They will teach you to love your homeland – Kommersant Kazan

The authorities of Tatarstan decided to arm themselves with a law on patriotic education in the fight against the “destructive” influence of the West on young people. The head of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov, instructed the parliament to strengthen work in this direction when delivering his annual message. Deputies of the State Council of the Republic have developed a bill according to which citizens will instill “feelings of pride and respect” for the state symbols and traditions of Russia and Tatarstan, and form in them “a readiness to serve the Fatherland.” According to experts, patriotism is unlikely “to be instilled through the adoption of a law.” They call the appearance of the document “an attempt to remove phobias from the federal authorities” and believe that the law is aimed at “educating” volunteers to participate in the Russian special operation in Ukraine.

The bill “On the Patriotic Education of Citizens in the Republic of Tatarstan” was developed by a working group of the State Council, created by order of Speaker Farid Mukhametshin. The document defines the state policy of the region “in the field of patriotic education of citizens, goals, principles, objectives, as well as subjects of patriotic education, establishes its legal and organizational foundations,” the explanatory note says.

The document was co-authored by 13 deputies. Among them are vice-speakers Marat Akhmetov and Yuri Kamaltynov, chairman of the committee on education, science, culture and national issues Airat Zaripov, head of the committee on social policy Svetlana Zakharova, head of the association of women deputies “Merkhemet – Mercy” Alsou Nabieva – all from United Russia ” Representatives of other parties represented in the State Council participated in the development of the document: Hafiz Mirgalimov (head of the Communist Party faction), Almir Mikheev (A Just Russia), Eduard Sharafiev (LDPR) and Ruslan Nigmatulin (Growth Party).

The bill itself states that the goal of patriotic education in Tatarstan is “the formation of spiritual, moral and social values, citizenship among citizens, the development of loyalty to constitutional and military duty, responsibility and discipline.”

Citizens will be educated “in the spirit of respect” for the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Constitution of Tatarstan. They will be instilled with “a sense of pride and respect for the state symbols” of the country and the republic.

Also, residents of Tatarstan, according to the idea of ​​the authors of the bill, will have to respect the “cultural, historical past and traditions,” take care of the elderly and loved ones, and be ready “to serve the Fatherland and protect it.” One of the objectives of the document is “increasing the prestige of the public service” and “improving the preparation of citizens for service in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.” In addition, the law should promote “the development of friendly ties between peoples” and create conditions for “interethnic and interfaith harmony, countering manifestations of extremism.”

Residents of Tatarstan will be taught patriotism by officials at various levels, as well as non-profit organizations, state and municipal media, and patriotic education centers. Also, citizens of the Russian Federation will be involved in this work, whose “authority, patriotism and loyalty to their civic and official duty have become a motivating example and role model.”

The bill stipulates that “events aimed at developing the patriotic consciousness of students” will be carried out in the republic. Schoolchildren and students will be taught the basics of military service. In addition, it is planned to organize events dedicated to historical events and memorable dates of the Russian Federation and Tatarstan, as well as various festivals, competitions, and exhibitions on patriotic themes. Books “contributing to the formation of patriotism” will be published. It is expected that residents of Tatarstan will participate in the preservation and improvement of military graves and memorials, in search work and identifying the names of those killed and missing in defense of the Fatherland.

The law provides that, by decision of the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, a coordination council for the patriotic education of citizens will be created in the republic. It will become a consultative and advisory body and will annually prepare a report on the implementation of state policy in the field of patriotic education.

Let us note that a council with the same name was already created in 2018 by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan. At first it was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Vasil Shaikhraziev, but after a few months the leadership was transferred to Leila Fazleeva, also the deputy prime minister of the republic. The deputy chairmen of the council are the Minister of Youth Affairs Rinat Sadykov and the chief military commissar of the republic Sergei Pogodin.

Let us recall that in January 2023, a branch of the “First Movement” was created in Tatarstan (an analogue of the Soviet pioneers, created at the suggestion of Russian President Vladimir Putin), which was headed by the ex-Minister of Youth Affairs of the republic Timur Suleymanov. Rustam Minnikhanov noted that “graduates of Soviet schools understood what love for the motherland was,” however, “the current school did not have such a task, except for a good education.”

“The collective West continues to attempt destructive ideological influence on the youth of our country. In these conditions, patriotism must become an unbreakable foundation of our stability,” the head of Tatarstan said in a message to the State Council on September 14 of this year. “There is a lot of pressure on young people from unfriendly countries, especially since we must help the younger generation build a value-based attitude towards our multinational Motherland,” speaker Farid Mukhametshin said at a meeting of the Presidium of the State Council.

“Patriotic education existed in Tatarstan before. But this area was not regulated by law, now we are filling the gap,” Liliya Mavrina, secretary of the State Council of Tatarstan, one of the co-authors of the project, told Kommersant-Kazan. According to her, with the adoption of the law, “all government bodies will know what powers they have,” will be responsible, and the work will be carried out “not just one into the forest, another for firewood, but in a systematic manner.”

“I cannot say that our youth are unpatriotic. But there is something to strive for,” concluded Mrs. Mavrina.

“We were late in patriotic education. But better late than never. In the 90s, the history of our country was interpreted through Soros. But these 30 years have shown that it is impossible to move forward without ideology and patriotism,” said Tatarstan communist leader Hafiz Mirgalimov. He believes that now “58 imperialist countries are fighting against us,” and “our soldiers are showing heroism and patriotism.” According to Mr. Mirgalimov, the introduced bill is “long-lasting” and “does not divide anyone by age”: patriotism must be fostered “in both children and their parents.” “In the end, our state must have an ideology of patriotism, power and heroism,” concluded the head of the Communist Party faction.

Political strategist Konstantin Kalachev notes that the State Council of Tatarstan “is on the current agenda of the Kremlin,” where they believe that “our youth are not sufficiently patriotically educated.” “This is a reaction to sociological research showing the ideological gap between fathers and children. Our youth are more open to the world, they want progress, modernization, freedom, they don’t understand why we are quarreling with the West,” he explains. “On the other hand, the purpose of the bill is to show that Tatarstan is a stronghold of patriotism, that this area is under special control. Moreover, in national republics, the federal authorities are afraid not only of a lack of patriotism, but also of nationalism and separatism,” says Mr. Kalachev.

The expert considers the question whether the law will be effective “rhetorical.” “Is it possible to pass a law so that everyone becomes patriots? I very much doubt that patriotism can be instilled through the adoption of a law. Rather, this is an attempt to remove phobias from the federal authorities, which is not enough is being done in this area in the republic. The special operation continues, and it is necessary to educate those who will volunteer for it. Patriotism has actually become a state ideology,” concludes Konstantin Kalachev.

Kirill Antonov