-Christian cultures than their grandparents). And since almost exclusively Japanese live in Japan, and there are very few other peoples there, then there is no harm in “Japan for the Japanese!” A little. Of course, for the Japanese! Please, no one is against it, eat your tofu and be healthy.

As for Russia, national Great Russian patriotism, which swelled like a mushroom in the rain after the collapse of the USSR, is now coming into contact with state patriotism, which is diligently spread by the official ideology. The task here is to concentrate power in the hands of the ruling elite and keep the country from the influence of centrifugal forces. Historians have again begun to lie a lot about this; on TV they talk endlessly about the evil beeches sitting around state border, and in the evenings young people go to slaughter Kalmyks and Uzbeks as desecrators of the holy Russian land. Ideologists, of course, realize that national, ethnic patriotism in a multi-ethnic country is a suicidal phenomenon, but so far they cannot come up with anything to both eat the state-patriotic fish and avoid a nationwide performance of “Horst Wessel” to the balalaika.

So the time for patriotism is far from over. It is even possible that it will not pass in the distant future, when the entire planet will be a conglomerate of small atomized countries, united in free unions and inhabited by people who choose their citizenship not by birth, but guided solely by personal sympathies. Still, as we already wrote above, patriotism is an instinctive feeling of a person, and each of us feels the need to divide people into “us” and “strangers”. Even if in reality we are all our own.

To the question What does it mean to be a patriot (examples from life) asked by the author philosophize the best answer is To be a patriot means to be loyal to your country and to be ready to defend its interests and even give your life if the Fatherland demands it.
Many examples of patriotism can be taken from history
So at the beginning of the 17th century civil uprising led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, they defended the independence of Russia in the fight against foreign invaders.
During the Second World War, many patriots went to their death to defend their country: Alexander Sailors, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya,

Answer from Manka bond?¦?[guru]
Drive a VAZ...

Answer from Evgeniy Purov[guru]
I'll drive a Kalina and smoke

Answer from European[guru]
Become a deputy. They are all patriots.

Answer from Country road[guru]
The feat of Zina Portnova
Zina Portnova was born in Leningrad. After seventh grade, in the summer of 1941, she came on vacation to her grandmother in the Belarusian village of Zuya. There the war found her. Belarus was occupied by the Nazis.
From the first days of the occupation, boys and girls began to act decisively, and a secret organization “Young Avengers” was created. The guys fought against the fascist occupiers. They blew up a water pumping station, which delayed the sending of ten fascist trains to the front. While distracting the enemy, the Avengers destroyed bridges and highways, blew up a local power plant, and burned down a factory. Having obtained information about the actions of the Germans, they immediately passed it on to the partisans.
Zina Portnova was assigned more and more difficult tasks. According to one of them, the girl managed to get a job in a German canteen. After working there for a while, she carried out an effective operation - she poisoned food for German soldiers. More than 100 fascists suffered from her lunch. The Germans began to blame Zina. Wanting to prove her innocence, the girl tried the poisoned soup and only miraculously survived.
In 1943, traitors appeared who revealed secret information and handed our guys over to the Nazis. Many were arrested and shot. Then the command of the partisan detachment instructed Portnova to establish contact with those who survived. The Nazis captured the young partisan when she was returning from a mission. Zina was terribly tortured. But the answer to the enemy was only her silence, contempt and hatred. The interrogations did not stop.
“The Gestapo man came to the window. And Zina, rushing to the table, grabbed the pistol. Apparently catching the rustle, the officer turned around impulsively, but the weapon was already in her hand. She pulled the trigger. For some reason I didn’t hear the shot. I just saw how the German, clutching his chest with his hands, fell to the floor, and the second one, sitting at the side table, jumped up from his chair and hastily unfastened the holster of his revolver. She pointed the gun at him too. Again, almost without aiming, she pulled the trigger. Rushing to the exit, Zina pulled the door open, jumped out into the next room and from there onto the porch. There she shot at the sentry almost point-blank. Running out of the commandant’s office building, Portnova rushed like a whirlwind down the path.
“If only I could run to the river,” the girl thought. But the sound of a chase was heard from behind... “Why don’t they shoot? “The surface of the water already seemed very close. And beyond the river the forest turned black. She heard the sound of machine gun fire and something prickly pierced her leg. Zina fell on the river sand. She still had enough strength to rise slightly and shoot... She saved the last bullet for herself.
When the Germans got very close, she decided it was all over and pointed the gun at her chest and pulled the trigger. But there was no shot: it misfired. The fascist knocked the pistol out of her weakening hands.”
Zina was sent to prison. The Germans brutally tortured the girl for more than a month; they wanted her to betray her comrades. But having taken an oath of allegiance to the Motherland, Zina kept it.
On the morning of January 13, 1944, a gray-haired and blind girl was taken out to be executed. She walked, stumbling with her bare feet in the snow.
The girl withstood all the torture. She truly loved our Motherland and died for it, firmly believing in our victory.
Zinaida Portnova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Let's turn to the interpretation of this word. Big Soviet Encyclopedia draws attention to the fact that this is, first of all, a feeling. And based on this, he gives the following signs: love for the homeland, the desire to be useful to it, devoted exclusively to it.

However, this definition applies very narrowly to the concept under consideration. In our opinion, love for one’s native land embraces the value experience of the entire people to which a person is involved. Not only is she herself part of traditions and history, she bears the full weight of the experience of previous generations.

Commitment to your people, respect for their culture - this is what true patriotism means.

What do we mean by people? Maybe this is all of humanity? Nation? Town? Village? In fact, it is impossible to clearly define this concept geographically.

We are talking about common values ​​that people adhere to and try to put into practice of their own free will. And the population in this case can be completely different.

Let's look at one interesting formula. Everyone can see their own meaning in it.

People = Population + Political will + Patriotism

One thing about it will always remain unchanged - the people are dependent both on devotion to their native land and on the will of the state. The latter, in order to strengthen the spirit of the nation, is ready to do anything to ensure a comfortable life for the population.

Let us highlight the following postulates that can be seen in this formula.

A people cannot exist without patriotism

We talked about what this concept includes values ​​- moral, ideological, everyday. Imagine that the feeling of love for the homeland will disappear - respect for the past and traditions will disappear - the people will disappear. This chain is quite logical. We don’t think about how dependent we really are on the experience of previous generations - imagine that every newly born person has to evolve and reinvent the wheel. All the achievements that we enjoy are the product of the activities of millions and billions of our ancestors. And we owe it to them to be grateful.

External will can replace your own will

We have an adequate perception of the events taking place in the state. However, political will implies a slightly different meaning. This is the opportunity and desire to form your own values, complementing the traditions of the past. If we don’t do this ourselves, then anyone can impose them. It is important to be able to defend your right to an opinion and not let other people’s stereotypes wedge into your life, changing it. This is where the split between false and true occurs.

True patriotism is not only love for the fatherland, for the homeland. It is also about defending the interests of its population.

Why is it no longer fashionable to love your native country?

Let's turn to a rather complex problem and try to find, if not a comprehensive solution, then at least a complete answer. What has happened in modern society, why does devotion to the Fatherland cause a smile?

Is it really not important to love your homeland?

Many opposition media propagate the desire to displace existing traditions and radically change them. This is a trend, especially among young people. You can endlessly criticize new trends, politicians and oppositionists. But adhering to a strictly conservative course is also not an ideal scenario, as history has shown. The best changes are those that people feel weakly. Our psychology is this: we almost always resist something new, and therefore it is important that people feel comfortable.

Maybe the wrong generation

There are so many opinions now that young people have gone bad. I stopped respecting my elders and appreciating help, moral principles. Give these people a few decades, they will live and see that without the past there is no movement into the future. Hundreds are also born talented people, it seems like nothing has changed. And the spirit of rebellion inherent in youth is a very transitory thing.

It's about ourselves

But this is more like the truth. Without noticing it ourselves, on the one hand we are developing, and on the other, we are degrading. Let us give one ambiguous example.

A scientist who had long studied evolution from a biological point of view decided to look at it from a philosophical perspective. Man is always working - it is believed that it was labor that made him this way from a monkey. At the same time, people have driven themselves into a trap - how long can a person afford to live without working and enjoying life? Only the rich. So what then is the philosophical meaning of evolution?

But let's return to our question. What is wrong with us? We gradually began to forget the traditions and foundations of previous generations. Some things have become obsolete, some were unique to a certain time, some have become a funny ritual. This is how we slowly began to devalue our love for our homeland.

Another underestimated factor is external influence. Young fragile minds, subjected to forced attacks of other people's opinions and arguments, can create doubts in their young soul. That is why true patriotism- this is a feeling that can and should take refuge in days of such trials - it will give strength and patience.

How to revive love for your homeland

To answer this question, you need to look at what values ​​are important for modern society.

Science and technology

Smart is the new sexy! You can now hear variations of such a phrase from everywhere: on the radio, television. Technology is not only our future, but also the values ​​of our generation. Where does science begin? From education.

A big problem for many is obtaining knowledge for quite a lot of money. Many, knowing that they supposedly won’t learn anything special in higher institutions, they just buy “crusts”. And this is a very scary trend, if you think about it. How many people in our country can injure other people, break things, lives, just because they decided to acquire a diploma in transition.

Nobody is going to make education free just like that, this is a fact that needs to be accepted. Despite this, young people understand that being a pro in their field is an honor and respect. Most, even if they don’t have money for education, try to gain knowledge from books, other people’s research - they try to gain all the experience on their own. This trend can save the new generation's correct understanding of love for the motherland.

Defense of the native land

Patriotism is a concept that in many social studies textbooks is considered as the defense of one’s Fatherland from internal and external enemies.

But let's take a closer look at modern society: a huge number of guys dream of “selecting” from the army, knowing what hardships and trials they will have to endure.

Priorities are being set incorrectly now. The great word – “patriot” – was vulgarized, beaten and left for dead. You need to think, first of all, about what values ​​were instilled in the child in the family - not to be intimidated by the army, the barracks, or evil ensigns, but to tell what all these trials will teach.

On the other hand, the army institute is working terribly now - there are many cases when guys who served were brought home to wheelchair. And no, they were not in hot spots. This is how their “comrades” tried. Everything comes from the family. Now we come to the main thing.

Traditional family values

A strong family traditional type capable of raising a strong personality, independent of external influence, who adequately assesses what is happening in the country and in the world as a whole. Such a person is capable of not only loving his homeland, but also defending it.

Even if the family was unable to provide that strong moral layer capable of protecting the child, teaching him to appreciate and love his homeland, then he himself can and should take on the role of educator. If not parents, then the right teachers, church, faith - all this contributes to understanding and logically explains what patriotism implies, what love for oneself and people means.

Examples of heroism in Russia: great feats in the name of the Fatherland

What to study younger generations, if not from the experience of elders? We invite you to look at the heroic deeds of our compatriots, committed out of love for their native land.

The Great Patriotic War is rich in examples. We will present only those that have been practically forgotten. Little is written about them in books and articles, and they are rarely discussed with schoolchildren in class. Memory is the highest reward for a warrior, which cannot be deprived of him.

Katya Zelenko

She went down in Russian history as the first female pilot to use a ram to destroy enemy aircraft. Its small Su-2 bomber fought against German stubbornness to the last - until the ammunition ran out.

Our heroine decided to take a desperate act, which became fatal in her life. Her self-sacrifice, not for fame or money - it was important, it had value for herself. Katya was raised correctly: her love for her homeland was reflected in her heroic deed.

Dima Komarov

The feat of this man truly shows who a patriot is and what patriotism is. He, leading a small detachment of volunteers, rammed a huge German armored train. And after a successful operation, the only one from the entire team was able to survive.

This behavior is admirable: a man strived to do the literally impossible. However, faith in himself, his own strengths and upheld values ​​helped him make a decision.

Kolya Sirotinin

This example seems unrealistic, but the events are documented and took place. This man, together with his friend, opposed a full-fledged German army.

When his comrade died, Kolya began to fight back alone. The result was the destruction of 17 tanks and armored personnel carriers, and the killing of almost six dozen German soldiers. After Sirotkin ran out of ammunition and grenades, the Germans asked him to surrender. However, the one with the last machine gun flew at the enemy - that’s the whole answer. Young hero died, but did not give up.

Epistinia Stepanova

Now it is quite difficult to understand what is patriotism and what is not. And is it possible to measure love for the motherland by heroic deeds alone?

Epistinia is a unique woman; she gave birth to and raised 15 children, ten of whom went to war and never returned. Yes, you should never forget about the everyday feat during the war. As Tatyana Tolstaya wrote in one of her stories: “women have gone through a difficult path of change from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. These beautiful, fragile undines, as it turned out, can be strong and courageous, only time will require this from them.”

Briefly telling what patriotism is and defining it is quite difficult, since this concept is very broad. If we take it narrowly, considering the concept from textbooks, then it is just a feeling - and most often it is one-sided.

If we look at the problem from the other side, we can highlight an approach in which a person who loves his country is a true citizen who honors the memory of the past generation and cares about his values.

Yes, now there is a deep problem of depreciation of this phenomenon, but it is also possible to outline the main trends in society that will make it possible to instill in young people in the future traditional values. By the way, turning to your roots and origins helps a lot with this. Order a beautifully designed Genealogy Book from us, and you will be pleased with the result for several reasons: good quality completed work and getting to know the previous generation and its history.

On the eve of the holiday of February 23, Defender of the Fatherland Day, it’s time to talk about patriotic education youth. What do the concepts of “patriot” and “patriotism” mean these days, for example, for modern schoolchildren? The article contains the opinions of the guys themselves.

If for you such concepts as “patriot”, “patriotism”, “feeling of patriotism” are an empty phrase or cause irony, irritation, etc., try to think about this unusual question: is it profitable to be a patriot in our time?
This question is especially appropriate to ask schoolchildren, among whom there are many cynics, in order to get them thinking about a difficult topic. And this can be done on the eve of a class hour or any other event dedicated to instilling a sense of patriotism.

Such questions can attract children to a serious and constructive discussion. At first glance, the question “Is it profitable to be a patriot in our time?” seems rather strange, but it is precisely as a result of this approach (as practice shows) that even a cynic can be forced to think and express his “thought-out” opinion on this matter.
It would be nice to organize a competition for the best answer to this strange question from the guys’ point of view. Let everyone share their opinions.

To the questions “How does patriotism manifest itself?” and “Is it profitable to be a patriot in our time?” The students gave very interesting answers. After generalization and systematization, they look like this.

• Patriotism is manifested in respect for one's country, its past, and the memory of ancestors; in interest in the history of their country, studying the experience of previous generations. And this leads to finding out the causes of many events, which in turn gives knowledge. He who is armed with knowledge is protected from many failures and mistakes, does not waste time correcting them, goes further and overtakes in his development those who “tread on the same rake.” Knowing your history and the experience of previous generations helps you navigate the world, calculate the consequences of your own actions, and feel confident. At all times, people relied on the experience of their predecessors. Without the historical past, neither the present nor the future is possible. According to many classics, “Forgetfulness of the past, historical unconsciousness is fraught with spiritual emptiness both for the individual and for all people.” It is the understanding of the failures and mistakes of the historical past that leads to the achievements and merits of the present, and helps to survive in difficult times. Therefore, it is beneficial to be a patriot.


• Patriotism is manifested in the ability to appreciate and take care of one’s homeland, the desire to change it for the better, to make it cleaner, kinder, more beautiful. For example, it is more pleasant and convenient to walk on clean, repaired roads. Shoes last longer and are less likely to fall. It is also much more pleasant to deal with decent people, and not with boors and scoundrels. It's nice to enjoy the beauty of nature and human creations that are not at all difficult to preserve. If a person learns to ennoble himself and the territory surrounding him, life will become happier, psychological comfort will appear, which will allow him to spend his money more efficiently. mental strength, enjoy life and achieve a lot. Therefore, it is beneficial to be a patriot. True patriotism is manifested in the ability to be moral person who create beauty and goodness around themselves.


• Patriotism is manifested in the ability to be faithful and devoted to one’s country, one’s cause, one’s family, one’s views and ideas, one’s dreams. A patriot does not shout at every corner about his passionate love for his homeland; he silently does his job well, remains true to his principles, ideals and universal human values. Thus, he really helps not only his country, but also himself. A person who studied hard, acquiring knowledge, and as a result received Good work, became socially active, built his future, created a full-fledged family, works honestly - did much more for his country than the one who walks around with slogans, chants for patriotism and verbally defends the prestige of his country. People whose sense of patriotism is not developed have no future. They will destroy themselves because they do not develop and do not have a strong “core”. This is the law of life. Patriotism is needed for personal development, for survival. Therefore, it is beneficial to be a patriot.

I really want everyone to understand the following: “ Patriotism as political, social and moral principle reflects the attitude of a person (citizen) to his country. This attitude is manifested in concern for the interests of one’s fatherland, in readiness for self-sacrifice for it, in loyalty and devotion to one’s country, in pride in its social and cultural achievements, in sympathy for the suffering of one’s people and condemnation of the social vices of society, in respect for the historical past his country and the traditions inherited from him, in a readiness to subordinate his interests to the interests of the country, in an effort to defend his country, his people. A patriot is someone who works conscientiously for the good of his country and encourages those around him to do the same, who helps his fellow citizens improve. Without caring about others, you risk being left alone.”