National patriotism and state ambitions. Patriotism is the national idea of ​​Russia

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 images: the Mother, personifying the native land, and the 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 of Russian society. It is not surprising that only during the existence of the new Russian statehood, attitudes towards patriotism in different social groups fluctuated and continue to vary 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 our nation's history 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 the time of Peter the Great that was characterized by the growth of national self-awareness in general and the 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 clan. 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 for a number of 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 was 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 relationships. But sovereignty has always been an unattainable ideal government structure, 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 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 of official nationality” became the ideas of sovereignty and nationality as a basis for its 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 defending a more progressive social system, which served as a model for the rest of the peoples 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 the reproduction in mass propaganda of the images of such national heroes as Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy, Kozma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov, Fyodor 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 the feeling 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 which is patriotism. No less important point It became clear that without a clearly formulated idea of ​​protecting Russia's interests, it was impossible to develop a sovereign foreign policy.

Deficiency (or even 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 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 lack of understanding 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 public life and a form of inclusion of people in social communication. 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 connected 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 national 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, the Orthodox faith played an important role. 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 more than just preservation in Russian life traditional communal forms of social regulation, 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 the strategy successful development country, due to its understandability, can be perceived by the majority of Russian society as a tool for exiting spiritual crisis and ways to achieve 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 traditions Russian army. M.: VU, 1997. pp. 48–52; Pushkarev L.N. Mentality and political history of Russia: turning points. // Mentality and political development of Russia. Abstracts of scientific conference reports. 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. T. 1. Repentance and self-restraint as categories of 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 of life values ​​of Russians in Lent Soviet period// Policy. 1996. No. 4; Crisis society. Our society in three dimensions. M.: Institute of Philosophy RAS, 1994.

Hegel G. Works of 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.

“For more than 1000 years of Russian history,

the main ideology, the main feeling of the Russian people

there was love for the Motherland."

On Saturday, October 20, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin signed the Decree “On improving state policy in the field of patriotic education”,

The text of the decree is as laconic as ever. “In order to strengthen the spiritual and moral foundations of Russian society... I decree: to establish... the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Public Projects.”

The new department will deal with:

Supporting state initiatives in the field of patriotic education (hereinafter - PV).

Analysis and forecasting of social processes

Preparation and implementation of special programs,

Communication with the media, annual messages, etc.

So “state patriotism”, or, as the media has already dubbed it, “rospatriotism”. On the one hand, it seems like a good, gentle thing. But” There is always a “but”.

History of the issue.

The history of VVP’s attempts to engage in patriotic education of Russian citizens goes back 11 years. His first attempt in this field was the State Program “Patriotic Education of Citizens of the Russian Federation for 2001-2005”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 16, 2001 N 122.

That first program was prepared at a time when the concept of patriotism was still forgotten in Russia. Two Chechen campaigns have just ended. The saying of Alexander III was constantly heard: “Russia has only two allies: its army and navy.” The Movement in Support of the Army and the Movement in Support of the Navy developed actively. And the concepts of “deideologization of society” and “depatriotization of society” were considered abusive.

And here is the first interesting fact!

Employees of the Center for Military-Strategic Research of the Russian Defense Ministry took an active part in the preparation of the first Program. Today, some employees of this unit of the Ministry of Defense, who served in it at that time, are today undeservedly imprisoned. And they are being tried almost for armed rebellion: “with pitchforks against tanks.”

Due to the fact that professionals worked on the program, a lot was taken into account in the Program, from the formation of the patriotic idea to the channels and forms of its dissemination. However, according to a number of developers of that first Program, the original documents were mercilessly castrated and what came out under the stamp of the Government of the Russian Federation was a pitiful semblance of the original document. But at that time, even the very fact of officially declared state interest in patriotic education was significant...

What did the first program result in? Perhaps the creation of the Zvezda TV channel, which the Russian Ministry of Defense recently actually abandoned.

"Skeet Master"

Who will lead the theorists of Russian state patriotism today?

Someone Pavel Zenkovich.

What can you say about him? A little.

Basic information found in open sources, characterizes him as a graduate of MGIMO, Peskov’s man, who worked as deputy head of the election headquarters of Vladimir Putin, and then replaced Ivan Demidov as head of the Directorate for domestic policy AP.

That is, a certain administrator who either knows how to work well, or has proven loyalty to power, or...

One can wonder for a long time about what to expect from the new department of the Presidential Administration. You can dig up information on new officials, make guesses and analyze “Putin’s plan.” However, the answer, as it turns out, lies on the surface.

So, meet... New Russian patriotism.

In 2008, the State Patriotic Club of United Russia (GPK ER) was organized. The face of this club Lately is a certain Irina Yarovaya.

The main document - the declaration of the Civil Procedure Code consists of seven parts: “Russia”, “Strong State”, “Statehood and Patriotism”, “Patriotism and Society”, “Conservatism as a Patriotic Policy and Ideology”, “Commonwealth”, “National Idea”.

But first things first.

Part 1. “Russia”.

Russia is a unique state (one cannot but agree), which is surrounded by enemies on all sides (and this is how 90 percent of the text goes). And here is the main idea: Russia - here everyone, regardless of skin color and nationality, can become great.

“Russia is a country where the most daring and bright dreams come true.”

Well, how can one not remember the cheap American film “Pretty Woman”: “Hollywood! This is a place where dreams come true!”

Part 2. “Strong State”.

A strong state is a state that is capable of “making and implementing effective political decisions in the interests of its citizens.” From the lips of EP... However...

Signs of a strong state: centralization of power, unity of the army and the people, the work of the people for the benefit of Russia, pride in the “advanced” Constitution, and of course United Russia (which is a party).

And what's interesting... So far, neither the word Motherland nor the word Fatherland has come across... It’s strange, they seem to write “patriots”...

Part 3. Statehood and patriotism.

“Love for the Motherland”, “love for the Fatherland” work only when the people trusts the state and its policies.

That is, if you follow the laws of logic, all other manifestations are unpatriotic. Thus, we can safely cross off the following persons from the list of Russian patriots:

Dmitry Donskoy is a recidivist reactionary who refused to pay the official government a dowry and gathered a militia, rebelled against Khan Mamai, and thereby provoked a coup in the Golden Horde and, subsequently, the murder of Mamai.

Minina and Pozharsky - for going against the official Polish authorities.

And also... Alexander Nevsky (although I got carried away here - he had a label for his reign), A.V. Suvorova, M.D. Skobeleva, A.S. Pushkina, M.Yu. Lermontova, N.A. Nekrasova, F.M. Dostoevsky (generally a “Petrashevite”), and another 60-70 percent historical figures, who contributed huge contribution in the formation, development and strengthening of Russia as a leading world power.

As for the content of other chapters of the Declaration, it is as controversial as its beginning... There are two main thoughts:

The main thing is to believe in the general line of the party and government.

Our patriotism = state conservatism.

And finally, the National Idea is “I” I quote “The National Idea for Russia, its search has the meaning of finding oneself.”

And it will help us in this search... ( drumroll) ... Strategy 2020.

Some conclusions.

There are a lot of letters. What is the bare remainder?

Here's the thing.

The main problem of the transition period from the USSR to the Russian Federation was the ideological problem. Ideology, patriotism, love for the Motherland were swept out of the system of human relations.

All that remains is the concept of the market, business, and only occasionally the state.

Instead of departheizing the state, it was deideologized and depatriotized. That is, they took away the party, took away the idea, gave away their faith and threw people into an ideological vacuum.

Eventually. Over the past 20 years, we have received nothing in return.

Today, with a high degree of probability, we are asked to believe in Putin and in United Russia, passionately love power, and do everything for the benefit of modern government. And the concepts of Motherland, Fatherland, History, Nation, Russians - all this is not even swept aside into the background, but turns into something amorphous, if not hostile...

We are offered conservatism instead of monarchy, socialism, and, finally, democracy. And it would be good if they offered conservatism - so, a patchwork quilt, only called conservatism...

What is patriotism.

Patriotism is love for the Motherland, Fatherland, for one’s state in its historical diversity (state = Motherland), be it Rus', Russia, Russian empire, USSR or RF...

...Twenty years ago, in the summer of 1996, Boris Yeltsin, the re-elected President of Russia, declared the need to develop “a national idea” that would be “the most important for Russia.” Then it seemed to many that a saving idea for the country should be created by political augurs and alchemists, that this was some kind of magical technology. And such an organic, natural phenomenon as patriotism was seen as something irrelevant and even dangerous...

Photo - YAY / TASS

An excursion into the recent past is appropriate here. Starting from the second half of the 1980s, the motives of exposure and repentance became the main ones on the agenda. The rulers of thought drew everyone's attention to the negative aspects of our history, our system of that time. An outsider, depressive psychology was imposed on society, and a national inferiority complex developed.

What kind of patriotism is this! In the 1990s, an emphasis was placed on radical individualism and personal entrepreneurship. We have a society of contrasts. We were taught to pray for private interests and to despise the state. The absurdity was that it was often government officials themselves who taught this. “Personal is higher than public!” - this principle was instilled as a shrine.

During this period, patriotism was discarded as unnecessary. The very definition of “patriotic” became the property of the opposition, not the government. The opposition had virtually no access to the central media - and patriotism was presented as a marginal phenomenon. The discord between “democrats” and “patriots” accompanied the collapse of the state; it was during this period that our country became weaker...

Fortunately, society has not lost the need for a unifying principle. It is quite logical that this is the deepest feeling that unites people different ages, religions, nationalities and cultures. This feeling is love for the Motherland. In other words, patriotism. “We do not have and cannot have any other unifying idea other than patriotism...” - said Vladimir Putin. It's hard to argue with that.

Let's try to understand this phenomenon.

Patriotic views are organically inherent in a person - as a participant in society, as a citizen of the state, as a successor of the family tree. It seems that this is indisputable: we love our Motherland, we try to protect it, serve it, strengthen and enrich it, including for future generations. Separating yourself from the community is a dangerous, reckless delusion.

At one time, the current freedom lover Mikhail Kasyanov, when he was prime minister, he was imposingly indignant that our history textbooks are not yet completely liberal, that for some reason they talk about a nationwide victory, about the “working people”...

But time shows that a solidary society is being revived in Russia, for which “national victory” is not empty words. The country is overcoming the inertia of collapse.

We have a proverb: “With native land If you die, don’t go.” What does this mean? A creative person is not a tumbleweed. To build something significant, to leave a strong and good memory on earth, you need to rely on the foundation of your native culture. You need to know and love the Fatherland. In any foreign culture, even the most eminent among us will not be able to realize our full potential. And therefore, patriotism is associated with the strategy of personal success, but is incompatible with aggressive, predatory individualism.

Love for the Motherland does not mean that we will stop noticing our shortcomings, that we will fall into arrogance or begin to hate our neighbors... In the Russian tradition for a long time true patriotism distinguished from false. words will always be relevant Peter Vyazemsky, published as early as 1827:

“Many people recognize patriotism as unconditional praise for everything that is theirs. Turgot called this lackey patriotism, du patriotisme d`antichambre. In our country we could call it leavened patriotism. I believe that love for the fatherland should be blind in donating to it, but not in vain complacency.”

In the early 1990s, the following idea also prevailed: patriotism does not need to be “artificially cultivated,” it does not need to be nurtured. It is inherent in people even without this. Schools were supposed to instill only civic consciousness and tolerance. The result was zilch. While talking about tolerance, the achievements of friendship between peoples were lost, they did not gain any civic consciousness, and patriotic education at the state level in recent years it has been necessary to restore in a fire order...

It turns out that patriotism does not grow like a weed - by itself. It should be carefully cultivated so that it is enlightened and creative. This is what the president says: “It needs to sink in.” Otherwise, the initiative is seized from the state by radicals - both domestic and foreign.

It is patriotism that unites the past, present and future. An example of this is last year’s campaign “ Immortal Regiment" The idea of ​​Victory for us is more than just a memory of the war.

This is a lesson in overcoming, a lesson in perseverance and determination. A lesson in patriotism. We need it not only in military affairs, but also in any serious undertaking.

We really don’t have any other unifying idea. Although this love for the Fatherland is invincible.

Tested by history.

Arseniy ZAMOSTYANOV

Patriotism is a special emotional experience of belonging to a country, citizenship, language and traditions, native land and culture. Such a feeling implies pride in your country and confidence that it will always protect you. These are the main criteria in the definition, although there are other interpretations.

What is "patriotism"?

The word “patriotism” is translated from Greek as “fatherland”; it is a feeling, the essence of which is love for one’s country and the willingness to sacrifice everything for it. What is a patriot? A person who is proud of the successes and culture of his country and strives to preserve the characteristics of his native language and traditions. This is the most common variant of denoting the essence of the term “patriotism”, but there are also other interpretations:

1. A moral indicator that distinguishes a generous person from a low one.
2. Pride in the achievements of your people.
3. Real assessment of the actions of your state.
4. Willingness to sacrifice individual interests for the sake of common ones.

Business patriotism - what is it?

In the 21st century, the feeling of patriotism has begun to reach a new level; calls for the formation of groups of business patriots are beginning to sound louder. It’s not just about giving preference to domestic goods; the Russian Association of Entrepreneurs for the Development of Business Patriotism recently proposed its own strategy. Its leaders see the main task as comprehensive support for entrepreneurs, since the share of small businesses abroad is several times larger than domestic ones. We need conditions for growth in several directions:

1. Education. Development of youth entrepreneurship, holding master classes.
2. Support in the implementation of plans and promotion of commercial growth.
3. Business club. A place where you can exchange experiences, contacts and best practices.

Nationalism and patriotism - the difference

Many people confuse the concepts of “nationalism” and “patriotism”; even dictionaries note that patriotism is love for the homeland and one’s people. Experienced linguists point out the following error in substituting concepts:

1. Love for the homeland is a feeling for the land, nature, native language and state. This is what patriotism is - an expanded concept of love for one’s home.
2. Love for the people is a broad concept of love for loved ones, which arises in a person before patriotism. This is already nationalism, awareness of commitment to the nation, which is instilled from birth.

Why is patriotism needed?

Why is patriotism important? Experts believe that this is natural mental condition, which is expressed in the readiness to protect one’s own from someone else’s, to recognize it under a different mask. It’s hard to survive without patriotism, because every person must have core values ​​for the sake of which they can realistically overcome fear and even go to death. Only thanks to enormous patriotism, soviet people were able to win the second world war, stop hordes of enemies at the cost of millions of lives.

A patriot is a person for whom the fate of the state always comes first. But such an attitude appears only when a person is confident that his country will protect him in difficult times and will help his family. Therefore, those who survive in poverty cannot be forced to be patriots; people must have something to be proud of and something specifically to defend: their well-being, home front, achievements.

Types of patriotism

What is patriotism? Over the years, this feeling has been used to denote various phenomena, often replacing the concept of “love for the motherland” with “love for the state.” This is how other types of patriotism appeared:

1. State. When the interests of the state are above all.
2. Russian as a phenomenon. For many centuries, for the Slavs, and then for the Soviet people, the main concept was “homeland”; it was compared to a bride, a mother who must be protected.
3. National. Based on history and cultural heritage people, the formation of such love develops a sense of pride and the desire to increase existing values.
4. Local. It manifests itself in love for one’s village, city, street, home. Characteristic feature Soviet ideology was the education of feelings from the particular to the general, from loyalty to one’s land to the readiness to give one’s life for one’s country.

Education of patriotism

The development of patriotism has at all times been the main task of ideologists of any country. Events were developed with an emphasis on examples of heroism, songs were composed, and events of the past were corrected. The child had to grow up with the idea that his country is the best because it protects, provides a fun childhood, supports him in choosing a profession in his youth and protects him from adversity in adulthood.

Because great importance is devoted to the study of symbolism, the legal system, and acquaintance with the actions of outstanding people. But in a country where there is no return from the state, and the individual does not see what he receives in return for his willingness to sacrifice personal things, the problem of patriotism becomes especially acute. Sometimes there are attempts by those in power to grow it artificially.

Church and patriotism

Since ancient times, patriotism and Orthodoxy have been inextricably linked; an example of this is the church’s blessing of the defenders of the fatherland for a military battle. This tradition goes back thousands of years, even during the Second World War, when all Soviet people were atheists, special prayer services were served, and priests collected funds to buy tanks and airplanes. If we turn to official church documents, the concept of patriotism is stated as follows:

1. Christians should not forget about their earthly homeland.
2. To be a patriot is to love not only your native land, but also your neighbors, your home, and protect them. Because sacrifice for the fatherland is made not only on the battlefield, but also for the sake of children.
3. To love your land as a place where faith and the Orthodox Church are preserved.
4. To love other peoples is to fulfill the commandment of love for one's neighbor.

Patriotism - books

There are thousands of examples from the lives of heroes who showed true patriotism, not only in Soviet literature. Many Russian poets and prose writers wrote about such manifestations, and they were presented in epics. The most striking works dedicated to patriotism:

1. A. Fadeev. "Young guard". A novel about the underground heroes of Krasnodon during the Great Patriotic War, more than one generation of Soviet children grew up with it.
2. "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". An ancient legend telling about the defenders of their native land during times of hostile raids.
3. L. Tolstoy. "War and Peace". Important historical episodes of the 19th century - the Patriotic War of 1812, with examples of the heroism of the main characters.
4. B. Field. "The Tale of a Real Man". A novel about the legless pilot Maresyev, who managed to return to aviation to fight the Nazis again.

IN scientific literature There are various classifications of patriotism, its types and forms are distinguished.

One of the grounds for clarifying the typologies of patriotism can be the popular concepts of a large and small Motherland, conciliarity, spirituality, service to the Fatherland, defense of the Motherland, etc. Under big homeland earlier the Russian Empire was meant, later - Soviet Union, Russia, Russian Federation. Small Motherland- province (later - region, territory, national republic) or district (district), city, village, hamlet, etc. In accordance with this basis, the types of patriotism include: state, Russian national, national, civil, local or regional, etc. All these types of patriotism are interconnected, but each of them reveals something special in it (patriotism).

State patriotism connected, first of all, with the single and highest goal of each person, team and society as a whole; the interests of the state and national security are a priority in the system “individual - collective - society - state”. The political regulators of state patriotism are the concept of state, statism, and the main principle that supports and develops national culture, protects national independence and state territorial integrity is the principle of sovereignty. The normativity of patriotism is social norms that regulate a person’s behavior in society, his attitude towards other people, towards society, the state and towards himself. Their implementation is ensured by the power of both public opinion, internal conviction based on the ideas accepted in a given society about one’s own safety and the possibility of reproduction, and coercion from the state, based on legal regulators.

State patriotism presupposes that Russians have a common interest in unity and development, a common goal of strengthening the state, confidence that spiritual solidarity and justice prevail within its borders, and a sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland. For the development of this type of patriotism, knowledge of the history of the Fatherland, the establishment in the legal consciousness of the people of the idea of ​​the state, their Motherland, are important; community of interests and common determination to protect its interests; the presence of an established system of monitoring the observance of citizens' rights and at the same time monitoring the fulfillment of citizens' responsibilities to society. It is in this regard that the degree of public confidence in the authorities increases.

Russian national patriotism V to a greater extent Connected with emotional world person. Its spiritual and moral basis are the concepts of “Fatherland” (father’s house) and “Motherland” (birth womb). They reveal the spiritual basis of patriotism, the content of the patriotic experience of the people, and its values. In their totality, the Fatherland and the Motherland accumulate ideas about the people as a family living in a multi-ethnic and unified political space. Russian patriotism, reflecting and protecting the interests of the people, society and orienting individuals in their civil behavior towards the implementation of legal norms, simultaneously stimulates them to consolidate through the development of patriotic experience, which is enshrined in moral norms, customs, traditions, folklore, and values ​​of the life world developed by the people , its culture. Modern Russia needs patriotic traditions and values ​​to be internalized by the population and become individual and group behavioral programs.

A Russian patriot is a person who has united his fate with the fate of his people, with its age-old traditions, who believes in Russia, is connected with it spiritually, morally and emotionally, building his behavior in accordance with Russia, its future and present.

National(Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, etc.) patriotism is based on its national culture, i.e.

Local, regional patriotism manifests itself in love for surrounding nature, his small homeland, economic work, family and loved ones, the spiritual culture of their people. Natural, historical, blood and household ties should become the subject of patriotic love as elements of the spirit of one’s ancestors and one’s people. Children learn the concepts of “Motherland” (womb of birth), “Fatherland” (father’s house) in early childhood through the surrounding world.

In the conditions of modern Russia, during the period of its entry into the processes of globalization, a special place occupies civic patriotism , which is based on love for the Motherland on its national scale, national and legal self-awareness, civic morality: pride in one’s family, home, one’s people, yard, sports club, city, region, country.

Ivan Ilyin wrote: “In order to find your homeland and merge with it with feeling, will, and life, you need to live in spirit and take care of it within yourself; and, further, it is necessary to realize patriotic self-awareness in oneself, or at least to truly “feel” oneself and one’s people in spirit. You must truly feel your spiritual life and the spiritual life of your people and creatively assert yourself in the powers and means of this latter, i.e., for example, accept the Russian language, Russian history, Russian state, Russian song, Russian legal consciousness, Russian historical worldview, etc. like your own. This means establishing similarity, communication, interaction and community in spirit between oneself and one’s people; to recognize that the creators and creatures of his spiritual culture are my leaders and my achievements. My path to the spirit is the path of my homeland; her ascent to spirit and God is my ascent. For I am identical with her and inseparable from her in spiritual life.”

Civil patriotism is based on subconscious aspirations and impulses that are rooted in the spirit of the people, the national instinct, the desire for creativity, and active social activity.

Civil patriotism reflects a unique mechanism of interaction between a person, a team, society and the state; it synthesizes other types of patriotism and is associated precisely with the defense of one’s national and cultural identity. Currently, there is a clearly identified need for a patriotic orientation in education, teaching young people civilized norms of relationships in matters affecting the interests of the individual, the collective, society, the state and requiring decisions that are binding on all institutions of civil society.

Patriotism as social phenomenon has, in addition to its classical manifestation, not only other types, but also forms. In his work “The Concept of Patriotism: An Essay on the Sociology of Knowledge” A.N. Malinkin, based on the main essential feature of patriotism (love of the motherland), identifies the following forms: affective patriotism, patriotic indifferentism, anti-patriotism, false anti-patriotism, pseudo-patriotism, patriotic nihilism, counter-patriotism.

Affective patriotism- patriotism as a “social emotion”, a manifestation of affects and passions, forming a superficial, peripheral layer of individual, group and public consciousness. Affective patriotism is important component many authoritarian-oriented political ideologies, for example, racist, nationalist-extremist, religious-fundamentalist, etc. Most of them are not concerned with searching for the truth (it is “known” to them).

Patriotic indifference- an indifferent, indifferent attitude towards the homeland or even the absence of a definite attitude towards it, oblivion of the homeland - its disappearance from the field of objects of possible attention.

Antipatriotism- hatred of the homeland, as a rule, is the result of a natural protest reaction of a person who seeks to escape from the established life world, but is temporarily unable to do this (for example, by changing socio-economic conditions, migration or emigration). A person either comes to terms with an environment that he perceives as a “vicious circle,” “trap,” etc., or continues to fight it, trying to neutralize the influence of an alien or hostile social environment.

False anti-patriotism- ardent and jealous love for the homeland (“I love my fatherland, but with a strange love”), most often hidden under national “self-flagellation.”

False patriotism (or pseudo-patriotism)- hatred and contempt for the homeland.

Patriotic nihilism- this is the denial of the positive value of the homeland as such, that is, the denial of the special and irreplaceable place of the homeland in the system of human values. Symptoms of patriotic nihilism indicate irreversible changes in the emotional constitution and state of mind of a person, which in principle exclude the revival of love for the homeland. Patriotic nihilism is expressed in blind worship of everything foreign, fanatical devotion to any foreign or ancient culture and so on. The main manifestations of patriotic nihilism are humanitarianism and cosmopolitanism.

Humanitarianism and cosmopolitanism can be classified as social phenomena, essentially and necessarily related to patriotism, but having the opposite value vector.

Humanitarianism- abstract love for everything that, in the eyes of the one who thus loves, has human face(even if it is the face of a “friend of man” - a dog, cat, etc.). Humanitarianism is indifferent to the racial, national, ethnic, cultural and other affiliation of a person, to specific groups, since it is based on a limited and historically obsolete idea of ​​the equality of nature of all people (the rational essence of man), as well as a more than ambiguous idea “ universal human values.

Cosmopolitanism– a state of mind of individual-egoistic alienation from the homeland and cynical indifference towards it.

For a cosmopolitan, love for the fatherland is either negligibly weak or has completely atrophied. The cosmopolitan considers himself a “citizen of the world”, declares involvement in a community of a higher order and significance (to the whole world, humanity), but the objectively higher value of this community (in itself, of course, not illusory) for the cosmopolitan is not an end in itself, not an object of love and active, sacrificial service, but just a means - the basis and reason for an arrogant, contemptuous attitude towards one’s people and native country.

The opposite of the phenomenon of cosmopolitanism is the concept planetarism as a supranational consciousness of belonging to the human community on planet Earth, a feeling of love for all living things and everything living on it and solidarity with them, readiness to actively and sacrificially serve them. The basis of this positive feeling and consciousness is necessarily patriotism, which naturally outgrows its local and national boundaries.

A special - political-ideological - type of cosmopolitanism is internationalism, in the classical Marxist form, considered as social-class internationalism - the internationalism of capitalists and the working class. Since proletarian internationalism puts class interests (that is, political-economic) above national interests (primarily national-state), and therefore above the interests of the fatherland, it denies patriotism. Another thing is that for the majority of the peoples of the USSR, but especially for the Russian people, “real internationalism” actually meant the perception of representatives of other states, nations, races, and ethnic groups as equals, respect for their national dignity and original culture; the absence of national chauvinism - great-power or based on God's chosenness and the special mission of some people; sacrificial “international assistance” - military, economic and cultural (in the field of education and science), as well as a number of other positive features coming from the depths of the healthy nationalism of these peoples.

Nationalism- a concept that received a perverted interpretation during the Soviet period, which was actually identified with manifestations of “national chauvinism”, “national extremism” and other deviations in national self-awareness. In reality, nationalism personifies love for the original spirit of one’s people, developing in national identity, preserving and creating the national way of life. Taking into account the existing post-Soviet realities and the discrediting of the term “nationalism” in the public consciousness, we should recognize the absence in our vocabulary of a concept that would adequately reflect the positive potential of patriotism.

Counter-patriotism- this is love for the ideal (utopian) image of the homeland, which turns into jealousy or hatred when confronted with the homeland, given in the form social reality, which does not correspond to the ideal (utopian) image. Counter-patriotism is characterized by a clearly realized distinction between the “motherland” (a warm feeling is maintained towards it) and “those who speak and act on its behalf” (a persistent hostility or hatred arises towards them).

It should be emphasized that various directions of perverted patriotism propose to see in patriotism something that must be “overcome” as something base (instinctive attachment, going back to the territorial instinct of animals), or “outlived” as an age-related phenomenon, or “rejected” as a conservative isolationist tendency , is a deep misconception. Love for the fatherland as an “eternal” social phenomenon and enduring human value does not isolate from the world, but rather opens the world in its true light: it allows us to see planet Earth not as an internally indifferent, and therefore incapable of development, universal human unity, but as a fruitful unity development-oriented diversity.

Existing classifications of patriotism into types and forms, partially reflected above, allow us to objectively and comprehensively identify objective manifestations of patriotism at the social and individual level, and systematically reflect the complex picture of the functioning of patriotism in the space of public consciousness.

Questions to control the mastery of competencies:

1. What are the ideas of I.A. Ilyin can be developed in relation to modern Russia?

2. Summarize in the form of a diagram the main directions of understanding of patriotism in the scientific literature, identify their relationships.

3. Highlight the qualities of a person that characterize his civil-patriotic sphere and fill out the table:

4. Justify which types of patriotism are most acceptable for Russia in the context of globalization.

5. Describe the manifestations of state and personal patriotism in modern social practice.

6. Determine what a student’s patriotic activity may consist of while studying at a university.

Literature:

1. Efimov V.F. Historiosophical aspects of Russian patriotism//SOTIS-social technologies, research. - 2008. - No. 4. - P. 33-42.

2. Zapesotsky A.S. Dmitry Likhachev about morality, freedom and patriotism//Additional education and upbringing. - 2008. - No. 6. - P.3-8.

3. Ivanova S.Yu., Lutovinov V.I. Modern Russian patriotism. – Rostov n/d: Publishing house of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2008. - 320 p.

4. Malgin E.L. On the relationship between the concepts of “spirituality” and “patriotism” // Applied psychology and psychoanalysis. - 2007. - No. 1. - P. 7-12.

5. Russian patriotism: origins, content, education in modern conditions. – Textbook/general. ed. A.K. Bykova, V.I. Lutovinova. – M., 2010. – P. 121-122.

Internet-resources:

1. http://www.zpu-journal.ru/ “Demidova E. I., Krivoruchenko V. K. Patriotism in its idea is unchanged. Electronic journal "Knowledge. Understanding. Skill". – 2008. - No. 6. - Story".

2. http://www.library.novouralsk.ru/ " Public libraries. Path of interaction. Issue 12. Spiritual, moral and heroic-patriotic education of readers.”