“Manhood lessons” in Russia

The period from the end of January till 23 February is the time of “manhood lessons” in many Russian schools taking place as part of the “month of military and patriotic campaign”, which in its turn is organized within the framework of the state program for “patriotic education of the RF citizens”. Lessons are carried out at the instruction of the Ministry of Education and Science, the same ministry has elaborated the learning materials. Patriotism is inseparably associated with “serving one's homeland”, as well as with brezhnev-like rhetoric on the war (the variant of the memory about the war, which was formed during the late Soviet period of Brezhnev's rule).

“Manhood lessons” script: teachers' creativity

“Manhood lessons”, customary for Soviet schools of the 1970-s and 1980-s, disappeared for a decade and reemerged in 2000-s (at that, not only in Russia, but in other countries of the post-Soviet space as well, in particular, in Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus). Often they are extracurricular lessons with a script written by the history teacher. The lesson can be devoted to a certain topic – heroic war episode (the Stalingrad battle, the Leningrad defense, the battle for Moscow) or address an established symbolic sequence of the war memories:

“The wall is draped with a red cloth. Part of the cloth is painted with a view of an old brick wall destroyed by explosions, covered with barbed wire. Black figures on the bricks stand for the numbers of the dead, the missing and other data. In the middle of the wall there is an image of the Mamaev Kurgan monument – a hand with a torch stretching out from the ground. Up above in the sky there flies a crane flock. It's desirable to achieve a 3D effect. Onstage there are 3 big shells in a row, where at the end of the thematic part flowers are put as a tribute to the memory of those perished”.

The lessons often include classic war songs (“Sacred war”), as well as “manly” Vysotsky's and Rosenbaum's ones; sometimes the video is used (and most likely not the chronicle). Theatrical elements are presented not only in the design; the students also take part in scenes, singing fragments of songs, citing poems or telling about “the soldiers' and commanders' heroic deeds”.

“The students tell about the soldiers' and commanders' heroic deeds.
Shooter Pyotr Goncharov destroyed 445 fascists in battles. After the Stalingrad battle he became the shooters' mentor. Celebrating the New Year in 1944 with his war companions he said: «German lance corporal Hitler had to dock 402 Fritzes of the barrack fare because of my shots. And if we add up the work of my young fellows, shooters of our regiment, the figures will pass 1000. Pyotr Goncharov continued taking part in battles and died near Krivoy Rog on 31 January 1944. On 10 October 1944 Goncharov was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. (post-mortem)”

“Preparation to the classroom hour: PowerPoint presentation, preparation of the book exhibition. The students prepare reports on the manhood of Soviet soldiers during the days of the Stalingrad battle. A group of reciters selects poems on war, manhood, heroism. Group of those responsible for the music selects songs about war.”

It is curios that feature films, songs and present-day video clips are used as historical illustrative material; at that the difference and discrepancy between a historical fact (historical event) and its interpretation disappears, and the question of peculiarities of the memory about the past (the issue of its inhomogenuity, diversity of sources and opinions, issue of its variability in time, its close ties with the Soviet and now Russian historical policy), apparently, is not emphasized at all. The history of the war is presented as a complete, wholesome, uncontroversial epos, where pity and sympathy for simple people is replaced by the Great Sorrow for the Heroes, while everyday existential experience is hidden behind universal cliches about severe front days.

The lesson might contain a discussion part, in the course of which, for instance, a heroic deed is discussed. Deeds, however, are always Great, and the memory is always Sacred, at that the situation developed is a bit paradoxic: a patriot brought up correctly should serve the Homeland and should be ready to defend it and sacrifice his life at the demand, at the same time, in the course of the explanation of the meaning of the lesson the appeal to the students is “to remember not to repeat”.

Veterans: participants, but not witnesses

Veterans of the Great Patriotic War are invited as guests to take part in the lessons (see the article by Boris Dubin dwelling in more detail on the figure of the veteran combining personal, family and state memory of the war), as well as veterans of the “local wars” in Afghanistan and Chechnya, which are gradually replacing GPW veterans. However, it happens, though this is rather an exception, that this “other war” becomes the main topic, as it was, for instance, in the lesson “The soldier doesn't choose a war…” about the participants  of the military action in Afghanistan and Chechnya, about sailors from the “Kursk” submarine. (There might be military men, people wearing uniforms, special purpose militia unit officers). Veterans' narrative serves as a “living word”, however, polished in speeches and known beforehand practically word for word, it becomes one in a series of other possible (audio) fitting pieces.

«Host: We are having guests at our festal day – veteran of the Great Patriotic War Yertsev Alexey Mikhailovich and Krugal Galina Romanovna – ex-prisoner of the concentration camp. They will tell you now about the war, its terrors, about all the ordeals they were through, about the courage of the people who defended their motherland from the enemies. The floor is yours.

(Veterans' speech)

Host: Thank you!

Everything which is going to happen now in this hall is for you.

Introduction «A Slav's farewell»

(Children go onstage to the accompaniment of the music)

 — “…on 22 June 1941 at 4 a.m. without making any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring a war, German regular army troops attacked our country, attacked frontier units at the front from the Baltic to the Black Sea…”

fragments of the script of the festival dedicated to the Victory Day and the Homeland Defender Day

 

“We wish you all the best on this noble and and decent way!
A short message of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War (participant of the local armed conflicts) or the school headmaster.”

fragment of the lesson plan recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science

The war becomes an extremely abstract phenomenon based on a generalized image of the enemy and generalized heroism, with a vague zone of responsibility. It is implied that militarist values are of an unquestionable and universal nature, and what is going on at the “manhood lessons” is not considered as propaganda, while this important resource might even cause armed conflicts. There is no goal to teach a student to counteract propaganda and take independent responsible decisions, on the contrary, individualism is declared a drawback necessary to fight. In fact, there is only one responsible decision – listen to the Motherland's call (in that one can count on the help from local patriotic organizations or representatives of the authorities)

However, if the lesson is given without a strict plan the whole of it might be devoted to the meeting with a young hero-veteran, who is well aware of his mission in the system of education – raising patriots – and constructs his story in compliance with it: lots of stories occur at war (he tells some of them), but serving one's Homeland (unification with the state) – this is an unconditioned duty. The degree of the state responsibility (assessment of the necessity of “local” wars, compensation to civilian victims, social benefits to the veterans, etc.), as well as the degree of responsibility of the participants of the military action is not a point of discussion.

“Manhood lessons” on commemorable dates

“Manhood lessons” schedule is timed with commemorable dates: it might be May (9 May – the Victory Day), February (23 February – Homeland Defender Day), and also – an important innovation – September (1 September – the Knowledge Day and the first day after the summer vacation). The latter imparts not only an exclusive substantial importance («Knowledge about war is sacred»), but also a formal educational one: this is the first, main, orientational lesson.

“Manhood lesson” plan from the Ministry of Education and science

“Manhood lessons” on the Knowledge Day were initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science. In 2010 a detailed scenario was elaborated – military and patriotic education turned into a mainstream cause with massive bureaucracy accompaniment. «Manhood lesson” plan (always with a capital letter in official and normative documents) was prepared by DOSAAF of Russia (Voluntary Society for assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy) and approved by the Ministry of Education and Science in summer 2010. The instruction of the DOSAAF chair on the preparation of the lesson indicates that chairs of the regional DOSAAF departments together with the management of the regional bodies of the ministry of Education and Science are to “define educational establishments and the procedure for the organization of the lesson with a maximum coverage of students”.

The same month (August 2010) heads of the executive bodies of the RF subjects responsible for the sphere of education received a directive from the Ministry of Education and Science (Department of Education and Socialization of children) “On the organization of manhood lessons” dedicated to the 65^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War” based on the DOSAAF materials. The directive had a 9-page annex – material for the lesson. Read its summary below:

Before the start of the lesson (7-10 minutes in advance) songs about the Great Patriotic War are played.

Karamzin's words are cited, the author of the “History of the Russian State”, “who based his writings not only on deep knowledge, but also on the feeling of patriotism”: “I know, you need the impartiality of the historian: I am sorry, I never could hide the love for the Homeland…”. Patriotic writers are enumerated: Dostoevsky, Belinsky, Pushkin.
 
A message is given to young people: «Participation in associations, especially in patriotic ones, helps overcome egocentrism, individualism, aspiration to consumerism». It is followed by the story of the present and the past of DOSAAF (In 1927 – Society for the assistance to defense, aviation and chemical construction of the USSR (OSOVIAKHIM)) presented as a “school of patriots”. The pre- and post-war history of the organization is told:

«During the years of the war-time ordeals the nurselings of the Defense Society attained unfading glory. Thousands of them were awarded for battle deeds, courage and manhood with orders and medals, titles of Heroes of the Soviet Union. Among them are legendary Zoya Kosmodemianskaya, graduate of the Moscow school # 201, Alexey Maresiyev, private Alexander Matrosov and sergeant Yakov Pavlov, famous stunt pilots three times Heroes of the Soviet Union Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub, courageous mariners two times Heroes of the Soviet Union Nelson Stepanyan and Alexander Shabalin, Valentin Safronov and Alexey Izhukin».

It is noted that “It is important for us to know and remember our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, how they lived, fought at war, worked, what they thought and dreamed about”.

In the final part it is suggested that students be informed about the present-day activity of the DOSAAF, its purposes, activity and prospects, as well as its uniqueness:

«Non-government and state nature of the organization is unique: non-government status allows to make the work mass and interesting, while the state status vests the organization with the necessary state functions and authorities. It helps attain the objective of the youth policy of the organization: to provide the Armed Forces with a conscript capable of solving battle objectives to the utmost from the first weeks of the military service, physical and spiritually developed patriot — to the country».

The information about the regional centers of the military and patriotic education, as well as the information on the interaction with the Russian Orthodox Church is provided:
«DOSAAF sees its role and place in creating the national system of pre-draft training and military and patriotic education in tight interaction with the Russian Orthodox Church. And recently the Saint Blessed Great Prince Alexander Nevsky was selected a saint patron of the DOSAAF of Russia».

The conclusion of the lesson should contain “a short message of the veteran of the Great Patriotic War (participant of the local armed conflict) or a school head master”.

The events organized are apparently subject to strict reporting. Thus, for instance, the order of the Ministry of education, culture and science of the Republic of Kalmykia on the organization of the manhood lessons contains a special form.

All the scenarios of the manhood lessons cited above, elaborated by state officials or made up by school teachers, represent ideal projects. In Annex I (in Russian) you will find video reporting telling about patriotic education of schoolchildren and “fruitful unification of education, veterans and the state” – manhood lessons are quite often attended by local deputies and representatives of the authorities; pieces are usually broadcast on local TV and serve as a peculiar form of reporting. However, there is one more party of the school reality – students, who, though an object of state care and military and patriotic education, might not even be aware of it perceiving a manhood lesson as a line in their schedule. Annex II contains statements of the present-day students who have attended such lessons in their own schools.

Documents:

• Documents on the organization of the “Manhood lesson”/ Samara DOSAAF unit
• Order on the organization of manhood lessons and a reporting form (Ministry of education, culture and science of the Republic of Kalmykia)

“Manhood lessons” scripts:

• Manhood lesson “Your deed is immortal”
• Manhood lesson “900 days in the circle of the blockade”
• «Manhood lesson» — festival commemorating the Victory Day and the Homeland Defender Day
• Manhood lesson dedicated to the stalingrad battle
• 65^th Manhood lesson – to the 65^th anniversary of the Great Victory!
• Manhood lesson («the wall is draped with red cloth»)
• Manhood lessons: the world of wise thoughts about manhood and heroism and examples of deeds to be discussed with the students
• Recommendations on the organization of the manhood lesson “Moscow was leading the country to the victory!” (doc)
• Manhood hour. «The soldier doesn't choose a war…» about the participants of the military action in Afghanistan and Chechnya, sailors from the “Kursk” submarine

Also on the topic:

• Military and patriotic education: third five-year plan (2011-2015) / urokiistorii

Original publication on 8 Feb 2011

Prepared by Yulia Chernikova

Translated by Ekaterina Kokorina