Original Article

The Return to National Educational Traditions in Modern Russian Pedagogy: Continuity and the Synthesis of Imperial and Soviet Heritage

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Contemporary Russian pedagogical science is undergoing a significant re-evaluation of its national educational traditions. This process is driven by the need to address pressing societal challenges, including the formation of a strong civic identity and ensuring spiritual security. As A.N. Zhurinsky notes, "the appeal to historical and pedagogical heritage is becoming an important resource for the modernization of modern education" Zhurinsky (2020). This article argues that the current state policy, particularly encapsulated in Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 809. (2022), "On the Approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values," serves as a catalyst for this pedagogical shift. The decree provides an ideological framework for constructing a new educational paradigm that strategically synthesizes elements from both Imperial and Soviet pedagogical heritage, creating a narrative of unbroken historical continuity.

 

The Regulatory Framework: Presidential Decree No. 809 as a Pedagogical Imperative

The foundational document shaping the modern educational paradigm is Presidential Decree No. 809. This decree formally establishes the protection of traditional values as a priority of state policy and, by extension, a central goal of the education system. For pedagogical theory and practice, this has profound implications. As researcher E.N. Prisupa emphasizes, this document "sets new benchmarks for the educational work of educational organizations" Prisupa (2023). The Decree moves beyond simply defining values; it mandates their integration into educational standards and curricula, transforming the school from a knowledge-transfer institution into an agent of targeted value-based socialization (vospitanie). It frames the education system as a bulwark against "external ideological and value expansion," thereby legitimizing the search for historical precedents within national pedagogy that can serve as models for effective moral and patriotic formation.

 

The Value Foundations of Upbringing: A Synthesis of Two Eras

The modern pedagogical model seeks its foundations in two key historical periods, creating a deliberate synthesis.

 

The Imperial Legacy: Moral Upbringing and Spirituality

The pre-revolutionary Russian educational ideal was deeply rooted in the triad of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality." The seminal figure of K.D. Ushinsky argued that true education must be based on national character. He famously stated that "upbringing, created by the people themselves and based on national principles, has that educational power which is not found in the best systems based on abstract ideas" Ushinsky (1988). This concept of nravstvennoe vospitanie (moral upbringing) focused on cultivating virtues such as piety, honesty, respect for elders, and a sense of duty to the Fatherland. The modern revival of subjects like "Foundations of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics" (ORKSE) demonstrates a direct pedagogical lineage to this tradition, aiming to provide an absolute moral compass derived from national history and spirituality.

 

The Soviet Legacy: The Collective and Patriotic Duty

Soviet pedagogy, while ideologically opposed to the Imperial regime, developed a powerful and systematic approach to vospitanie. The most prominent theorist, A.S. Makarenko, placed the collective at the center of the educational process. His principle of "educating the individual in and through the collective" remains highly influential in contemporary Russian pedagogical thought Makarenko (2019). The Soviet system also perfected the practice of military-patriotic education, preparing youth for service to the socialist state. This tradition is visibly resurrected in the modern Yunarmiya (Youth Army) movement, which mirrors the structure and purpose of Soviet-era pioneer organizations, thereby establishing a clear institutional and methodological continuity.

 

Continuity of Educational Practices in Modern Implementation

Analysis of the pedagogical heritage reveals several enduring practices that characterize the domestic tradition and are being actively implemented today.

The system of moral education developed by V.A. Sukhomlinsky, who believed that "morality is the core of the human personality," continues to inspire modern educators Sukhomlinsky (2021). His humanistic approach, focused on the emotional and moral development of the child, complements the more structured collective approaches. Furthermore, patriotic education is increasingly viewed through the prism of historical memory, connecting the heroism of different eras—from Imperial Russia to the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War—into a single narrative of national resilience. Labor upbringing (trudovoye vospitaniye), another staple of both late Imperial and Soviet pedagogy, is being revived as a means of character formation and fostering respect for working professions.

 

Conclusion

Modern Russian pedagogy, guided by state policy outlined in Decree No. 809, is actively engaging in a creative synthesis of national educational traditions. This process involves a strategic selection and integration of elements from both the Imperial and Soviet past to address the challenges of the 21st century. This is not a mere copy of historical models but their modern reinterpretation. As M.V. Boguslavsky aptly concludes, this synthesis "allows for the preservation of the continuity of the historical and pedagogical process, ensuring the succession of the best domestic educational practices" Boguslavsky (2022). The success of this project will depend on the ability of pedagogical science and practice to adapt these traditions to a globalized and digital reality, genuinely fostering a harmoniously developed, moral, and patriotic citizen.

  

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

REFERENCES

Boguslavsky, M. V. (2022). Historical Continuity of National Pedagogical Traditions. Voprosy Obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, (1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2022-1-108-125

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 809. (2022, November 9). On the Approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.

Makarenko, A. S. (2019). Pedagogicheskaya Poema [The Pedagogical Poem]. AST.

Prisupa, E. N. (2023). Spiritual and Moral Education in Modern Russia: New Challenges and Prospects. Pedagogika, (4), 44–51.

Sukhomlinsky, V. A. (2021). Serdtse Otdayu Detyam [My Heart I Give to Children]. Prosveshcheniye.

Ushinsky, K. D. (1988). Izbrannyye Pedagogicheskiye Sochineniya [Selected Pedagogical Works]. Pedagogika.

Zhurinsky, A. N. (2020). Istoriya Pedagogiki i Obrazovaniya [History of Pedagogy and Education]. Yurayt.