“Avangard” Center for Military Patriotic Education of the Youth: What Will It Be?
“Avangard” Center will have a drill ground, sports grounds, shooting ranges, obstacle courses and classrooms. The Center will be equipped with computers and multimedia devices.
An “Avangard” Educational and Methodological Center for Military Patriotic Education of the Youth will be established in Odintsovo district. Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation; Andrey Vorobyov, Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow; and Governor of Moscow Region participated in the cornerstone laying ceremony.
A 28.45-hectare center will be located in “Patriot” Military Patriotic Park for Recreation and Leisure of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The construction works are expected to be completed in 2020.
“This is the largest structured center in Europe. In addition, the center features everything required for primary military training – it has a paintball center and a strikeball center; all its educational facilities are state-of-the-art; the center is equipped with top-notch educational devices and systems. We do hope that all these will come in handy”, noted Sergey Shoigu.
The decision to erect a specialized center was made by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in January 2019. “Avangard” center is expected to improve quality of military training sessions of school students. The idea of creation of the Center was supported by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
“In the nearest future more centers will be emerging all over Russia, in each territorial entity of our country. Today we launch the first center and commence the first large-scale construction. I’m sure that we’ll make it”, added Sergey Shoigu.
During the cornerstone laying ceremony, the Minister of Defense and governors of two regions of the Russian Federation signed an Agreement on Organization of Military Patriotic Education of the Youth and Promotion of Military and Other Public Service, which governs matters of establishment and functioning of “Avangard” Center.
“Avangard” Center will have a drill ground, sports grounds, shooting ranges, obstacle courses and classrooms. The Center will be equipped with computers and multimedia devices. Further, it will have training grounds with sports equipment and classrooms with training simulators. The Center will use up-to-date educational methods and processes. The Center is expected to train up to 600 trainees within each five-day training session. School students will be come here to get military training all around the year.
“This training will provide them with information and insights into our army and what awaits them if they decide on dedicating their lives to military service”, emphasized the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Furthermore, the main cathedral of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which is now being constructed in “Patriot” Park, will have a spiritual education center in its structure.
“In addition, we will educate military clergy there and, above all, there will be a school for sisters of mercy, where nurses for our military hospitals and other medical institutions will be trained”, said Sergey Shoigu.
Sergey Sobyanin noted that “Patriot” Park already has all the facilities required for training. According to him, the park has military exhibit halls, training grounds and other infrastructure required for such activities.
“The world is moving forward, and technology is developing. Thus, previous educational methods and technology become outdated. The fact that such a center meeting all the current requirements to military technologies and educational and sports standards is worth a lot. Probably, it is quite important that this center will be school student-oriented, in the first place”, added Sergey Sobyanin.
Andrey Vorobyov noted that there are about a million school students in Moscow and Moscow Region, who would be eager to prove themselves in various fields of military training, both theoretical and practical one.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that soon we will see here an up-to-date complex equipped with everything required, which at any time of the year will give school students an opportunity to prove that they are able to succeed in many aspects of their lives”, he added.
Andrey Vorobyov believes that military training is extremely popular among students.
“Senior students keep asking where they can shoot and where they can get in touch with those experienced in shooting practices to learn from them”, said the Governor of Moscow Region.
During the last two academic years, in Accordance with the Federal Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” school students are obliged to gain primary skills in the field of defense. In addition, young men are required to undergo primary military training.
School students will be trained within the framework of five-day training sessions. These will be held at military facilities of the Western Military Okrug and DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy) educational and sports centers. Last year 25 166 Moscow senior students participated in the military training sessions. In Moscow oblast, such sessions involve some 22 thousand of young men a year.
Training for Military Service in Moscow
In order to ensure primary military training of students, Moscow schools have created training facilities which are being improved continuously. Such facilities include classrooms with tutorial materials and visual guides, educational devices and equipment, sports grounds with elements of obstacle courses, and shooting ranges or digital shooting simulators.
Further, students can learn the basics of military service by visiting meetings within the framework of “Moscow Student’s Saturdays”. The project covers 17 areas of expertise, including “Historical Saturdays”, “Saturdays of Courage”, “Space Saturdays” and “Sports Saturdays”.
Moscow can boast of 1628 school museums. Half of them are dedicated to warfare and history. More than 12 thousands of students and 3.8 thousand teachers and veterans are engaged in the museums.
Cadet Movement
Pre-professional training for military service and service at law enforcement units is arranged for students of cadet classes. These are operating in 231 Moscow schools. In 2019/2020, more than 20 thousands of youths studied in cadet classes.
“Admission to cadet colleges is much more competitive than admission to most of the leading universities of our country. Being trained every year in military camps of the Western Military Okrug, our students do understand that military occupations are in great demand and that military education is highly topical”, noted Sergey Sobyanin.
Moscow also has five cadet educational institutions managed by other authorities. These include Moscow Suvorov Military School, Moscow National Guard Presidential Cadets School named after M.A. Sholokhov, Cadet Corps of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation named after Alexander Nevsky, Moscow Cadet Corps “Boarding School for Girls of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation”, and Moscow Military Musical College named after Lieutenant-General V.M. Khalilov.
Students are admitted to cadet classes on a competitive basis. The admission committee takes into account their academic performance, physical development, health status, and the sincerity of their desire to dedicate their life to military service.
Every year Moscow cadets participate in all major patriotic events held in the city, including:
- Official Parade in the Red Square held on 7th November to commemorate the historical parade that took place on 7th November 1941;
- Moscow Cadet Education Forum “My Honour to Serve my Fatherland” held in the State Kremlin Palace, which is dedicated to the Homeland Defender’s Day;
- Moscow cadet parade “the Connection of Generation Will Not Be Interrupted” held on Poklonnaya Gora, which is dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War;
- Moscow young talent festival “Cadet Star”;
- Events dedicated to military glory days and memorable dates in history of Russia.
In 2017 Moscow authorities launched a project “Cadet Class Day in the Victory Museum”. Within the framework of this project, during the academic year cadets have the honour of keeping the watch at Post No.1 by the Flame of Memory and Glory on Poklonnaya Gora. Furthermore, cadets can participate in lessons, tours and interactive activities in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941‒1945 .
On 1st September 2019 the city established a new tradition – a solemn celebratory assembly of Moscow cadets was held at VDNH. More than ten thousand cadets participated in the assembly.
“Open Sky” and “Young Homeland Defender”
The “Young Army” All-Russian Children’s and Youth Military Patriotic Public Movement involves 13 thousands of young citizens. The military and technical training programs developed specifically for “Young Army” students include:
- “Open Sky” (“Young Aircraft Designer”, “Young Military Pilot”, and “Drone Operator”);
- “The Sea Surrenders Only to the Brave” (“Small-Size Vessel Navigator”, “Member of the Naval Emergency Response Team”, and “Young Submariner”);
- “Young Homeland Defender” (“Young Combat Swimmer”, “Young Special Operations Soldier”, “Young Parachutist”, and Wind Tunnel); and
- Safety Management in Emergencies (“Safety Shop” and “Fire-Fighting Technical Training”).