Patriotism and loyalty to military duty are the moral traditions and foundations of the spiritual potential of the Russian officer corps. Weapons of Russia Patriotism is the statutory and moral duty of military personnel

Patriotism, loyalty to military duty - moral traditions and the foundations of the spiritual potential of the Russian officer corps

Patriotism and loyalty to military duty are the most important value orientations of Russian officers

Among military personnel and, above all, the officer corps, such spiritual values ​​as patriotism, military duty, responsibility, discipline, conscience, honor, professional competence and others are highlighted. They most clearly and visibly characterize the highest degree of readiness to faithfully serve their people, professionally and effectively fulfill military duty, and also act as moral and business characteristics.

In a normal, truly democratic society, without any doubt, patriotism occupies a central, integrating position in the general system of values. It belongs to the most fundamental and enduring values.

In the explanatory dictionary V.I. Dahl interprets a patriot as a lover of the Fatherland, a zealot for its good. A cosmopolitan is a “world citizen”, a person who does not recognize a special relationship to the Motherland.

Modern state Russian patriotism did not develop all at once, but went through a long evolutionary development. The idea of ​​patriotism in Rus' has deep roots. It can be traced back to the chronicles of the 9th century. True, in those days it did not extend beyond personal devotion to one’s family, squad, or prince.

Since the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the patriotic idea has been enriched with new content
- a sense of devotion to the Christian faith. The renewed patriotic ideal began to unite and unite the people into a single whole.

As the Russian lands were liberated and united into a single centralized state, the sprouts of national-state patriotism grew stronger. The year of his birth is considered to be 1380, and the place

Kulikovo field. After the battle, the process of merging individual Russian principalities began, characterized by all-Russian patriotism, the meaning of which was a united and powerful Rus'.

The true flowering of patriotism is associated with the personality of Peter I, with his multifaceted activities aimed at strengthening Russia. The great reformer and transformer put loyalty to the Fatherland above all other values, even above devotion to himself. We emphasize that already at the beginning of the 17th century, the “Charter of Military and Cannon Affairs” established patriotism as a military-professional quality and a norm of behavior for soldiers.

In the “Table of Ranks,” established by Peter I in 1722, service to the Fatherland and zeal in state affairs were declared the highest valor and established as the most important conditions for receiving ranks and awards. In order to form a patriotic consciousness, appropriate symbols, awards, rituals, and traditions were approved.

The victory in the Battle of Poltava and the subsequent numerous victories of Russian weapons highly raised the prestige of the defender of the Fatherland in Russian society. Patriotic values ​​were enriched by the idea of ​​protecting other peoples and states from foreign slavery. The readiness to defend their country and come to the aid of peoples in trouble has become a characteristic feature of the Russian army.

With the development of the regular army and the formation of the officer corps, military-professional patriotism received its final form as an expression of the essence of people who devoted their lives to the defense of the Fatherland. In its main features it reaches our days.

Since the time of Peter I, officers have occupied a unique place in the life of society. Officers not only defended the Fatherland, but built cities and factories, were inventors, discovered new lands, ruled provinces, served as diplomats and even headed the Russian Orthodox Church (for example, the first chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Colonel I. Boltin, 1721-1726) .

An important circumstance that influenced the formation of military-professional patriotism was also the Russian national character.

These circumstances determined the peculiar features of Russian military-professional patriotism:

Boundless devotion to the Fatherland and willingness to consciously give his life for it;

High concepts of military honor and military duty among both officers and soldiers and sailors;

Persistence and perseverance in battle, readiness for heroic deeds as the norm of behavior;

Devotion to the regiment, the ship, its banner, its traditions;

Respect and observance of military rituals, awards and uniform honor;

Heroic behavior in captivity;

Willingness to come to the aid of peoples in trouble;

Personal example of an officer to his subordinates;

Mastery of one's profession from commander to private.

The significance of military professional patriotism is great. At critical moments, it was he who tipped the scales of the warring parties in favor of Russia.

Most officers of the Russian army saw the meaning of their lives in serving the Fatherland, devoting all their strength and knowledge to this cause. This is confirmed by numerous examples.

So, in 1809, the young Colonel M. Vorontsov received command of the Narva Musketeer Regiment. The intellectual officer, who absorbed the essence of Suvorov’s teachings, turned his regiment into a powerful fighting organism. Taking up a new position and saying goodbye to his fellow soldiers, M. Vorontsov left a military will in the form of “Instructions to gentlemen officers of the Narva Infantry Regiment on the day of battle.” When Prince P. Bagration got acquainted with this document, the impression of it turned out to be so strong that he decided to print it and send it out to the troops of the 2nd Western Army under the title “Instruction to gentlemen infantry officers on the day of battle.”

“Instruction...” had a strong impact on the morale and moral choice of the absolute majority of commanders, not only during the Patriotic War of 1812, but also during other severe trials for our Motherland.

The tradition of deep patriotism and loyalty to the Motherland turned out to be close and natural for the commanders of the Red Army. In battles with the German invaders, Soviet officers amazed the world with heroism and exploits that have no equal in world history.

For example, on January 30, 1945, the Soviet submarine S-13, commanded by Alexander Marinesko, torpedoed the German liner Wilhelm Gustlow, which had over 7 thousand Nazis on board, including 1,300 submariners. The world press called this feat “the attack of the century”, and called the commander “submariner No. 1”. In total, submarine officer Alexander Marinesko and his crew sent several enemy ships to the bottom, the sum of their displacement was 41,507 tons.

Another example. Lieutenant Semyon Konovalov on a KB tank set fire to 16 tanks, 2 armored vehicles, and 8 enemy vehicles in one battle. The KB was hit and three crew members were killed. Making his way to his own, Konovalov, together with a comrade, managed to take possession of a German tank and drove it to the location of our troops.

During the Great Patriotic War, our pilots also showed high professionalism and heroism. Thus, Ivan Kozhedub shot down 62 enemy aircraft, Alexander Pokryshkin - 59, Nikolai Gulaev shot down 13 personally and 5 as part of a group.

For the courage and heroism shown in battles against German troops, over 11.6 thousand Soviet soldiers were awarded the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among them are more than 6 thousand officers, generals, admirals and marshals. 115 of them were awarded this title twice, and G.K. Zhukov, A.I. Pokryshkin, I.N. Kozhedub ended the war three times as Heroes of the Soviet Union (later Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was once again awarded this high title).

Russian officers show examples of courage, heroism, and loyalty to patriotic duty in peacetime, when performing special tasks in the North Caucasus, in the process of eliminating the consequences of accidents and catastrophes, natural disasters, etc.

Another moral value is closely related to patriotism as a spiritual value of Russian officers - loyalty to military duty, that is, an internal conscious readiness to fulfill assigned tasks to protect the Motherland. The content of the debt, as a rule, is formed in the form of some specific requirement, command, political, legal or moral obligation. To fully fulfill his duty, a soldier always needs such spiritual qualities as strong convictions, strong and deep knowledge, strong will and perseverance. It is the man of duty who always achieves success in service, who stoically overcomes the difficulties of everyday life, and who will not retreat in the face of formidable danger. This is confirmed by numerous examples from Russian history and the life of the Russian Armed Forces. The conscious and heroic fulfillment of military duty by our officers during the Great Patriotic War, in Afghanistan, during the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, during special operations in Chechnya and Dagestan convincingly confirms their calling and examples of high spirituality. L.N. Tolstoy wrote about the role of officers: “Believe, Russian officers, in your great calling. Do not doubt his greatness, because every doubt is the beginning of destruction. You are called to serve the good of Russia through the army and through serving and educating it, the good of the whole world, if you love your country and believe in it and in yourself.”

In post-Soviet times, radical changes took place in Russian society, which also affected the spiritual sphere, creating many problems in it. Among them are problems related to the education of patriotism and loyalty to military duty, which officers should be aware of and take into account in their work with personnel.

Thus, sociological surveys conducted in the army and navy show that more than half of conscripts called up from rural areas and small towns, working-class and peasant families, during their service and especially towards its completion, cease to consider military service as their duty to Homeland and honorable duty. This is due to the fact that most of them eventually realize that many of their peers managed to evade military service and shift these responsibilities to others. As a consequence of all this, there is an evolution in the value orientations of military personnel.

In modern conditions, compared to previous decades, the values ​​of military service, which have a predominantly individualistic sound, have acquired importance. Thus, among the respondents, the opportunity to test oneself in difficult conditions was 28%, the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for life - 19%, the opportunity to see life in other regions - 17%, the opportunity for physical improvement - 13%. And such values ​​as involvement in the defense of the Motherland and pride in belonging to the Armed Forces, military honor and dignity, amounted to only about 5% among those surveyed. This circumstance suggests that the problem of forming value orientations among defenders of the Motherland should be approached seriously and thoughtfully.

Moral traditions are the basis of the spiritual qualities of the officer corps

The officer corps of any army in the world has its own traditions, which play a huge role in strengthening its fighting spirit and power. The traditions of the officer corps mean historically established and passed down from generation to generation customs, professional and moral rules that have become the norm of behavior of officers in combat situations and in peacetime, encouraging officers to honestly and conscientiously fulfill their military duty and serve the Fatherland.

The traditions of Russian officers developed over several centuries. Originating at the turn of the 17th - 18th centuries, with the advent of “command” people and the creation of a regular army, they were developed in the troops of the great commanders P.A. Rumyantseva, A.V. Suvorova, M.I. Kutuzova, M.D. Skobelev and others, whose valor and glory were demonstrated to the whole world. Over the entire history of the Russian Army, strong traditions have been formed in various spheres of military activity: combat, training and everyday life. At the same time, among them one can distinguish traditions that are deeply moral in nature and especially clearly emphasize the essence of the officer.

1. The central place in the system of moral traditions of the officer corps is occupied by maintaining the honor of the officer, the honor of the uniform, which was done, as documents of Russian military history testify, already in adolescence, on the approaches to the officer rank.

Thus, in the book “Instructions for Self-Discipline and Self-Education” published for officers (with the subtitle “Collected Letters of an Old Officer to His Son”) the following is said on this subject: “True honor is the good reputation that we enjoy, the general trust in our truthfulness and justice , to our sincere love for people; therefore, you should not be indifferent to honor, since indifference to it humiliates you and excludes you from the society of people worthy of respect.”

The inviolability of the officer’s personality was inextricably linked with the concept of officer’s honor. Nothing but weapons could touch him. Both the law and moral standards guarded the inviolability of his personality. The officer could not be subjected to any punishment that affected his dignity as a person. Even in the general civil sphere. Unlike other citizens, for example, collection on a bill of exchange could only be applied to the officer's property, but not to his person - the officer could not be subjected to personal detention for non-payment of the debt (arrest or imprisonment). The officer and the one who was going to become one could not, naturally, be subjected to corporal punishment. In general, soldiers and non-commissioned officers who were fined (having penalties) during their service were not supposed to be promoted to officers, but for those who distinguished themselves in battle, an exception could be made in respect of their military merits. But never and in no case, regardless of any merit, could a person whose back was touched by a rod wear officer's shoulder straps. Moreover, an officer who was subjected to insult by action, i.e., beating, had to leave service, since it was believed that the presence of publicly humiliated people among the officer corps was detrimental to the officer’s rank.

The concept of the honor of one’s regiment, which was cultivated in the army under the influence of historical traditions, was closely connected with the honor of an officer’s uniform. The glorious fighting traditions of the regiments of the Russian Army, passed down from generation to generation, served as a powerful stimulus for the development of a sense of pride in belonging to one’s unit and to the Russian Army in general. The existence of regimental museums, the writing of unit histories, widely and solemnly celebrated regimental holidays and anniversaries - all contributed to maintaining this feeling. The officer bore, as it were, an additional responsibility for maintaining his honor: by dropping it, he was dropping not only his personal dignity as an officer, but also the honor of his regiment.

The main content of officer's honor is the officer's readiness to defend his homeland and serve in the name of its security. The highest manifestation of officer's honor is loyalty to one's military duty, personal courage, heroism, bravery, dedication, willingness to take risks in the name of achieving socially significant goals, diligence, and loyalty to one's word. A normal phenomenon for our army should be the revival of the good tradition of officers of the Russian army, when they could, at the end of a conversation or in another situation, say “I have the honor,” putting an end to the issue at hand.

2. An important moral tradition of the Russian officer corps is concern for subordinates on the part of commanders. Already from the beginning of the creation of the Russian regular army, Peter I and his closest associates sought to direct the energy of the army to the sacred cause of defending the Fatherland, trying not to use military personnel for personal interests, not to distract them with extraneous matters. And although many construction works were carried out with the participation of soldiers, Peter tried not to abuse their distraction from the training process. He demanded the same from his subordinates. Catherine II also ensured that “soldiers would not lack anything,” thinking only about military service.

A.V. placed the soldier extremely highly as a defender of the Fatherland. Suvorov. “A soldier is dearer to me than himself,” the field marshal liked to repeat.

Realizing that a soldier’s sense of self-esteem is an invariable element of his national pride, the command of the Russian Army tried in every possible way to instill in service relations a strictness that does not turn into humiliation. In 1753, on the initiative of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, after a discussion at the Military Collegium, a special decree “On more meek treatment of company commanders with soldiers” was issued. It demanded that “...immeasurable and innocent beatings of soldiers” be excluded from educational work. For rudeness, officers were ordered to “withhold fines in excess of the state,” and “those who committed it after a warning were to be deprived of their officer ranks.”

Field Marshal General P.A. Rumyantsev tried in every possible way to protect soldiers from unnecessary overexertion and twitching. He demanded from the commanders that “people should not be exhausted unnecessarily” and in the absence “near the enemy they should not be kept in uniform and in shoes.” All these requirements are extremely relevant today.

3. It has become an established tradition of officers in the Russian Army to demonstrate by personal example to their subordinates loyalty to military duty, endurance, perseverance, courage and bravery. Already in the “Instruction to gentlemen officers of the Narva Infantry Regiment on the day of battle” that we mentioned, it was noted that “if the spirit of courage is the distinctive sign of the entire Russian people, then in the officers it is connected with the most sacred duty to always show others the first example of both fearlessness and patience in labor and obedience to superiors."

There are many examples of personal courage and heroism of officers, their readiness to lead an attack in difficult and decisive moments, to lead companies and battalions to break through enemy chains, storm fortresses and bastions.

Heroism as a characteristic feature and tradition of the Russian officer clearly manifested itself during the Great Patriotic War, a convincing confirmation of this is the fact that among the Heroes of the Soviet Union awarded during this period, officers accounted for 60%.

4. The traditions of the spiritual culture of the officers of the Russian Army are rich and varied in their manifestation. No matter what area of ​​Russian culture we turn to, people in uniform stand among the creators everywhere. The activities of Russian officers extended to one degree or another to all areas of culture.

The most revealing thing here is literature. Among hundreds of Russian writers of the 18th - early 20th centuries, approximately every third was an officer or came from an officer's family.

The poets A. Kantemir, G. Derzhavin, M. Lermontov, F. Ryleev, A. Odoevsky, D. Davydov, Y. Knyazhnin, writers L. Tolstoy, N. Karamzin, N. Kurganov, P. entered the history of Russian literature forever. Vyazemsky, A. Bolotov, N. Novikov and many others.

An outstanding place in Russian literature of the 18th century is occupied by G.R. Derzhavin (1743-1816). He spent the first ten years of his service as a simple soldier. Derzhavin served as an officer for five years, in 1777 he was promoted to captain-lieutenant, after which he was soon transferred to civil service.

Russian officers made a great contribution to the development of domestic fine arts. The military theme, works depicting battles, military exploits performed in the name of defending the Motherland have always occupied a significant place in it. However, this does not mean that war artists only depicted war. The golden fund of Russian fine art includes such outstanding names as N.A. Yaroshenko, V.V. Vereshchagin, P.A. Fedotov and many others.

Nikolai Andreevich Yaroshenko (1864-1898) was a unique personality in Russian painting. The son of a general, he graduated from the cadet corps, the St. Petersburg Artillery Academy and himself rose to the rank of general. Part of the Wanderers, N.A. Yaroshenko created expressive images of ordinary people (“All my life”, “Stoker”).

Russian officers also made a significant contribution to the development of Russian musical culture. First of all, it is necessary to note, along with “Pushkin of Russian Music” M.I. Glinka of his contemporary, hussar officer A.A. Alyabyeva.

A participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, repeatedly wounded, awarded several orders for military merits, A.A. Alyabyev (1787-1851) entered world and domestic music, primarily as the author of the famous romance “The Nightingale,” which is still the pinnacle of vocal performing art. He owns operas (“The Tempest”, “The Magic Night”, “The Fisherman and the Mermaids”, etc.), and ballets, and chamber instrumental, as well as theatrical music. He was one of the first to set to music the poems of A.S. Pushkin, as well as V.A. Zhukovsky, A.A. Delviga, N.M. Yazykova.

Russian military history provides rich material indicating that each historical era has its own military organization of society and specific military traditions unique to it, including officer traditions. Therefore, the attitude towards traditions should be creative, and not be a simple repetition of ideas, principles, and customs of the past. The inheritance or denial of traditions, their preservation and development or abandonment of them presupposes, on the one hand, the skillful mastery of the experience of previous generations, the correct selection and assessment of the heritage, as well as the creative development of traditions in a changed environment; on the other hand, non-perception, condemnation, denial of everything inert and random from the past.

1. In the introductory speech, noting the relevance of the topic, it is important to emphasize that the new look of the Russian Armed Forces also presupposes a corresponding officer corps, combining the highest professionalism, love for the Motherland, loyalty to military duty and the traditions of the great Russian commanders.

2. When considering the first question, it is necessary to reveal the origins of the patriotism of military personnel of the Russian army, convincingly show their loyalty to military duty, and briefly dwell on some modern army moral problems.

3. In the course of revealing the second question, taking into account the characteristics of the listeners, the most relevant moral traditions of the officers of the military collective should be analyzed, and special attention should be paid to unresolved issues.

4. In conclusion, it is necessary to draw conclusions about the lesson, answer questions from students, and give recommendations for further study of the topic.

1. Volkov S. Russian officer corps. - M., 1993.

2. Heroes of the Fatherland (Collection of documentary essays). - M., 2004.

3. Officer Corps of the Russian Army. Experience of self-discovery. - M., 2000.

4. Strelnikov V. Russian Officer Corps: history of formation and military traditions // Landmark. - 2003. - No. 4.

Major Boris Ivanov

| Lesson plan for the academic year | A serviceman is a patriot who fulfills his duty with honor and dignity

Basics of life safety
Grade 11

Lesson 25
Soldier - patriot
fulfilling his duty with honor and dignity

Great military leaders and commanders constantly emphasized that spiritual and moral qualities have priority among other components of a warrior’s combat effectiveness. A.V. Suvorov and M.I. Kutuzov paid exceptional attention to strengthening the moral strength of the army, which contributed to their victories in many battles. Field Marshal General M.I. Kutuzov said: “... no matter how great these objects (subordination and discipline) are in themselves, they will remain powerless when they are not enlivened by that military spirit that overcomes all circumstances...”

Russian military theorist and teacher M.I. Dragomirov (1830-1905) outlined the main requirements for a soldier.

Devotion to the Fatherland to the point of selflessness;
belief in the inviolability of the order;
determination and courage;
perseverance and determination to endure labor, needs and hardships without complaint;
mutual revenue;
private initiative (reasonable initiative).

The most important among the spiritual qualities of a Russian warrior is love for the Motherland, its history, culture, traditions and people, i.e. the highest patriotism. The feeling of patriotism is quite understandable.

There are almost no people who would be indifferent to their family, to the area where they were born and live, and therefore to their Fatherland. What is meant by the word “patriotism”? This word comes from the Greek patris and means devotion to one’s Fatherland, love for the Motherland, the desire to serve its interests and protect it from enemies. The history of our country knows many examples of the patriotism of the people.

One of them is the defense of the Russian city of Kozelsk from the Mongol-Tatars in the spring of 1238. The army of Khan Batu, numbering about 120 thousand well-armed and trained soldiers, besieged a small fortress, which had only about 10 thousand inhabitants. Enemies attacked the city almost continuously for 49 days. The Russians fought desperately, made night raids, killed Mongol warriors and destroyed siege weapons. After unsuccessful attempts to take Kozelsk by storm, the invaders resorted to a trick and pretended to leave. The defenders of the city began to pursue the Mongols and went outside the fortress walls. And then the enemy troops who were in ambush attacked the small Russian army and broke into the fortress. The fight was terrible. The townspeople went to the sword. In one day, four thousand more enemies fell, but the last defenders of the city also fell next to them. Women, old people and children died in fire and smoke, and the survivors were mercilessly slaughtered by order of Batu Khan.

Patriotism was clearly manifested in the events of 1612 and 1812, when the people were the decisive force that expelled the enemy from Russia, as well as in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. It is not without reason that in one of the conversations, when asked what human feelings the war most strongly awakened in people, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov replied that during the war, every person especially developed a feeling of love for the Fatherland.

Among Russian soldiers, patriotism is manifested primarily in loyalty to military duty, high discipline and devotion to the Fatherland.

Military duty is a moral and legal norm of conduct for a military personnel. The requirements of military duty are enshrined in the military oath and make the behavior of a warrior highly moral and socially significant. Taking the oath, a Russian soldier swears “to fulfill his military duty with dignity, to courageously defend the freedom, independence and constitutional system of Russia, the people, the Fatherland.” A sense of military duty was inherent in the combatants of Ancient Rus', and the soldiers of Suvorov, and the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Today, being faithful to military duty means making every effort and effort to skillfully wield your weapons and military equipment and successfully use them in battle.

One of the decisive conditions that ensure victory in battle is military discipline.. Discipline is a certain order of people's behavior that meets the established norms of law and morality in society, as well as the requirements of any organization. There are state, labor, military, technical, etc. disciplines.

Military discipline means strict and precise observance by all military personnel of the order and rules established by the laws of the Russian Federation, general military regulations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and orders of commanders (chiefs). The importance and role of military discipline in modern conditions is increasing. This is primarily due to the need for coordinated and quick actions of soldiers, units and units in conditions of frequent changes in the situation and heavy physical and moral stress. Therefore, every soldier is obliged to be not only honest and brave, but also disciplined. Without strong military discipline and impeccable performance, it is impossible to master modern combat techniques, the latest weapons and sophisticated military equipment.

Difficult military work requires high moral and volitional qualities from people, and these qualities do not come by themselves. They are the result of a warrior’s deep inner conviction of the obligation to fulfill the requirements of military regulations and a conscientious attitude towards military service.

Questions

1. What do you mean by a feeling of patriotism?

2. How is patriotism manifested among Russian soldiers?

3. What is military duty?

4. What is meant by discipline and what types of discipline do you know?

5. What is military discipline?

Patriotism- this is love for your homeland, people, its history, language, national culture.

Everyone must understand that patriotism means not only and not just love for the Motherland, but devotion to it, pride in it, the desire to serve its interests, and protect it from enemies. This is a purposeful activity for its progressive development and prosperity.

A true patriot loves his Fatherland not because it gives him some benefits and privileges over other nations, but because it is his Motherland. And therefore he is faithful to her in the most difficult moments.

A person is either a patriot of his Fatherland, and then he is connected to it, like a tree with its roots to the earth, or he is just dust carried by all the winds. You cannot be born a patriot. Patriotism cannot be gained by changing your place of residence. Over the years, many of our compatriots have gone abroad in search of a better life. But many of them never acquired a new homeland and yearn for Russia. Even a long life in a foreign land does not make it the Motherland, despite getting used to someone else's life and nature.

Loyalty to military duty

Patriotism always finds its expression in a sense of duty to the Motherland. Depending on the specific conditions of people’s lives and the nature of their activities, the sense of duty takes different forms. Responsibilities towards the Fatherland are expressed by patriotic, civic duty; to the armed defense of the country - military duty, to comrades - comradely duty. Whatever form the sense of duty appears, it is always connected with public interests, with moral values ​​and actions. A high sense of duty helps each of us resist temptations, the wrong step, and maintain a clear conscience and dignity.

Fulfilling one's duty shows the true face of a person and reveals the moral qualities of an individual. No wonder people say. “Try to do your duty and you will find out what is in you.”

No matter from which republic, territory, region a young man is called up for military service, he is responsible for the reliable defense of our common land, people, culture, relatives, loved ones, loved ones, that is, for our entire Fatherland. The security of the Fatherland largely depends on the depth and strength of the patriotic feelings of its defenders.

True patriotism is manifested not in words, but in deeds and, above all, in loyalty to one’s constitutional, military duty.

Debt is a concentrated expression of a person's specific responsibilities. The highest expression of duty is civil, patriotic duty to the Fatherland.

Each person's awareness of public responsibilities as their own, their clear implementation is the fulfillment of a public duty. Without this, the full life of any organization, team, family, or even each individual person is impossible.

Military duty- this is the moral and legal norm of behavior of a military personnel. It is determined by the requirements of society, the state and the purpose of the Armed Forces.

Military duty, in comparison with other types of public duty, includes additional moral duties inherent in the purpose of the Armed Forces. Fulfilling military duty is not easy. However, it must be carried out in good faith, despite the difficulties encountered.

From time immemorial, a person is judged by his deeds. The power of duty is manifested in practical action. The quality of practical performance of duty is one of the moral characteristics of an individual. It is not without reason that a warrior who skillfully directs his knowledge, thoughts, feelings and will to fulfill an order, a combat mission, or the requirements of military regulations is said to be a conscientious and morally mature military man.

What does it mean for a Russian soldier in modern conditions to be faithful to military duty? The answer to this question is very clearly given in the Federal Law “On the Status of Military Personnel” (1998). “Protecting the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, ensuring the security of the state, repelling an armed attack, as well as performing tasks in accordance with the international obligations of the Russian Federation,” the Law notes, “constitute the essence of military duty, which obliges military personnel to:

To be faithful to the Military Oath, selflessly serve your people, courageously and skillfully defend your Fatherland;

Strictly observe the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the laws of the Russian Federation, the requirements of general military regulations, unquestioningly carry out the orders of commanders;

Treasure the honor and military glory of the defenders of your people, the honor of military rank and military camaraderie;

Improve military skills, maintain weapons and military equipment in constant readiness for use, and take care of military property;

Be disciplined, vigilant, keep state and military secrets;

Comply with generally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties of the Russian Federation.”

Anyone who knows these requirements and follows them every day, hourly in his deeds and actions, shows loyalty to military duty.

A true citizen, a patriotic warrior always remembers his duty to the Fatherland and checks his life path against it, like a compass.

The history of the wars that the peoples of Russia had to wage in defense of their Motherland is a history of military valor and soldier's glory.

In difficult years for the Motherland, a rise in the morality of Russians was always felt. The lofty word “Fatherland” was associated with such concepts as “oath”, “duty” and “feat” in the name of its protection and independence. In Russia, violation of the oath and treason against the Motherland have always been not only condemned, but also severely punished.

One of the striking examples of mass patriotism of the peoples of Russia was the Patriotic War of 1812. During this period, everyone stood up to defend the Motherland - rich, poor, elderly, young, men and women, that is, everyone who cherishes freedom and independence Motherland.

The traditions of patriotism and loyalty to the Motherland were most evident during the Great Patriotic War, when the question of the fate of the country was being decided. The Patriotic War is replete with thousands of examples of self-sacrifice of Russian people, when a soldier covered the embrasure of a bunker with his chest, blew himself up and his enemies with the last grenade, a pilot went to ram an enemy plane or sent a burning plane to a concentration of the enemy, the partisan died on the gallows, but did not become a traitor.

For the courage and heroism shown in battles against the Nazis, over 11.6 thousand soldiers were awarded the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and more than 7 million people were awarded orders and medals.

Currently, Russian soldiers, largely trained on the exploits of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, honor and enhance their glorious military traditions. This happened in 1969 on Damansky Island, in 1978-1989. in Afghanistan, this was repeated in the Chechen Republic in 1995-1996. and at the end of the 90s.

It would seem that years of betrayal, lies and indifference should have erased the historical memory of self-sacrifice in people, especially young people, but this did not happen. The feat of the Pskov guards-paratroopers showed the whole world that the Russian people, even in our time, have not lost their readiness to give their lives “for their friends.”

There were 90 of them. Ninety paratroopers who blocked the path of the militants of Basayev and Khattab at an unnamed height near the village of Ulus-Kert, in the Argun Gorge of Chechnya. Ninety heroes who took on an unequal battle with two thousand heavily armed bandits. 84 guardsmen died heroically, but did not let the enemy through. Their feat can be compared with the battle in the Thermopylae Gorge of three hundred Spartans against the hordes of Persians who were going to conquer Greece. They all died, but by their heroic example they saved their homeland.

Near Ulus-Kert, a company of Pskov guards paratroopers stepped into immortality, into eternal life. Many beautiful words were said about them by politicians, marshals, and genders. But how can they compare with the words of the Hero’s widow, Alexei Vladimirovich Vorobyov, Lyudmila, which were heard throughout the country: “I want Alyosha to know that I will raise his son just like him.”

And those who love Russia will always remember that our guys fought to the death at an unnamed height. For us, for our children, for our Motherland!

Patriotism is the source of a warrior’s spiritual strength

A special place among the spiritual qualities of Russian soldiers is occupied by love for the Motherland and the highest patriotism. The spirit of patriotism, as selfless love for the Motherland, one’s Fatherland, underlies and crowns every modern military system. “Above all,” noted the prominent military pedagogue M.I. Dragomirov, “is the willingness to suffer and die, that is, selflessness... it gives the strength to endure to the end, to make a sacrifice of supreme love for the Motherland.”

What is patriotism, Motherland, Fatherland? What meaning do we put into these concepts? And what about love for Rodin? When and how does it arise in a person’s heart and become aware of it? How does one become the force that inspires and lifts him to feat?

Love for the Motherland probably arises in every person in due time. One thing is certain. With the first sip of mother's milk, love for the Fatherland begins to awaken. At first this happens unconsciously: just as a plant reaches out to the sun, a child reaches out to his father and mother. Growing up, he begins to feel attached to friends, to his native street, village, city. And only as he grows up, gaining experience and knowledge, he gradually realizes the greatest truth - his belonging to his mother-Fatherland, responsibility for it. This is how a patriotic citizen is born.

Patriotism means devotion to one’s Fatherland, love for the Motherland, the desire to serve its interests, and protect it from enemies. Patriotism is a feeling of immense love for one’s people, pride in them, excitement, concern for their successes and sorrows, for victories and defeats.

Homeland is the territory, the geographical space where a person was born, the social and spiritual environment in which he grew up, lives and is brought up. Conventionally, a big and a small Motherland are distinguished. By big Motherland we mean the country where a person grew up, lives and which has become dear and close to him. The Small Motherland is the place of birth and formation of a person as a person. A. Tvardovsky wrote: “This small Motherland with its special appearance, with its, albeit modest and unassuming beauty, appears to a person in childhood, at the time of lifelong impressions of the childish soul, and with it, with this separate and sweet Motherland, he comes over the years to that big Motherland that embraces all the small ones and - in its great whole - is one for everyone."

Fatherland is a concept akin to the Motherland, which, however, has a deeper content and, above all, moral and spiritual content.

It should be noted that a person can live his life and “not find his homeland”, not become its patriot, that is, a person in love with his Fatherland.

Love for the Fatherland, Motherland is comparable only with love for your parents - father and mother. The loss of the Motherland means a person’s loss of personal dignity and happiness. The poet S. Vikulov said this perfectly:

And you, wonderfully generous,

Execute me with oblivion if I lie...

And without me you can be happy, -

I can’t live without you, Russia.

A patriot loves his Fatherland not because it gives him some benefits and privileges over other nations, but because it is his Motherland. A person is either a patriot of his Fatherland, and then he is connected to it like a tree with its roots to the earth, or he is just dust carried by all the winds.

Over the years, many of our compatriots have gone abroad in search of a better life. But many of them never acquired a new homeland and yearn for Russia. Even a long life in a foreign land does not make it the Motherland, despite getting used to someone else’s life and nature.

Neither territory, nor racial origin, nor customary way of life, nor language, nor formal citizenship of another state in themselves constitute the Motherland. The homeland is not limited to this and cannot be reduced to this. The homeland presupposes a living principle of spirituality in a person, something sacred, beautiful and beloved. “The Motherland,” wrote the outstanding Russian philosopher I.A. Ilyin, “is something of the spirit and for the spirit.”

True patriotism is incompatible with nationalism and chauvinism. Loving your Motherland does not at all mean rejecting everything foreign and praising only what is native. Love for the Fatherland is compatible with love for all the best that has been created by world civilization.

It should be emphasized that love for the Motherland can manifest itself in different ways. Thus, the patriotism of a scientist will be different from that of a peasant, worker, military man or artist. Having a single Motherland, they will all love it, but each in their own way.

For a serviceman, patriotism, at its highest level, is manifested in fidelity to military duty, in selfless service to the Motherland. For military people, these concepts are inextricably linked and are essentially synonymous.

Loyalty to military duty

Patriotism always finds its expression in a sense of duty to the Motherland. Depending on the specific living conditions of people and the nature of their activities, debt takes various forms.

Responsibilities towards the Fatherland are expressed by patriotic, civic duty; to the armed defense of the country - military duty, to comrades - comradely duty. Whatever the form of duty, it is always connected with public interests, with moral values ​​and actions. A high sense of duty helps each of us to resist temptations, from taking the wrong step, and to preserve our conscience and dignity. “We all,” noted the prominent Russian writer I. S. Turgenev, “have one anchor from which, unless you want to, you will never break free: a sense of duty.”

Fulfilling a duty shows the true face of a person and reveals the moral qualities of an individual. No wonder people say: “Try to fulfill your duty, and you will find out what is in you.”

If love for the Motherland is a manifestation of patriotism, then defending the Fatherland is the duty and responsibility of a patriot. A person deprived of a feeling of love for the Motherland is not able to realize his duty to it. You cannot trust someone who swears love for the Motherland and at the same time avoids fulfilling his duty to defend it armed. And, unfortunately, there have been quite a few of these among conscripts recently.

History shows that in those societies where citizens began to disdain military duty, their disintegration and collapse inevitably occurred. “Woe to those countries,” noted the famous military theorist G. Jomini, “in which the luxury of a tax farmer and the wallet of a stock exchange businessman will be preferred to the uniform of a brave warrior who dedicated his life, his health, or his property to the defense of the Motherland.”

Our domestic experience speaks of a different attitude towards military duty. For example, during the Great Patriotic War, many boys and even girls who had not yet reached conscription age besieged the doors of military registration and enlistment offices, trying to become defenders of the Motherland. Probably, each of them could repeat the heartfelt lines of the Ural poet Mikhail Naidich:

I only once

used all connections -

To get there

to the front at sixteen years old.

In peaceful everyday life, military duty requires from every warrior a deep understanding of personal responsibility for the defense of the Motherland, mastery of entrusted equipment and weapons, improvement of one’s moral, combat and psychological qualities, high organization and discipline.

To be faithful to military duty means with all your deeds and actions to increase combat readiness, strengthen the combat power of the country, and if necessary, stand up for its defense. Russian soldiers have someone to follow by example.

The unfading exploits of the Russian and Soviet troops, of which the entire country is proud, are inscribed in golden letters in the chronicle of the Fatherland. Our soldier always knew what he was fighting for. And therefore, a sense of patriotism and duty was inherent in Svyatoslav’s warriors, and the soldiers of Peter I, and Suvorov’s miracle heroes, and the brave soldiers of the Great Patriotic War.

This was due primarily to the fact that Russian troops did not know military mercenaryism, which many European states had resorted to for a long time. In the armies created from declassed elements and foreign mercenaries, there could be no talk of patriotism or military duty, since for these people the very concept of the Motherland did not exist. Their morale was so low that they could leave the battlefield at any time, and especially at a time of danger to their lives. There were many cases of mass transfer of mercenaries to the side of the enemy who won the battle.

And these days there are no shortage of mercenaries. They are available, in particular, in the armies of some countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. The “soldiers of fortune” also experienced their happiness in some of the new states of the former Yugoslavia and the Chechen Republic. What kind of homeland could mercenaries from the Baltic states, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Middle East defend, for example, in Chechnya? They had one goal - money, and some of them, in addition; attracted by the idea of ​​religious fanaticism.

The historical experience of Russia testifies that its warriors, maintaining continuity, from generation to generation not only preserved, but also accumulated military traditions and increased the glory of their fathers.

As experience in defending the Fatherland accumulated, military heroism gained the strength of a strong moral tradition and became the norm of behavior for the Russian military. The basis of military heroism, its source are patriotism, love for Russia, and loyalty to military duty.

At all times, the exploits of Russian soldiers were revered, glorified and exalted by the people. Warriors who accomplished military feats were called heroes. Although there was no highest insignia in the old days, there was a whole system of military orders and medals that were awarded to soldiers, junior commanders, officers and generals.

The approval on April 16, 1934 of the highest degree of distinction in our country - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was a logical development of the glorious heroic traditions of the Russian army and navy.

In March 1992, the title of Hero of the Russian Federation was established and the insignia - the Gold Star medal - was approved.

In total, 12,773 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on January 1, 1996, and more than 60 people received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

In the post-war years, in peaceful everyday life and during military operations in a number of countries, our soldiers, through their military deeds and heroic deeds, convincingly proved many times their loyalty to military duty, oath, and devotion to the Motherland. In the 80s alone, for the selfless fulfillment of military duty on Afghan soil, 86 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and more than 200 thousand people were awarded orders and medals, of which 110 thousand were soldiers and sergeants.

This is how our two Russian heroes acted in battle.

The Dushmans persistently attacked the dominant heights, trying to throw off the paratroopers from there. Guard private A. Melnikov and guard junior sergeant V. Aleksandrov conducted destructive fire from machine guns on the flanks. In the short moments of calm, the paratroopers swore an oath: not to give up the heights, to fight until the last bullet. During the next fierce enemy attack, V. Aleksandrov called fire on himself, and the wounded A. Melnikov, after the machine gun jammed, managed to throw a grenade into the thick of the attackers, but he himself died. Fallen heroes do not die, they live in the grateful memory of their descendants and serve as a moral standard for them.

The feeling of patriotism today remains the highest moral value and the most convincing meaning of serving in the army of the reformed Russian state. It is gratifying that love for the Motherland among patriotic soldiers is not limited to verbal assurances, but includes a creative beginning and is expressed in specific noble deeds and heroic deeds.

Russian soldiers prove their love for the Motherland and loyalty to military duty every day in the field, at shooting ranges and tank ranges, in classrooms and at the controls of combat vehicles, during guard and internal service, and, if necessary, in a combat situation, as happened in Chechnya. Republic.

Here are just two examples.

In a battle on one of the city streets, a BMP-3, where the gunner-operator was Sergeant Mikhail Appakov, was shot down. The landing party immediately left the combat vehicle and found themselves under targeted enemy fire. But at the same moment Appakov’s cannon and machine gun came to life. A barrage of deadly metal fell on the militants. Mikhail called fire on himself, thereby saving his comrades, who managed to escape unharmed from the fire. When reinforcements arrived and Dudayev’s men fled, the body of the courageous sergeant was removed from the wrecked car. He fought until the last shell, until the last cartridge - all the ammunition was used up.

During the assault on the facility, the platoon commander was killed. Sergeant Evgeniy Sarkisov took command of the unit and continued to carry out the combat mission. Evgeniy was wounded, but remained in the ranks and led the battle. And only after E. Sarkisov’s hand was torn off by a grenade, he was taken out of the battlefield. And many similar examples can be given. They fill the days of dangerous, but very necessary for preserving the integrity of the Motherland, military service on the territory of Chechnya.

Even in the Russian army, a good tradition has been established to carefully preserve the memory of its heroes. Books were written about them, poems and songs were composed. And starting from 1840, the warriors who performed the most remarkable feats began to be forever included in the lists of units and units. The first on this list is private Arkhip Osipov of the Tengi regiment, who blew up a powder magazine and himself in the Mikhailovsky fortification during the war in the Caucasus. For this feat, by order of the Minister of War A. Osipov was forever included in the lists of the 1st Grenadier Company of the regiment. When this name was mentioned in the ranks, the first private behind him answered: “He died for the glory of Russian weapons in the Mikhailovsky fortification.”

This tradition was revived during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. After the feat of Alexander Matrosov, which was heard throughout the country in February 1943, his name was forever included in the unit’s lists. And again the words sounded over the ranks: “He died a brave death for the freedom and independence of our Motherland.” This wonderful tradition continues in the Russian Armed Forces.

In the flames of the Eternal Flame, majestic memorials and modest obelisks, in works of literature and art, in the hearts of contemporaries and our descendants, the memory of the immortal exploits of those who were the first to attack, who shielded the commander from the deadly fire, who stood to the death on the field will forever be preserved. battle, who did not break under torture and did not betray military secrets.

Military honor

Love for the Motherland and loyalty to military duty are inseparable from military honor and dignity. Possessing honor at all times was considered a necessity for people associated with military affairs. With all other good service qualities, a warrior’s authority dropped sharply if, through his action or inaction, he cast a shadow on the honor of the uniform.

It is not the uniform that makes a person worthy, but the person must be worthy of the uniform. This idea was affirmed from the very beginning in the Russian army, permeating all the military laws and regulations of Peter I. Thus, in the “Charter of Military and Cannon Affairs” it was emphasized that “... it is better to die honorably than to live dishonorably... ". A sense of honor, according to A.V. Suvorov, was the main spring that moved the soldiers to military affairs.

Since ancient times it was believed that military honor is the main virtue of a soldier; it forces him to be demanding of himself and his actions. Thus, one of the military writers noted: “Honor is a sacred thing... it is the highest blessing... honor is a reward in happiness and consolation in grief. Honor strengthens courage and ennobles courage. Honor knows neither hardships nor dangers: it makes hardships are easy and leads to glorious deeds. Honor does not tolerate and cannot bear any stain."

The honor of the Motherland, his regiment, and comrades in arms has always been above all for the young soldier and the highly experienced front-line soldier. In the name of the success of the battle and the fulfillment of orders, Russian soldiers overcame any obstacles and difficulties. And the more difficult the situation became, the more clearly the desire to preserve honor and dignity manifested itself. For example, Guard Private Yu. Smirnov was crucified by the Nazis on the cross, but retained his military honor and did not tarnish his name with betrayal.

It is equally important to maintain honor in the peaceful, everyday life of the army. For a warrior, this means quickly and efficiently mastering equipment and weapons, acting skillfully and without fear during exercises, strictly complying with statutory provisions and laws, never under any circumstances deviating from moral norms, or violating military discipline. Therefore, it is not for nothing that a saying was born in the army: “Act according to the regulations, you will win honor and glory.” Deviation from the requirements of the charter, from the rules of honor due to cowardice, cowardice, sloppiness or other reasons leads to moral injury or even moral death, which for many is worse than physical death.

The Russian army has always despised cowardice, alarmism, and betrayal. They were also condemned by the people and entailed severe punishment.

The honor of a Russian soldier is inseparable from his nobility towards those around him, including the defeated enemy and the population of defeated countries. “Don’t offend the average person! He gives you water and food. A soldier is not a robber,” A.V. repeatedly emphasized. Suvorov. And the authority of Suvorov’s soldiers was extremely high. This is evidenced by the following historical fact. After the capture of Izmail (1790), local residents after some time began to sell food to Suvorov’s soldiers on credit, knowing their honesty and decency.

Neither Russian nor Soviet soldiers ever allowed themselves the outrages, acts of vandalism and atrocities that the vaunted soldiers of Napoleon and the Nazi barbarians committed in the occupied territory. Residents of European cities greeted our warriors-liberators with joy and flowers, which was recognition of their high moral qualities and trust.

And in the recent past, while in Afghanistan, our soldiers treated national traditions and customs with care; the local population did not allow cruelty and “scorched earth” tactics. Moreover, they helped peasants harvest crops, repair agricultural equipment, build houses, and quite often shared food and medicine with poor residents of villages and cities.

Notable in this regard is the case that was told on the pages of the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper by a former “Afghan” who simply gave his name as Anatoly. One day, having knocked out a gang from a village, his unit was combing the courtyards. In one of them a little girl was found who was extremely emaciated and, slightly moving her lips, asked for food. But Anatoly had nothing to give her to eat. He ran to his comrades, found some bread, a handful of raisins and rushed back. But the girl was already dead. Anatoly believes that if he had given bread as soon as he saw her, she would have held out and not died. After the incident with the girl, he began to take with him to liquidate the next gang, in addition to supplies of cartridges, grenades, and a bunch of other heavy things needed in battle, also bread. And I never brought it back.

This is how our Russian soldier takes someone else’s misfortune to heart and tries to help at the first opportunity. There are many known cases when warriors risked their lives, but did not deviate from moral standards. Here's one of them.

The truck with Afghan civilians was engulfed in flames - the dushmans set it on fire. Russian soldiers came to the aid of those in trouble. Moans could be heard from the burning cabin. The car could explode at any minute, but this did not stop Private A. Belov. He rushed to the cab and pulled the wounded driver out of it. When the soldier pulled him to a safe distance, an explosion was heard.

Now the nature of this war and its consequences are assessed differently in society. But no one can negate the courage and bravery of our soldiers, who worthily fulfilled their military duty on Afghan soil. Even today they continue the glorious fighting traditions of the Russian army, the Soviet Army, constantly demonstrating ardent patriotism, high moral, combat and psychological qualities.

Years and decades pass. One generation of Russian warriors replaces another. Weapons and military equipment change, but the love and devotion of armed defenders to their Fatherland, their loyalty to military duty, honesty and dignity remain unchanged.

At present, objective conditions are developing in such a way that a real threat of their loss hangs over many of the spiritual values ​​that form the basis of the life of the army and navy society. This is largely due to the fact that, on the one hand, the level of intellectual and cultural development of Russians continues to decline, and on the other, the range of undesirable influences on their spiritual world has expanded.

As is known, at all times, weakening attention to the preservation of spiritual values, loss of interest in spiritual problems have always led to the degradation of the nation.

The modern transitional period of development of Russian society requires further deep and critical understanding of the main directions for improving domestic spirituality, the stages of its development, and the restoration of an effectively functioning spiritual and moral social atmosphere, where there is no place for ignorance, violence and acquisitiveness. We must not forget that true democracy is based on spirituality, consciousness, and understanding of ongoing processes.

The historical experience of our country testifies that at all times one of the most important tasks of public authorities has been to instill a sense of patriotism, devotion to the Fatherland and selfless performance of duty. (see diagram 1).

Studying Russian military history