Suvorov schools appeared in the country in the year of severe trials, in the harsh forty-third. Perhaps there is a pattern in this. And the latest Russian history is marked by the revival of cadet corps. After a long period of anti-army attacks, attempts to belittle the importance of a man in uniform, this may seem paradoxical. It would seem that so much has been done to finally trample on the authority of people who have chosen the profession of "Defending the Motherland". Meanwhile, the competition for military schools is growing, and to enter Suvorov schools, figuratively speaking, to get through the eye of a needle, to become a cadet, is also a difficult task. What is this mystery of the soul and character of our people? It is difficult for people who are not familiar with the history, traditions, and mentality of Russia to understand this. And there is no riddle at all. At the genetic level, subconsciously, the Russian people have always had, have and will continue to have a special attitude towards the army as a source of stability, a guarantor of overcoming any, even the most difficult challenges. At a critical moment, the armed defenders of the Fatherland are remembered with hope and faith. And the cadet corps, like snowdrops after a cold winter, portend changes for the better.

In the last 3-4 years, cadet corps and colleges, naval classes, and other educational institutions with advanced military training have appeared in Krasnodar and Serpukhov, Moscow and Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk and St. Petersburg. In total, there are already more than two dozen of them in Russia. And this is despite the fact that state support is reduced to a minimum or even absent. But snowdrops, we know, are unpretentious flowers, resistance to adversity is their distinctive feature. This also applies to the revival of the cadet corps, which we have compared figuratively with the appearance of these spring flowers. Very much in the process of introducing young men to the future truly masculine profession rests on the enthusiasm, patriotic feelings and civic position of real ascetics who sincerely think and care about the Fatherland. One of them is Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Bondyukov. He, a former special forces sergeant major who fought in Afghanistan, was deeply disgusted by the lies, hypocrisy, and political speculation surrounding the army, which was so plentiful in the late 80's and early 90's. I decided to resist all this in my own way. Fortunately, there were also like-minded people. In the person of retired Major General Yuri Petrovich Yefremov and Deputy director of the Moscow school N644 Tatyana Semenovna Vodyanoy. Thanks to the efforts of this initiative group, a cadet class was created - by the way, one of the first in Moscow. Last summer, the now Zhukov Cadet Corps made its first graduation.

Boys of any generation, no matter what anyone says about them, have always been drawn and will always be drawn to people in military uniforms, to the army order. And if you also really engage the children with what they are really interested in-martial arts, equestrian sports, shooting, military sciences-there will be no end of those who want to. In the cadet corps named after G. K. Zhukov, everything is so.

Being a cadet isn't easy. After all, additional military-applied training comes at the expense of personal time. And not everyone knows how to sacrifice them. But, apparently, joining the cadet brotherhood gives young men more opportunities for self-expression. It is also noteworthy that everyone who has tried on shoulder straps and has not faced difficulties in three years of study, and in the future does not think to part with the military uniform. This means that the officer corps of the Russian Army will soon receive a glorious replenishment. The snowdrops of our hopes give us good expectations.

Permanent link to this publication: