Patriotism is an example from life experience. False patriotism is a disease of modern society
He constantly raises the topics of Russian civilization and patriotism in his materials. Evgeny Chernyshev is from Donetsk, which once again proves that the Russian world is much wider than the state borders of the Russian Federation.
Today I wanted to introduce you, dear readers, to another author from Donetsk who has written excellent material.
How to tell you about the rivers of Russia.
How to tell you about Russian land.
How can you explain that we are the only ones?
How to tell you about the Russian soul.
Song "Russia" by Ellia Rikla
from the repertoire of the Musical Theater "Yusna"
Two coups d'etat: in 1917 and 1991, split Russia into many “sovereign” fragments. Geographical and economic disintegration was accompanied by ideological “disintegration”: with the connivance and even direct assistance of many statesmen The USSR and the CIS, Western Civilization imposed a liberal ideology alien to it on the Russian Civilization, essentially forcing our peoples to abandon their national roots. All this made us weak and dependent on a stronger enemy.
Now there is a lot of talk about the ways and mechanisms of the revival of Great Russia. Let us note two extremes in these conversations. The first extreme: withdrawal into the purely material side of life - into the economy, into finance, into mechanisms for increasing material well-being. The other extreme: withdrawal into the ideology (religion) that dominates in certain periods of a nation’s life: paganism, Orthodoxy, monarchy, communism, etc. The first extreme does not take into account the spiritual component of the life of an entire civilization, and therefore is completely futile. The second extreme does not allow Russian patriots to unite under one banner and act on one front.
Can we isolate the main thing from this motley polyphony - something that would be understandable? to each representative of Russian Civilization and would mobilize his forces to fight for the economic and ideological sovereignty of his Motherland? Can. We'll talk about patriotism. However, it makes sense to delve deeper into this topic. For this purpose, we will try to answer five questions: what is patriotism; what hinders patriotism; what promotes patriotism; what patriotism gives, and what are the examples of patriotism.
1.) What is patriotism
1. The natural feeling of man and the wealth of the nation.
We proceed from the fact that we consider the nation to be a necessary and inevitable form of life and development of every person (at least in the foreseeable historical era), and patriotism is an integral part of any nation. Let us treat patriotism as something objectively existing wealth nation. This is the same objectively existing wealth as the population of the state, its Natural resources, industrial potential, etc.
For better understanding Let's use the following analogy: a nation is a family; the state is the home. Normal life a person can only happen in his family and in his home. Love in the family is love for the Motherland, caring for the home is caring for the country, the development of all family members is the development of the nation as a single organism. A nation without patriotic bonds is a mass of “street children” deprived of family love and their own hearth. This is exactly the kind of mass that the behind-the-scenes leaders of the West want us to see. For what? For easy enslavement. A homeless child is easier to deceive, weaken, rob, and destroy.
It is very important to clear the concept of patriotism from all artificial ideological inclusions, as far as possible. We consider a patriot to be someone who feels part of the nation, and therefore is its natural defender - no one else. But often a patriot is also considered a defender of some ideology, and in our eyes this is pseudo-patriotism. Although, we admit, it is sometimes not easy to distinguish one from the other.
A striking example of this is the civil war in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Who would be O greater patriots: red or white? The question is far from clear-cut. Who loved the Russian nation more? Who was more drawn to national roots? Who in to a greater extent contributed to the development of the nation?.. And the debate between supporters of “red” and “white” Russia still does not subside, weighty arguments “for” and “against” are put forward. But this dispute can be constructive only when its participants understand the difference between real patriotism and pseudo-patriotism - between defenders of the nation and defenders of a particular ideology. The task is not an easy one, but without solving it it will be not only difficult, but also impossible for us to revive the Russian nation.
For clarity, let us remember our analogy with family and home. True patriotism is caring about the condition of the house: so that the foundation is strong, the walls are strong, the glass is intact, the roof is without holes, etc. The shape of the house, its style, the interior – although important, is far from the main thing. And if in fact the “reds” and “whites” only care about the interior government system, while massively destroying each other, then they destroy the nation, moving into the category of anti-patriots.
Yes, a state structure based on certain ideological, philosophical, religious views is a necessary aspect of the life of a nation - in fact, it is a form of its existence. This form can both contribute to the identification and development of the best sides of the nation, and vice versa, suppress them, and in this case, of course, it is necessary to improve the outdated form. But in any case, it is extremely dangerous and insane to completely destroy a house, noticing any individual shortcomings in it, because this is a catastrophe for the nation. This is exactly what happened to Russia in the 20th century twice.
2. “Natural” ideology of the state.
We said that patriotism should come from the natural desire of a representative of a nation to defend it, and not from an ideology imposed by someone. But this does not mean that we are against any ideology. But we will distinguish between an ideology based on the natural laws of existence and development of a nation, and an ideology based on some abstract philosophical schemes, utopian theories that ignore the laws of development of a nation and force us to act contrary to these laws. Of course, this is a very non-trivial topic, but we must strive to identify the fundamental differences between an ideology that provides the opportunity for the successful development of a nation (state), and an ideology that takes away this opportunity.
Let us add that such a “natural” ideology of the state is largely conservative. In what sense? In the sense that she always adheres to her national roots. We need to learn such “healthy” conservatism from an ordinary tree. We will answer: What allows the tree to change its crown from season to season, to produce fresh color, give more and more new fruits? Root! Which nourishes and renews. Cut off the root and there will be no renewal. There will be no life at all. This is the law of life of any living organism: only by sticking to your root (starting from it, without changing it), can you grow. This is the meaning of conservatism, which provides viable dynamics. And it’s not for nothing that the Russian word used in relation to the history of the people - “antiquity” contains the root “tree”...
It is gratifying to see that in Russia such healthy conservatism is finding an increasing response among intellectual elite. Most recently, in September 2012, it was created Izborsk Club, where the intellectual forces of Russia gather and discuss the issues of the revival of the Russian World in a conservative patriotic key.
Now let's figure out why such a natural thing as patriotism has become a rare commodity in Russia? After all, thoughts about patriotism should be accepted by a person a priori, on an instinctive level, with his heart. Yes, in a healthy society this is true, but you and I live in a sick society. Let's try to understand the causes of this disease.
2.) What interferes with patriotism
1. Liberal ideology.
We have already touched on the first reason - our “geopolitical friends” are spending huge amounts of money to wash ours, infected back in Soviet times bourgeois spirit, brains. That is why so many people in our country persistently reject (or belittle) the ideas of patriotism, emphasizing other ideas - liberal ones. But let’s find out the ins and outs of this ideology.
What is liberal ideology? They want to present it to us as concern for human rights and freedoms. It sounds beautiful, but these beautiful words hide their complete inconsistency. After all, how can you care about freedom and human rights without caring about the freedom and rights of the nation of which a person is a part? But liberals are generally silent about nations - as if they do not exist at all, or as if all nations have come to such an agreement that they can no longer be noticed. I hope that such a happy future will really come someday. But open your eyes, gentlemen liberals! Continuous bloody, economic and ideological wars, behind which there are thousands and millions of human victims - is this “harmony between nations”?..
Therefore, let us bring maximum clarity to this issue. Liberalism is the ideology of those who are interested in “ignoring” the obvious disagreements and wars between the main geopolitical players. Liberalism is the ideology of a handful of super-rich, whose outpost today is in the USA and England. It’s not enough for them to rob their own countries - they need to rob the whole world. Liberalism is the bloodless opening of state borders. This is a peaceful seizure of foreign territories. Any patriot of the state, a fighter for the sovereignty of his country, for Western super-rich people is enemy number one, who must certainly be destroyed, either ideologically or physically. Which is what they have been doing for many years.
For the West: liberalism is a weapon of the external enemy against Russia.
In Russia: liberalism is either a) a dangerous delusion, or b) pathological hostility towards one’s own nation, or c) a means of livelihood - with the money of Russia’s external enemies (the second does not exclude the third).
Let us add: the liberal idea is fundamentally anti-spiritual, because it does not recognize the spiritual roots of the nation, its spiritual life, seeing only the material in everything. The liberal idea is aimed at satisfying the desires of the body and mind, but not the Spirit. The liberal idea is poison for the Spirit.
By the way. In the early Soviet period, the dominant ideology was somewhat similar to the liberal one - communist internationalism. What is its similarity? In destroying the concept of patriotism, or at least tearing out the national context from it. What is the difference? The ideal state of internationalists resembles a barracks, the ideal state of liberals resembles a stable. As they say - what is closer to whom... For the sake of fairness, we note that Stalin partially corrected this dangerous tilt of the party, and in the Great Patriotic War people fought not for the ideas of communism, but for their own native land…
2. Anti-spiritual scientific worldview.
In addition to the infection of liberalism, there is another, deeper reason for low patriotism in Russia (and not only in it), which few people talk about. The fact is that patriotism is a spiritual category, which means it is not considered by natural science. Let's trace the connection between patriotism and science.
Many experts have started talking about a systemic crisis in modern science. In my opinion, this crisis is due to the reliance of science on the rotten foundation of a crude materialistic worldview. Since the 17th century, science has instilled in us one idea: nature, the cosmos, consists exclusively of gross matter. Science did not consider the issues of the Spirit, giving this area to religious or philosophical schools. But our society is still built on the postulates not of faith or philosophy, but scientific knowledge. Take a look at school textbooks and you will understand what I'm talking about. All our education, and O Most of the culture is permeated with the ideas of a scientific materialistic worldview. Therefore, we are accustomed to viewing both man and nation from a purely materialistic position. When it comes to spiritual and cultural phenomena and values, we are forced to move from the strict and objective language of science to a language full of subjective concepts and categories. For clarity, one example.
There is no need to explain to anyone: in order for a person to live, he must develop physically and intellectually. Everyday experience teaches us this, materialistic science teaches us this. For us it's obvious thing. But how many people know which grade Is development and spirituality important for life? Yes, priests and philosophers talk about this, but not natural scientists. Therefore, this issue in our “materialistic” society is easy to obscure, distort, talk about, or even remove from the agenda. It is difficult for a mere mortal to prove something that is not in school textbooks. And if there is, then in a very declarative manner, without relying on knowledge of the objective laws of Nature and Space.
And it is no coincidence that the post-Soviet Constitutions of Russia and Ukraine included ban on state ideology, and therefore ban on patriotism- on what is the core of any national ideology - and this ban people began to notice en masse only today – 20 years after their adoption! Although, let us note that in our republics there live far from stupid, highly educated people.
That is why we want to talk about patriotism as clearly, convincingly and conclusively as we speak clearly, convincingly and conclusively about the laws of material Nature. But for this we are forced to oppose all modern scientific school. But there are no other options, because We forced rely on the following scientific postulate: man and nation are not only matter, but also Spirit. The spirit of any person and any nation is an objective reality that does not depend on anyone’s subjective view, opinion, theory or ideology. We believe that this postulate will soon enter the heads of natural scientists, and then into school textbooks.
Strange as it may sound, but it is science story can greatly help natural science move to a new – spiritual-materialistic scientific paradigm. More on this below.
3.) What promotes patriotism
1. Updated science history.
As we have already said, learned historians can help overcome the crisis of the scientific worldview. Why? Because they, analyzing huge historical layers, unraveling the most complex event knots, creating complete picture interactions between nations, inevitably come to the conclusion that the Spirit of a nation is an objective concept, although not material (i.e., they come to our postulate). Moreover, this intangible in many cases is not some minor factor in the behavior of a nation that can be neglected, but is key to understanding this behavior. And therefore the historian will have every reason to consider the following reasoning strictly scientific:
Each tree has its own seed - code, each tree has its own root (material). Similarly: each nation has its own seed - a code, each nation has its own root (spiritual). A nation is formed over centuries and millennia, passes through different stages of maturation, but the root (code) remains unchanged, thanks to which the nation has its own individuality and produces its own special fruits. Of course, like any tree, a nation will someday use up its resource, perhaps by giving growth to other young nations. But it can also die before its time, under the influence of various negative factors, without reaching its maturity and without fulfilling its natural tasks.
From the same spiritual, natural-scientific positions, the historian can argue further. What is nationality? This is an individual’s belonging to a specific national tree. Each leaf on a tree has an important purpose - the survival of the tree - because if the tree dies, so does the leaf. Likewise, a representative of a nation is “doomed” to care not only about his personal well-being, but also about the well-being of the entire nation. In other words, nationality is duty man to maintain the vitality of his nation. Therefore, his personal freedom must be limited by the framework of his national duties. (Let us note here the wry, and even bitter, grin of the liberal...)
Now, looking at the science of history in this new scientific key, we can say: history is not just a statement historical facts, and not even a connection of these facts into a single logical chain, but a study of the life of the tree of the nation - its growth, “productivity”, the influence of friends and foes on it, its health and illness. And then science can strictly prove that the worst, most shameful pages in the history of the state occurred precisely in those periods when the nation, under the influence of certain forces, broke away from its roots and betrayed its code.
Of course, history will be better known (understood) by the person who belongs to this nation, grew up in his native lands, absorbed his native culture, and became a conscious unit of his people, i.e. - a patriot.
The historian of the new formation must appeal not only to the mind of a person, but to his Spirit, awakening patriotic feelings in him. He must expound So historical realities, so that his listeners not only “knew” them, but their empathized. They empathized with all the crucial moments of their past - starting from the most primordial periods. Then we will developing, strong nation. It’s like a person - after all, he doesn’t just “know” his biography, but experiences it, and only thanks to this he grows, gains experience, and forges his unique individual path. Not a single period of our Russian (Slavic) history, starting from the most ancient Vedic times, should be missed, and all periods should be permeated with one fastening core - the core of the Russian Spirit. When they cheated on him, they became weaker, when they followed him, they grew stronger. If a person sees the whole picture, feels it, is imbued with the beauty and power of the Russian Spirit, then our nation will rise. And no “isms,” much less alien cultures, will be imposed on her.
The natural conclusion from what has been said: the history of one’s nation is food of the Spirit, The spirit of every person. Therefore, a good historian is always, to a great extent, a spiritual mentor.
2. Russian language, oratory, art, institutions of state power.
In our spiritual and material vein, we can touch upon another scientific discipline directly related to the topic of patriotism - linguistics. A specialist in the Russian language must feel its spiritual power, its sacred meaning - and pass on this knowledge to people. We need to instill a love for the Russian language. Language is one of the most important carriers of the cultural code of a nation, and therefore it needs to be protected more than any other cultural and material conquests. Why should we protect national nature reserves, architectural monuments, objects high art, but the language shouldn’t? Must! But what do we see? On television, on radio, on the Internet, in in public places- we not only do not protect this national wealth, but We destroy it in the bud! At the same time, we prohibit smoking and drinking alcohol in public places, but we continue to mock the native language on all public floors. Therefore, laws are needed to protect the most important national heritage- Russian language. The health of a nation, its spiritual and material strength depend not only on whether a person drinks or smokes, but on how he treats his native language, as he owns it.
Lively, bright, deep, figurative speech coming from the heart - this is the kind of speech now Very in demand. After all, over 20 years of “independence” of the mass media, we were weaned off human language and instilled in us with a bird’s language - tweet– the language of primitive emotional and mental cliches. Today the time has come for the Russian Language, in which every word (not of foreign origin) has its own deep natural meaning. The Russian Language itself is not only a storehouse of Russian culture, but a formidable weapon against idle talkers, fools, vulgarities, hypocrites, liars and all other obvious and secret, conscious and unconscious enemies of Russian Civilization. The specificity of the moment is such that the main battles today are being waged in the information and ideological field, and the most striking battles with our opponents take place in live conversations and dialogues. That's why we need it so much national speakers, caring about the nation, not those who have multiplied today "rootless" showmen, caring only about their image.
Thought about art. All art, as well as history and linguistics, must be imbued with national spirit and patriotism. And for this it is necessary to strengthen and develop expert communities that would provide professional assessment one or another cultural (or anti-cultural) phenomena and thus would influence the development of the Russian nation and protect it. Such communities are much more important than the so-called “societies for the protection of human rights”, which in fact have long been destroying Russian statehood, and therefore destroying those people for whom they so care in words. Such expert communities would replace “rating companies” (foreign and domestic), which in fact destroy our culture, sowing vulgarity, dullness, bitterness, and indifference in people’s minds.
A parallel arises with the art of the Soviet period, when the state was vitally interested in the development of those areas where the theme of love for the Motherland was touched upon - in its most varied life manifestations. And this, undoubtedly, produced significant results. Especially during the Stalinist period: the restoration of the country after the First World War and civil war, the hard times of the Second World War, and again the restoration and rise of the state. Now the situation is also critical - no one should have any doubts about the aggressive plans of the West to further dismember the Russian World, unleash local bloody wars, and seize our natural and human wealth.
Therefore, it is absolutely obvious: all state institutions, headed by the Head of the country, are obliged to carefully monitor the preservation of the patriotic spirit of the population and keep it at the proper level. A low level of patriotism is an alarming signal to the country’s leadership, giving it the right to take emergency measures in the field of ideology and education of the population.
4.) What does patriotism give?
1. Spiritual growth of a person, a nation.
Our reasoning goes further: patriotism is a sign of the health of the human Spirit. The absence of it is a sign of illness of the Spirit. Therefore, in my opinion, behind the avalanche-like national insight of the Russian people, there will be an equally rapid spiritual and moral insight. Patriotism and sacrifice for the sake of the Fatherland are very fertile soil for cultivating the Spirit.
Now many people are post-Soviet space are carried away by various spiritual practices, often borrowed either from the East (ancient) or from the West (modern), not realizing that the most powerful “practice” is the cleansing of one’s Russian soul from everything that is not characteristic of it. This thought took the following form for me:
Russian Soul loves:
Not wealth, but Lad,
Not power, but Justice,
Not permissiveness, but Service to the Motherland,
Not bodily pleasures, but a Song of Love.
So what happened?
Foreign adversaries invaded the holy of holies - the Russian Soul,
To disrupt it, distort it, smear it with dirt.
And they forced us to waste our lives on empty, alien, nasty things,
With a tragic outcome:
We wanted wealth and became poor,
We wanted power and became subordinates,
We wanted freedom and became prisoners,
We wanted happiness and became unhappy.
So what now?
The sacred duty of every Russian person:
Drive out the adversary from our lands, from our minds,
To cleanse the Russian Soul from everything alien, not inherent in it,
Report at the All-Russian Scientific and Public Conference "", held on March 28, 2014 in Moscow.
“The new Soviet patriotism is a fact that is pointless to deny. This is the only chance for Russia to exist. If he is beaten, if the people refuse to defend Stalin’s Russia, as they refused to defend the Russia of Nicholas II and the Russia of the democratic republic, then for this people there are probably no opportunities for historical existence” (G.P. Fedotov)
The Russian historian and religious philosopher Georgy Petrovich Fedotov (1886–1951), who lived in exile for a quarter of a century, can hardly be suspected of loving the Stalinist regime. In the article “Defense of Russia”, published in the 4th issue of the Parisian “ New Russia” for 1936, the thinker does not undertake to evaluate the “strength and vitality of the new Russian patriotism”, the bearer of which is the “new nobility”, governing Russia. Moreover, he doubts the strength of the patriotic feeling of the workers and peasants, “on whose backs the Stalinist throne is being built.” That is, for Fedotov, the difference between patriotism, as an ideological construct, and the patriotic feeling, the bearer of which is the people, was obvious.
But this duality of patriotism is external, because by its nature, it represents the interrelation of two principles - socio-political and moral (Fig. 1), two dimensions - the small and large Motherland and two manifestations - a feeling of love for the Motherland and readiness to defend the Fatherland.
Rice. 1. The essence of patriotism
In its deepest essence, patriotism serves as the basis for satisfying the need to ensure the security of the individual and society. It is based on two archetypal image: Mother, personifying the native land, and Father, symbolizing the state.
So what is patriotism: “the last refuge of a scoundrel” (as defined by the author of the famous “Dictionary in English"Samuel Johnson), "a tool for achieving power-hungry and selfish goals" (in the understanding of L.N. Tolstoy) or "virtue" and "love for the good and glory of the Fatherland" (according to N.M. Karamzin and V.S. Solovyov )? Where is the line between nationalism, real and false patriotism? Is patriotism compatible with universal human values?
The problem of patriotism was and is one of the most pressing in the sphere of spiritual life Russian society. It is not surprising that only during the existence of the new Russian statehood the attitude towards patriotism in different social groups ah has fluctuated and continues to fluctuate from complete rejection to unconditional support. Today in Russia everyone is talking about patriotism - from monarchists to communists, from statists to internationalists.
Few would argue that almost two-thirds of the history of our people is a struggle for independence. It is not surprising that in these conditions, patriotism became the cornerstone of state ideology. It must also be taken into account that the formation of the patriotic idea, which coincided in time with the emergence of the Russian state, from the very beginning turned out to be associated with the fulfillment of military duty. As the idea of uniting Russian lands in the fight against enemies, it clearly sounds in the “Tale of Bygone Years” and the sermons of Sergius of Radonezh, in the “Tale of Igor’s Host” and “Tale of Law and Grace” by Hilarion.
But at the same time, attention is drawn to the absence of a single type of warrior-hero in Russian epics. But all of them (Mikula Selyaninovich and Ilya Muromets, Sadko and Nikita Kozhemyaki) are united by their love for the “father’s graves” and the desire to “stand up for the Russian land.”
It is significant that the term “patriot” came into use in Russia only in the 18th century. in connection with the Northern War. In his work dedicated to this war, Vice-Chancellor Baron P.P. Shafirov first used it with the meaning “son of the Fatherland.” It was Peter the Great’s time that was characterized by growth national identity in general and state principle in it, in particular. It can be considered that under the first Russian emperor, patriotism acquired the character of a state ideology, the main motto of which was the formula “God, Tsar and Fatherland.” Advising the warriors before Battle of Poltava, Peter the Great emphasized that they were fighting for the state, their family and the Orthodox faith. “Institution for battle”, “Military article”, “Charter of military and cannon affairs” and “Naval regulations” - all these and other laws of the Peter the Great era established patriotism as a norm of behavior, first of all, for a warrior. Later, the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov used the term “patriot” in the same meaning. And this is no coincidence. After all, the word “patriotism” owes its origin to the Greek “compatriot”, which originates from the ancient Greek “patra”, which meant kin. Let us remember that ancient thinkers considered attitude towards the Fatherland the noblest thought. For antiquity, patriotism was the main moral obligation of a member of the polis, investing in this concept not only the military defense of the city-state, but also active participation in the management of the polis. Unfortunately, in Russian history(including a number objective reasons) patriotism as a feeling of a Citizen of his Fatherland has received much less development than its military component.
As an ideology, patriotism represents the ideological basis for the effective functioning of social and state institutions, one of the mechanisms of legitimacy of power and an instrument for the formation of socio-political and psychological identification of the people. Throughout Russian history, the central component of patriotism has been sovereignty, understood as a characteristic of the political, economic, military and spiritual power of a country in the world, as well as the ability to influence international relations. But sovereignty has always been an unattainable ideal of government, which sometimes acquired very unexpected features, such as the autocratic republic of K.D. Kavelin.
It is obvious that the nature of patriotism is determined by the historical era and the specifics of statehood. IN Tsarist Russia, for example, duty to the Fatherland, devotion to the Tsar, responsibility to society developed from generation to generation. For imperial Russia, with its attempts to cultivate national patriotism, the main content of the “theory official nationality“The ideas of sovereignty and nationality became the basis for relying on one’s own traditions. It is no coincidence that history was considered as the main subject in the education of citizenship and patriotism of the subjects of the Russian Empire.
In turn, the origins of the Soviet statehood lie in the idea of “building socialism in one, separate country.” The strengthening of state-patriotic principles turned out to be associated with the concept of a “new socialist Motherland.” Note that the formation of Soviet patriotism went under the slogan “to absorb the best traditions Russian history" and when turning to the idea Slavic unity. The new patriotism was based on a combination of love for the Motherland (patriotism in the traditional sense) and the idea of building communism and internationalism. The need to defend the socialist Fatherland was reinforced by the conviction of the superiority of socialism over capitalism and justified by the doctrine of just and unjust wars. That is, it was about protecting a more progressive social order, which served as a model for the rest of the world (“We all know that the Earth begins with the Kremlin”).
However, active appeal to traditional national values happened only during the Great Patriotic War, when the question of survival arose not only Soviet power, but also the nation as such. This is precisely what caused the communist authorities to turn to the Russians. Orthodox Church and reproduction in mass propaganda of images of such national heroes, like Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy, Kozma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov, Fedor Ushakov and others.
But the content and direction of patriotism are determined, among other things, by the spiritual and moral climate of society. The freethinker A.N. Radishchev and the Decembrists N.P. Muravyov and S. Pestel, the revolutionary democrats V.G. Belinsky, N.A. Dobrolyubov and N.G. Chernyshevsky, and the Russian philosophers V.S. wrote about the patriotic qualities of the Russian people. Soloviev, I.A. Ilyin, V.V. Rozanov, N.A. Berdyaev and others. It is significant that they understood patriotism not only as readiness to defend the Fatherland, but also as civic dignity. In the wake of the transformations of Alexander II, the reforms of S.Yu. Witte and P.A. Stolypin, patriotism was increasingly perceived in Russian society as a kind of school for instilling citizenship and responsibility for the fate of one’s Fatherland.
Thus, according to I.A. Ilyin, the very idea of the Motherland presupposes in a person the beginning of spirituality, reflecting the characteristics of people different nationalities. Speaking about patriotism, A.I. Solzhenitsyn saw in it “a whole and persistent feeling of love for one’s nation with service to it, not servile, not supporting its unjust claims, but frank in assessing vices, sins and repenting for them.” G.K. Zhukov wrote in his memoirs about the greatest patriotism that raised people to heroism during the days of the battle for Moscow. In other words, patriotism is not only an ideological construct, but also a value positioned in the general system of individual and public values. First of all, it refers to the highest values, because shared by more than half of the country's social groups. Patriotism is also a generally accepted value, due to the fact that it is supported by more than 3⁄4 of the population (or at least the dominant value shared by more than half of the citizens). Patriotism is undoubtedly a value that integrates society and is active, because involves a conscious and emotionally charged action. And, finally, due to its dual nature, it refers to terminal (goal) values and, at the same time, to instrumental values that serve as a means in relation to goals.
As a moral phenomenon, patriotism presupposes practical actions to overcome national limitations, respect for the individual and activities transforming the human community. The role of patriotism increases at sharp turns in history, requiring a sharp increase in the tension of citizens, and, above all, during wars and invasions, social conflicts and political crises, natural disasters, etc. It is in crisis conditions that patriotism acts as an attribute of vitality and even, often, simply survival of society. The current situation associated with attempts to isolate Russia can well be considered as a force majeure, which has always in the history of our country led to the consolidation of the population, its rapprochement with the authorities and the strengthening of state-patriotic principles.
However, this does not mean that in other periods of history, patriotism is not functional. It represents one of the main conditions for the effective functioning of social and state institutions, as well as a source of spiritual and moral strength and the health of society. If the French enlighteners of the 18th century. noted the dependence of patriotic feelings on the state and its laws, Hegel associated patriotism, first of all, with a sense of trust of citizens in the state.
Unfortunately, already in the second half of the 1980s. The “foremen of perestroika” developed a view of patriotism as an outdated value that interferes with building a new democratic society. Moreover, by absolutizing the internal connection between ideology and politics, the post-Soviet elite, without suspecting it, following Karl Marx, saw in ideology in general and in patriotism in particular a false form of consciousness. It is not surprising that in the 1990s. researchers often emphasized the “unstable, amorphous, indefinite nature” of Russian patriotism.
Only the “rehabilitation” of patriotism on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Victory over fascism yielded positive results. In the early 2000s, judging by the RosBusinessConsulting survey, 42% of Russians considered themselves patriots, and only 8% did not consider themselves to be such. The country's leadership has matured to the recognition that the new statehood should be based not only on respect for the law, but also on a sense of civic duty, the highest manifestation of which is patriotism. An equally important point was the realization that without a clearly formulated idea of protecting Russia’s interests, it is impossible to develop a sovereign foreign policy.
The deficit (or even a systemic crisis) of patriotism in modern Russia is associated with a revision of the very concept of “patriotism” in connection with the destruction of the ideological shell of socialism. This led to the discrediting of any ideological mechanisms for legitimizing power - this is precisely what explains the preservation of the constitutional ban on state ideology in modern Russia. Part of the “discrimination” of state ideology is caused by a failure to understand that ideas are not only the product of the interests of certain social strata, but also values rooted in the popular consciousness.
It seems that the debate between neo-Kantians and Marxists on this issue has long lost its relevance. In practice, the destruction of patriotism in Russia led not only to the weakening of post-Soviet statehood, but also to the erosion of the social and spiritual foundations of Russian society. It is not surprising that even the concept of the Motherland was devalued and lost its essential content.
But ideology is an irreducible element of social life and a form of inclusion of people in social relations. It is difficult to agree with I. Wallerstein and his followers that only the presence of an enemy gives ideology (including patriotism) vitality and an integrating character. Of course, outside of morality and law, any ideology is potentially dangerous for society. But this is the peculiarity of patriotism, as already indicated, that it is love for the Motherland, regardless of the presence of an enemy, that takes the patriotic feeling beyond the framework of political egoism and creates protection from ideological manipulation.
In today's Russia, the revival of patriotism by the authorities is directly associated only with the idea of restoring the status of a great power. This is understandable, because only pride in one's country, people and its history can become a constructive basis for patriotic feeling. But this does not take into account that in Russian history, sovereignty has always been combined with other value components: the Orthodox faith in pre-revolutionary Russia or internationalism in the USSR (Fig. 2). It can be argued that in the formation of the ideas of Russia's sovereignty and greatness, patriotism and devotion to the Fatherland, the special path of Russia, etc., components essential components political consciousness of Russians, an important role was played by Orthodox faith. But it is obvious that the patriotic formula of pre-revolutionary Russia “For faith, tsar and fatherland!” does not fit into modern Russian society in any way.
Rice. 2. Components of the patriotic idea
It seems that today patriotism as a mechanism for the identity of the people, which is a basic human need, and the legitimization of power is also impossible without the second value component - the principle of social justice. Let us remember that in the archetypes of Russian consciousness, law and justice only act as a value when the adjective “fair” is added to them. Justice has always been not just the preservation of traditional communal forms of social regulation in Russian life, but also a kind of moral self-defense of the individual in a non-legal state.
With this approach, patriotic sentiments act as a significant factor in mobilization and socio-political activity. In other words, patriotism implies a collective national identity. Without a formed positive image of the country, in which the idea of sovereignty is present, citizens of modern Russia will not be able to consolidate their national identity.
It should be borne in mind that patriotism is important integral part a national idea, the search for which the Russian authorities have been preoccupied with since the late 1990s, and which should contribute to Russia’s self-identification in the world community. In turn, the ideology of patriotism, as the basis of a strategy for the successful development of the country, due to its understandability, can be perceived for the most part Russian society as a tool for overcoming the spiritual crisis and a way to gain true sovereignty. And here it will require effort on oneself, and not violence against others. Moreover, no external liberation will be effective without liberating the internal. Let's listen to the words of A.I. Herzen about the conservatism of not only the throne and pulpit, but also the people themselves. Or to S.L. Frank’s reasoning about conscious patriotism as awareness of the value of national existence and its organization in the form of statehood. Today, more than ever, the “translation” of the idea of patriotism from an ethnic language to a national language is also important.
NOTES
Fedotov G.P. Defense of Russia // Fate and sins of Russia. In 2 vols. T. 2. M.: Publishing house "Sofia", 1992. P. 125.
See for example: Brief political dictionary. M.: Politizdat, 1989. P. 411; Russian pedagogical encyclopedia. In 2 volumes: T. 2. M.: Bolshaya Ross. encycl., 1999. P. 409; Philosophical Dictionary / Ed. I.T. Frolova. 5th ed. M.: Politizdat, 1986. P. 538.
See, for example: State ideology and national idea. M.: Club “Realists”, 1997; Lutovinov V.I. Patriotism and problems of its formation among Russian youth in modern conditions. Author's abstract. dis... dr. philos. Sci. M., 1998; Patriotism of the peoples of Russia: traditions and modernity. Materials of the interregional scientific and practical conference. M.: Triada-farm, 2003.
Beskrovny L.G. Russian army and navy in the 18th century (Essays). M.: Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1958. P. 147; Patriotic education of military personnel based on the traditions of the Russian army. M.: VU, 1997. pp. 48–52; Pushkarev L.N. Mentality and political history Russia: turning points. // Mentality and political development of Russia. Abstracts of reports scientific conference. Moscow, October 29–31. 1996 M.: IRI RAS, 1996. P. 6.
See, for example: Cicero. Dialogues “About the State”, “About Laws”. M.: Nauka, 1966. P. 87.
Forsova N.K. The spiritual turn in the Soviet mentality in the conditions of the Great Patriotic War, its consequences // Great feat. To the 55th anniversary of the Victory. Omsk: Omsk State Technical University Publishing House, 2000. pp. 35–36.
Belinsky V.G. Essays. T. 4. M.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1954. P. 489; The Decembrist Uprising: in 8 volumes. T. 7. M.: Gospolitizdat, 1927. P. 86; Ilyin I. We were right // About the future of Russia / Ed. N.P. Poltoratsky. M.: Voenizdat, 1993. pp. 333–334. and etc.
Solzhenitsyn A. Journalism. In 3 volumes. Volume 1. Repentance and self-restraint as categories national life. Yaroslavl; Verkhnevolzhskoe book. publishing house, 1995. P. 65.
Zhukov G.K. The greatness of the victory of the USSR and the powerlessness of falsifiers of history // Roman-newspaper. 1994. No. 18. P. 101.
For the classification of values, see: Goryainov V.P. Empirical classifications life values Russians in post-Soviet period// Policy. 1996. No. 4; Crisis society. Our society in three dimensions. M.: Institute of Philosophy RAS, 1994.
Hegel G. Works different years. T. 2. M.: Mysl, 1971. P. 70.
Krupnik A.A. Patriotism in the system of civil values of society and its formation in the military environment: Abstract of thesis. dis. ...cand. Philosopher Sci. M., 1995. P. 16.
Novikova N. Patriotism - the willingness to sacrifice everything if it does not harm your business // Profile. 2002. No. 42. P. 4.
Identity is one of the most effective mechanisms for mobilizing the population, and identification criteria, in turn, are built with the help of ideology as a set of ideas and ideals.
For more information about the mechanism of formation and activation of identities, see: Brubaker R., Cooper F. Beyond “identity” // Ad Imperio. 2002. No. 3. pp. 61–116.
Who should be responsible for this aspect of citizen formation? And should you? Patriotism, patriot, fatherland, citizen, loyalty to the people, high duty... These concepts today are so emasculated that it is impossible to fill them again with something alive and important to the heart human meaning difficult. But it is necessary. Very necessary. This is the only correct and even categorical answer to the questions posed at the beginning. And the discussion should revolve around another question - “How?” How should the school solve this problem?
The family, of course, should too, but hoping for it means getting a generation half consisting of egoists suffering from unconsciousness. Half of this grows up in families that are either dysfunctional, or poor, or single-parent. Children there see poverty, violence, drunkenness and hear swearing. These can hardly be regarded as examples of patriotism. Hence cynicism, disbelief and unprincipledness. The school remains. And she has a lot of opportunities. This is the educational component of every lesson; These include extracurricular activities; these are excursions and meetings; This is a personal example of everyone who works with children - from teachers and educators to janitors and dishwashers in the school canteen.
But they remain the main form of influence. And there is no need to constantly bring patriotism, love for the Motherland, and duty to the Motherland as the main topics in class. This word should generally be used as rarely as possible. Why not develop a series of thematic cool hours“Motherland is...” Each new topic will be a continuation of the main one. For example, “glorious history”, “... prominent figures", "...feat of the people", "... wooden architecture”, “...Russian song”, “folk crafts”, “...Orthodoxy”, etc. The main thing is not to reduce everything to an edifying monologue of a teacher who teaches how important it is to love the Motherland, and for persuasiveness gives examples of patriotism, which has long been common to everyone well-known, and therefore do not touch the soul.
This does not mean that everything has been said about the Great Patriotic War. It’s just that instead of the cliches “a great feat of a great people in a great war,” you can read some front-line letter from a soldier to his beloved, listen to “Dugout,” and then simply, without pathos, say that he was destined to walk “four steps to death,” and to “snow and snow” remained my favorite forever. This will touch the soul of even the most cynical teenagers more than any slogan. You can offer targeted episodes from the films “Peter the Great”, “War and Peace” and others. And there is no need to discuss, no. If it does, the children will speak out themselves. The teacher will only have to listen. Schoolchildren will talk, and at this time a huge work will take place in their souls.
The fact that we are not teaching children, but raising “people”, should be remembered in every lesson and use the slightest reason to make children proud of the culture and history of their Motherland. Why not emphasize in a music lesson that only the Russian people have a ditty? In a labor lesson - what are especially fashionable in Canada today? wooden houses with carvings, the basis for which were Russian huts? Each lesson, to a greater or lesser extent, provides “educational reasons.” Russia has great discoveries, there are physicists and chemists. Their life and service to Russian science is best examples patriotism. The main thing is not to praise. No need for pathos. Just telling. Knowing about this is already patriotic education. And literature teachers, as they say, were commanded by God himself. Patriotism in literature, starting with “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” (and even earlier), has been and remains the main theme and main pathos.
Of course, we need to involve moms and dads. You can recommend them films to watch together, books to read together. Remind them that communication with a child is the most effective method education, including patriotic education. There are also examples of patriotism in everyday life. The task of parents is to teach their children to notice these examples and want to follow them. Only in this way will the words “patriotism” and “Motherland” be filled with living meaning and become meaningful for the child.
them that communication with a child is the most effective way of education, including patriotic education. There are also examples of patriotism in everyday life. The task of parents is to teach their children to notice these examples and want to follow them. Only in this way will the words “patriotism” and “Motherland” be filled with living meaning and become meaningful for the child.
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, rather than with boors and scoundrels. It's nice to enjoy the beauty of nature and human creations, which are not at all difficult to preserve. If a person learns to ennoble himself and the area around him, life will become happier, psychological comfort will appear, which will allow him to spend his mental strength more effectively, 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 to 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, gaining knowledge, and as a result got a good job, became socially active, built his future, created a full-fledged family, works honestly - has done 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 his people and condemnation social vices society, in respect for the historical past of their country and the traditions inherited from it, in the readiness to subordinate their interests to the interests of the country, in the desire to protect their country, their people. A patriot is one 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.”
TO How patriotism manifests itself in real life? It manifests itself in extreme conditions, primarily in war. In the 18th century, Russia spent 56 years on the battlefield, in the 19th century - 30 years. All wars were a wonderful example of Russian patriotism, when a person died for the Tsar, for his homeland, for his faith with a sense of civic duty and responsibility for the national state. Here I would like to note a few important points. Russian state was built on the principle of authoritarianism. The adoption of Christianity only strengthened these foundations. For more than a thousand years, Rus (Russia) remained a country with a dominant authoritarian principle. This has always been a reason for criticism from outsiders domestic liberals who insisted that bureaucracy stifles free thought and impedes the creative development of the individual. This ideological thesis still exists today. For example, the sister of the well-known Mikhail Prokhorov, Irina Prokhorova, is trying to convince us orally and in writing that Andrei Kurbsky, who betrayed Tsar Ivan IV and headed one of Polish armies in the war against Russia in 1564–1579, is a bearer of goodness and justice.
The history of Russia clearly shows: the stronger the state, the more stable the social system. And all the unrest and misfortunes occur precisely when the state weakens. Without a strong state, there would be no Russian culture, no Russian ethnicity, nothing would exist.
The Russian people are diverse, but act as a single whole, they are held together by the unity of language and customs, they were formed under the strong influence of the great Orthodox culture. The anointed tsar in the Russian spiritual context is not just a ruler, a ruler, he is a person obliged day and night, throughout his life, to serve as a support and defense of the faith of Christ, to hold accountable for his deeds before the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. The kings not only appeared before their subjects in the grandeur of a royal, imperial entourage, they were obliged to demonstrate the highest earthly moral authority of Russia. I would like to note that in our Russian context, the behavior of Russian rulers is of great importance in moral guidelines and in educational means. If rulers behave patriotically, then patriotism itself will expand and spread.
I will give two examples.
First example associated with the name of Alexander III, when in 1877 Russia entered the war for the liberation of Bulgaria. And this was the great mission of Russia. What is the difference between an empire and a non-empire? Brazil is a country, but not an empire, although big country. The Vatican is a small state, but it is an empire. Empire is a universal aspiration. This is a broadcast of the strength and power of your spiritual destiny. Therefore, America is, of course, an empire. This is a globalist empire, the fourth, according to some theological views. Russia was also an empire. What is the meaning of Orthodoxy, the faith of Christ? The evangelization of humanity and its preparation for the second coming of the Savior is the meaning of Orthodoxy, its ontological essence. In 1877, Russia, having no global, territorial or economic interests, was the only one to come out in defense of the Bulgarians, who were then subjected to total assimilation, and those who resisted this were simply destroyed. No one reacted, neither Germany nor France, only Russia came to the defense of the dying state of Bulgaria, without having any territorial claims or encroachments on it. One of the important elements of that war was that the king himself and all five of his sons went to the battlefield. One of them was the heir to the crown prince, the future Alexander III, Alexander Alexandrovich. It must be said that this was one of the most slandered wars in Russian history, which was only briefly mentioned in the Soviet Union, and generally hushed up in the West, like the Crimean War. In the West, the concept took root according to which Russia supposedly intended to take control of Constantinople, while in fact Russia categorically rejected this; there was not even a theoretical intention to capture Istanbul and turn it into Constantinople. The future Tsar Alexander III, Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, led a small eastern army. For seven months he commanded this detachment and participated in military battles. He held the rank of lieutenant general, which he was awarded in his youth. Having no experience in conducting military operations, he went through his universities on the battlefields and proved his devotion to Russia and God.
There is such a wonderful artist - Polenov, he was in that war and captured a house, in fact, a hut, where the heir to the Russian throne lived. There are letters from the Tsarevich that indicate that he did not attach any importance to everyday life. The main thing was to win victory over the enemies of Christ. The only thing that brought him everyday inconvenience in this war was his beard. Alexander III is the only tsar who, after Peter the Great, had a beard. Before Peter I, tsars wore beards, but after Peter I they no longer wore them. Alexander III returned to this tradition; our last passion-bearing king, Nicholas II, also had a beard.
Alexander Alexandrovich spent seven months at the front, his letters from there are evidence of his high spirit. There are no complaints or groans in the letters; he did not talk about anything that could upset his relatives. The Tsarevich left his wife and three children in St. Petersburg. His cousin, the nephew of Emperor Alexander II, was killed next to him. The grandson of Nicholas I was also in that war. They all fought and died for Russia of their own free will.
Second case, which dates back to the First World War, when the Passion-Bearer Tsarina, the wife of Nicholas II, soon after the outbreak of the war, completed a course for nurses and went to work as an operating nurse to alleviate the suffering and treat junior officers of the Russian army. Many believed that she should not have done this, that it was not the queen’s business, but she was a Christian first and a queen second. Her Christian soul called to help her neighbors and the suffering; this was the state of her soul, the state of her nature. For several months, Alexandra Feodorovna assisted during operations, bandaged the sick, she consoled the wounded - ordinary Russian men, listened to their simple stories, distracted them with conversations, and tried to help their loved ones in some way. And here a comparison involuntarily arises with the Second World War, our Great Patriotic War, which still remains socially significant topic. But here’s a question: has anyone heard that the wife of Molotov or any other party leader, or even one of the members of the nomenklatura families would go to the hospital to help the wounded? No one even came close to the hospital, let alone assisted in the operation. This is all an indicator of morality, or rather, the immorality of power.
In this case, using the example royal family, patriotism is manifested, which is not financed from the treasury, and conferences on this topic were not held then. Patriotism was the natural state of people. Love for the Fatherland cannot be explained or cultivated, you can theoretically give some justification, but, you know, it’s like the love between a man and a woman, about which a lot has been written, and when they start to explain it, everyone has their own. It's like loving a mother. Love your mother not only when she is young and good, but also when she is old and sick. If you are a son or daughter, you will always love her because she is your mother. So it is here. Russia is a mother, and there is no need to say anything about some kind of mystical patriotism.
It is important to remember that patriotism in Russia was Orthodox. Russia did not know any people other than the Christian people; all these tribal restrictions had no meaning. People have never been counted based on their blood composition. In other religions and ethnic groups they believed that they inherited it from their mother, from their father, from their uncle, but we have never had this. Orthodox and Russian are synonymous. And in this sense, Estonians, Ukrainians, Poles, Belarusians, Georgians, and so on can be considered Russian to the extent that they consider themselves Orthodox. Nowadays they often say that in Russia there should be regional-ethnic patriotisms - Mordovian, Bashkir, etc. But this is the destruction of a single, whole organism. Russia is a home for everyone. The dominant ethnic group, of course, is Russian, but many peoples have lived in Russia and will continue to live, I hope, because the destruction of this house will not bring benefits to anyone.
Patriotism must be shown to people by your example, your work and your whole life, who, how and with what you can: some with books, some with words. And of course, it is very important that our current and future rulers follow the path indicated by our ancestors, that they follow the models that existed when people did not have to explain what love for the Motherland is.
How is love even measured? Love is life. If a person is ready to give his life, this is love; if he is not ready, this is infatuation, passion, but not love. And millions of Russian people showed massive heroism and patriotism, giving their lives for the Fatherland and faith, because Russia, over the 500 years of its history, spent 375 years in war, that is, out of five years, it fought for four years. In most cases we won. Victory was determined precisely by the love of the Russian people for their land, for their faith. This shocked foreigners. When Napoleon came with his 600,000-strong army and wanted to free the peasants from serfdom, he could not do it. Simple Russian serfs with pitchforks and stakes, without any command, went out and began to beat the French, because for them they were adversaries. They did this for the sake of the Fatherland and Christ. It was an element of spontaneous, organic patriotism, which is not taught at school, it is not instilled in round table, it is absorbed into human souls with mother's milk.
