History of cadet corps. Kadetstvo: how it was in Russia

Cadet comes from the French word (CADET - JUNIOR) - these are young people in military service in the ranks of soldiers before they are promoted to officers.

The history of cadet corps in Russia dates back to January 27, 1701, when Emperor Peter the Great signed a decree on organizing the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences in Moscow. The decree emphasized that “This school is needed not only for uniform navigation and engineering, but for the benefit of artillery and citizenship.” Peter understood that the new Russia was in dire need of well and comprehensively educated people. Among the school's students it was prescribed to "elect those who wanted to voluntarily, and others, even more so, under compulsion." Children of all classes were accepted here with the exception of serfs. The duration of schooling was unlimited. Some mastered science in 4 years, others - 13 years. There were no transfer exams. Students were transferred from class to class as they learned, so their ages varied greatly - from 15 to 33 years. The richest or most capable were sent to practice abroad. Upon their return they were subjected to a strict examination. Sometimes Peter himself was the examiner.

In Russia, the term “cadet” began to be used in relation to pupils of children's educational institutions during the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna. On June 29, 1731, she signed a decree on the creation of the Gentry Cadet Corps to teach young people not only military, but also general educational subjects. Thus, the foundations were laid for the dual purpose of the corps: to train both military personnel and civilian officials.

In the subsequent history of their existence until October 1917 and further until the disbandment, in 1956, of the last Russian cadet corps in exile, these institutions did not oblige their graduates exclusively to a military career. “Only those cadet graduates who are capable of military service are sent to military schools,” read the Regulations on Cadet Corps of 1886.

The fundamental difference between Russian cadet corps and European ones was that the young men in them were prepared not only for a purely military career, but also for government service in the civilian field.

The sacred holiday of all cadets is February 17, when in 1732 classes began at the school, first named “Cadet Corps,” which was established by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1731.

Graduates of cadet corps were the pride of not only Russia, but, one might say, of the entire earthly civilization. The cadets were field marshals Rumyantsev and Kutuzov, naval commanders Bellingshausen and Ushakov, Kruzenshtern, Nakhimov, Lazarev, poet Sumarokov, diplomat and poet Tyutchev, composers Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, doctor Sechenev, artist Vereshchagin, writers Radishchev, Dostoevsky, Kuprin, Leskov, Dal, founder of the Russian Volkov Theater.

By the time of the 1917 revolution, there were 29 corps in Russia. In 1920, together with units of the Russian army evacuated by Baron Wrangel, they ended up in a foreign land. Without giving in to despair, without becoming despondent or complaining, the cadets went through the torments of emigrant life, preserving and continuing the traditions of their upbringing and education.

During the Great Patriotic War in 1943 - 1945, the first Suvorov and Nakhimov schools appeared in Russia, the prototypes of which were the cadet corps. It is noteworthy that among their teachers were former teachers of cadet corps, and among the officers - educators - students of these educational institutions. In the difficult war autumn of 1943. The first 11 schools were opened in 1944. - 6 more, then another and another. They received “children of Red Army soldiers, partisans of the Patriotic War, as well as children of Soviet and party workers, workers and collective farmers who died at the hands of the German occupiers.” Over the years of its activity, Suvorov schools have trained tens of thousands of future cadets of higher military schools (now military institutes and universities), and now it is difficult to find a military unit where their students performed their military duty. Hundreds of them earned high ranks of generals, dozens became Heroes of the Soviet Union and Heroes of Russia. There are currently 7 Suvorov military schools operating in the Russian Federation.
- cadet school
- cadet boarding school
- cadet corps
- Cadet classes appeared in some regular schools.

Receiving an education in a cadet institution of any type makes it possible for boys to choose the profession of an officer in the future. Not everyone will become a military man, but they try to make everyone strong, resilient, literate and cultured citizens. Indeed, in addition to serious and in-depth study of the subjects of the compulsory school curriculum, teenagers study the history of military art, practice ballroom dancing, master hand-to-hand combat techniques, and undergo compulsory military training.

To form and develop in students loyalty to civic and professional duty, discipline, a conscientious attitude to study, and the desire to master their chosen profession;
- Organize and conduct professional initial training of students in the profile of the State Border Control System;
- To form and develop in students special knowledge and skills, moral and psychological abilities, physical fitness and other personality traits during professional activities as a border control worker;
- Raise the general culture, cultivate high moral, business and organizational qualities, physical endurance;
- Prepare cadets for further admission to one of their chosen higher educational institutions of law enforcement agencies: RF Ministry of Defense; FSB of the Russian Federation; Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation; Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.

Cadet corps is one of the most significant phenomena in the history of military educational institutions in Russia and in the history of Russian education in general. They were the initial step in the training of officers and civil servants. The significance of the pedagogical experience accumulated in the cadet corps goes far beyond the purely military sphere, since these educational institutions provided their students not only with a special military, but also with a broad civilian education. Over the course of more than 250 years of cadet history, students of cadet corps have been the color of the nation, they have been the glory and pride of the state, and have clearly demonstrated themselves not only in the art of war, but also in culture, science, and public life. The history of cadets in Russia is a worthy example of educating the younger generation, in which the foundations of citizenship, patriotism, and boundless love for their Fatherland are laid from an early age.

We bring to your attention methodological materials for conducting a thematic lesson (lesson of courage) “History of the development of the cadet movement” for students in grades 5–9.

Lesson option [PDF ] [DOCX ]

Presentation [PDF] [PPTX]

Material for teachers [PDF] [DOCX]

Assignments for students [PDF] [DOCX]

Target: formation in students of patriotism, a value-based attitude to the events of national history, and readiness to defend the Motherland.

Tasks:

developing the ability to analyze information and express one’s point of view in a reasoned manner;
instilling patriotism in students based on the example of the heroism of their peers shown during the Great Patriotic War;
developing in students a positive attitude towards the traditions of serving their homeland;
expansion of knowledge in the field of history of the Fatherland.

Exercise. Look video clip.

Questions:

What does this video fragment and photographs on the slide have in common?

What do you think the class will talk about? Formulate a topic. Give reasons for your answer.

Questions:

What do you think the word “cadet” means?

Why did it become necessary to teach military affairs to children from an early age?

Cadets (from French cadet - junior):

1) in feudal France and Prussia - young nobles and children of the feudal nobility, enrolled in military service in the ranks of soldiers before their promotion to officers;

2) in the 18th – early 20th centuries, students of cadet corps in Russia and some other countries, and in the 80s of the 20th century - cadets of military educational institutions in the armies of the USA and France;

3) in Austria-Hungary until 1914 - a military rank corresponding to a lieutenant officer in the Russian Army.

The prototype of the cadet corps in Russia can be considered the “School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences” (“Navigation School”), founded in 1701 by Peter I, in which 5,000 children of the noble class from 12 to 17 years old studied.

Questions:

What was the purpose of the Navigation School, founded in 1701 by Peter I?

Why were children trained in military affairs? Give reasons for your answer.

The Decree of 1731 of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna on the establishment of the “Cadet Corps” in St. Petersburg said: “I command the establishment of schools so that all the children of service fathers have reliable food, and are trained in what sciences they have an inclination. So that over time they could not only be useful to the state, but also earn food for themselves through those sciences. Boys from seven to fifteen years old were trained in military affairs and various sciences...”

Exercise. Guess what sciences the cadets were trained in. Justify your answer.

“...Reading and writing, the law of God, arithmetic and geometry, geography and history, riding horses, dancing, foreign languages and other crafts useful to the Fatherland.”

Alexander II carried out reforms that had a significant impact on changing the situation of the country. Serfdom was abolished, judicial and zemstvo reforms were carried out.

Exercise.
Under Alexander III, the process of creating cadet corps accelerated. What do you think caused this?

The creation of numerous cadet corps was explained not only by the need to provide military training to future officers, but also by the desire to instill an appropriate moral spirit in the future servants of the Fatherland.This decision was primarily influenced by the fact that since the end of the 19th century, large European countries England, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary have begun preparing for a new war, and there is a need to strengthen the preparation of the mobilization and personnel reserve of the Russian army.

Worksheet 1.

Exercise. Read the text. Name the features of cadet education in the 19th – early 20th centuries.

From the moment of its establishment by Empress Anna Ioannovna until the closure of the last cadet corps in 1922, there were a total of about 50 cadet corps or military educational institutions similar in essence to cadet corps. The students of the cadet corps were the color of the nation, they were the glory and pride of the state, they clearly showed themselves not only in the art of war, but also in culture, science, and public life.

Question: What military exploits are the military leaders depicted on the slide famous for?

Worksheet 2.

Exercise. Using the information about outstanding graduates of cadet corps in Table 1, fill out Table 2, indicating statements about outstanding graduates of cadet corps in numbers and their type of activity in letters.
What general qualities characterize famous graduates of cadet corps?

The cadet corps in Russia was an incomparable, special world, from which emerged strong-willed, united, educated and disciplined future officers, brought up in the ideas of unwavering devotion to the Tsar and the Motherland.

During the Great Patriotic War, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools were created to train and educate the children of Red Army soldiers, partisans of the Patriotic War, as well as children of Soviet and party workers, workers and collective farmers who died at the hands of the German occupiers.

Question:
Why do you think there was a need to create Suvorov and Nakhimov schools during the Great Patriotic War?

The contingent of students of the first intake of Suvorov schools in 1943-1944 consisted of no less than 85% of the children of fallen soldiers. These were boys who experienced the horrors of war, survived bombing and artillery shelling, hunger and cold during the war, former street children and orphanages. There were guys whose parents and relatives were shot by the Nazis in front of their eyes. The sons of regiments who took part in hostilities were also sent to schools, for which many of them received orders and medals.

Worksheet 3.

Exercise. Read the text and answer the question: “Why did the beginning cadets already have military awards?” Evaluate the moral actions of the cadet. What difficulties fell on their young shoulders?

The revival of the cadet movement in modern Russia began in 1992. Many parents preferred for their children to study in cadet educational institutions, not only expanding their horizons, but also receiving cadet education there along with a quality education. The very atmosphere of these educational institutions with the attributes of the cadet movement, reliance on its historical past and enthusiastic teachers instills a sense of patriotism, camaraderie, honor and justice, and a desire to serve the Fatherland.

On the initiative of the Moscow Department of Education, the project “Cadet class in a Moscow school” was launched on September 1, 2014. 72 cadet classes were opened in general education organizations. In the 2016–2017 academic year, the number of schools participating in the project reached 116.

Question:

Why do you think schoolchildren want to study in cadet classes?

Exercise.

Look video clip and answer the questions:

How do students in cadet classes differ from their peers?

Do you want to be a cadet (or do you like being in a cadet class?)

Graduates of the cadet corps, as before, are distinguished by a high level of education, as well as dedication, responsibility, a sense of true camaraderie, and a desire to serve the Fatherland.

The history of teaching young men both general knowledge and the basics of military science began with Peter the Great, who created a bombardment (artillery) school at the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It accepted young men for training who, from a young age, intended to devote themselves to military affairs. At the same time as reading and counting, the youths also mastered the basics of artillery.

The idea of such training was developed in the cadet corps, in one of which - the gentry cadet corps - he learned science without interruption from military service in the Semenovsky regiment. Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov.

The cadet corps in Tsarist Russia were called upon to solve two problems - providing assistance in raising children to the families of soldiers or civilians who died, lost their health, or distinguished themselves while defending the Fatherland or in its service; ensuring proper education and upbringing of young men destined for military service in the officer rank.

The Russian Cadets existed until 1917 and became a thing of the past along with the revolution.

It was decided to return to pre-revolutionary experience at the height of the Great Patriotic War, when the last volleys of the turning point Battle of Kursk thundered.

The state thought about the future - about the fate of the children of soldiers and officers who died a brave death on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, as well as about raising a new generation of military personnel who were to guard the borders of the Motherland in the coming decades.

Schools were created in two months

By the way, some experience in this regard already existed in the Soviet Union. In 1937-1940, artillery special schools, special schools of the Navy and Navy were created in the Narkompros system. Their task was to prepare young men who chose the military path to enter military schools. Similar special schools in the USSR existed until 1955.

On August 21, 1943, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, in Resolution No. 901 “On urgent measures to restore the economy in areas liberated from German occupation,” ordered NPOs to form 9 Suvorov military schools (SVU) “like the old cadet corps.” The “old regime” word “cadets” was replaced by “Suvorovites” - the Russian commander himself by that time had already been recognized by the Soviet authorities as a “correct hero”, and the Order of Suvorov was even established in his honor.

The deadline for organizing schools was given an extremely strict, but typical for that time - two months from October 1 to December 1, 1943. By the beginning of winter, the first intake of Suvorov students was supposed to begin training.

In the allotted time, it was necessary not only to find premises for the schools and assemble the teaching staff, but also to develop all the documents and curricula, as well as to design and sew a uniform for the newly minted Suvorovites.

Return to desks

In the first year, nine schools were supposed to recruit 500 students each, who would have to study science for seven years in a closed boarding school.

It was assumed that Suvorov schools would accept students from the age of 10, but the very first intake included four ages at once - boys from 10 to 13 years old. At the same time, preparatory classes for younger children aged 8 to 10 appeared at the schools.

In 1943, nine Suvorov schools were opened - Krasnodar (in the city of Maikop), Novocherkassk, Stalingrad (in the city of Astrakhan), Voronezh, Kharkov (in the city of Chuguev), Kursk, Oryol (in the city of Yelets), Kalinin and Stavropol. At the same time, two Suvorov schools for the children of border guards appeared - Tashkent and Kutaisi, and the Tbilisi, Riga and Leningrad Nakhimov naval schools were founded for the children of sailors. Thus, heirs appeared not only among the royal cadets, but also among the midshipmen.

The first intake of Suvorov students had serious difficulties - they had to not only start everything from scratch in terms of everyday life, but also remember the basics of the school curriculum. During the war years, many older children missed what they should have learned at school, and now they had to make up for lost time.

Pupils from the battlefield

The first intakes of the Suvorov schools included not just boys who had lost their parents, but also “sons of the regiment” who themselves managed to fight the Nazis.

The first student of the Kharkov Suvorov Military School was Kostya Kravchuk, awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Battle for saving two battle banners of the Red Army units. 12-year-old partisan Serezha Nikolaev By the time he was included in the list of Suvorovites, he had on his account a blown up enemy car and 25 killed Nazis. Entered the Kalinin Suvorov Military School Volodya Khivzer, awarded for 13 reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.

When in 1944, according to government decree, six more Suvorov schools were opened: Gorky, Kazan, Kuibyshev, Saratov, Tambov and Tula, they also enrolled children who, despite their young age, managed to distinguish themselves on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.

The son of a regiment of the 70th Infantry Division was accepted into the 1945 intake of the Kursk Suvorov School Ivan Sergienko. He came to the school with a letter of recommendation from Marshal Zhukov. However, this was unnecessary - on Vanya’s chest shone the Order of Glory III degree for actions as part of a reconnaissance group during the crossing of the Bug, the Order of the Red Star for the battle on the Seelow Heights, medals “For the Liberation of Warsaw”, “For the Capture of Berlin”, “For Victory over Germany."

Vanya Sergienko met a writer at the front Valentin Kataev. Their conversation and Vanya’s story formed the basis of the famous story “Son of the Regiment.” Ivan Petrovich Sergienko himself, having successfully graduated from the Suvorov Military School, made a military career, completing his service with the rank of colonel.

Cosmonauts and generals were offended by Serdyukov

From the very first admissions to the Suvorov schools there was a very serious competition. So, in 1944, 3,000 students were recruited into all Suvorov schools with 60,000 candidates.

The high prestige of studying at Suvorov schools continued in the post-war years. Many famous military men, pilots, cosmonauts, and politicians emerged from the ranks of Suvorovites. Among them, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov, who has completed five space flights, Colonel General Boris Gromov, former commander of the 40th Army that fought in Afghanistan and ex-governor of the Moscow region, famous writer, Olympic champion in weightlifting Yuri Vlasov, and many, many others.

In the post-war year, Suvorov schools experienced many mergers and reorganizations. Thus, instead of seven years, three-year and then two-year education was introduced, and some schools were transferred to the status of boarding schools.

A very serious blow to the Suvorovites was dealt during the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The minister actually emptied the military component from the training course at Suvorov schools, and most importantly, he abolished the tradition of Suvorov students participating in parades on Red Square. But this tradition has been carried on since the historical Victory Parade of 1945. And only with the arrival of Sergei Shoigu as Minister of Defense were the Suvorov soldiers returned to the parade squads.

Suvorovites have their own pride

Currently, nine Suvorov military schools continue to operate in Russia, two of which are located in Moscow - the Moscow Suvorov Military School and the unique Moscow Military Music School, where young virtuosos of military music are trained. In addition, there are Yekaterinburg, Kazan, St. Petersburg, North Caucasus, Tver, Ulyanovsk and Ussuri Suvorov military schools in Russia. Two more schools continue to operate outside of Russia - this is the Minsk Suvorov School, founded in 1953 and celebrating its 60th anniversary, as well as the Kiev Suvorov School, now called the Kiev Military Lyceum named after Ivan Bogun.

In addition, in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia there are now six Suvorov schools - Novocherkassk, St. Petersburg, Grozny, Astrakhan, Yelabuga and Chita. All of them were founded already during the period of new Russia.

An interesting fact: among the pre-revolutionary cadets there were also Suvorovites. This nickname was worn by students of the Suvorov Cadet Corps in Warsaw. The association of graduates of the Suvorov Cadet Corps existed in exile until the 1970s, publishing its own magazine called “Suvorovites”.

In the post-Soviet period, many military schools for young men were opened in Russia, but, returning to the traditions of the tsarist period, they began to be called “cadet corps.” But real Suvorovites have their own pride, it’s not for nothing that the saying of the students of these schools says: “Every Suvorovite can be called a cadet, but not a single cadet can be called a Suvorovite.”

On February 28, Russia celebrates 280 years since the opening of the first cadet corps. The etymology of the word cadet is rooted in the indigenous Gascon dialect. The Latin “capitellium”, literally meaning “little captain”, was transformed into “capdet”, and in Russian it already sounded in its modern expression.

The first cadet corps appeared in Prussia. The creation of a school for the military service of noble children was approved by the Great Elector in 1653. This was followed by the spread of these types of educational institutions throughout Europe. In 1716, a cadet company was established, headed by four-year-old Friedrich, later nicknamed the Great. The monarch paid special attention to the military education of the heir and, as is known from, not in vain. Before the advent of cadet corps in Russia, noble children served in the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky guards regiments, and only then entered the army. The nobles also studied in the schools of mathematical, navigational and engineering sciences created in Peter's times. Garrison educational institutions were created for soldiers' children.

The idea of forming a cadet corps was brought to Russia by the powerful German Minich. Pavel Yaguzhinsky, respected by the Empress, also insisted on its establishment. At the end of February, according to the new style of 1732, Minich proposed to Anna Ioannovna a project for a new school for noble sons, arguing the need for such an institution as an objective need of the time. All students were required to wear a military uniform, and also observe the strictest discipline and study diligently. Major General Grigoriev was appointed director of the Cadet Corps. The project was based on the structure of Prussian cadet institutions.

Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree on the creation of the Naval Cadet Corps in order to restore the former power of Peter the Great. Catherine the Great organized the second corps named after Peter the Great, as well as the first Moscow Cadet Corps. More than fifty different institutions for cadets have been opened over the past 280 years. Each of them developed its own charter, individual uniform and educational program. After graduation, students could not only receive a high officer rank, but were also accepted into higher educational institutions without tests. Graduates were ranked among the elite youth and formed an active intelligent stratum in the country's society. Many talented writers studied at these institutions and fondly recalled the years of their youth in their work.

At first, the management of cadet educational institutions was carried out solely by the director, on whom the training program, the students’ daily routine, and their daily responsibilities largely depended. A change in leadership could lead to a transformation of the entire institution and even a change in academic disciplines.

In 1734, in the first cadet corps, called the Gentiles, the position of chief professor was established, who monitored the quality of education and identified the abilities of each student with the aim of further recommending them for a particular position. The structure of the educational institution consisted of two hundred companies of the corps, to which boys were assigned. In rooms with modest furnishings, seven or, at best, six cadets lived at once, one of whom acted as a senior and was responsible for order and discipline. An officer of noble origin, trained in literacy and other sciences, was always with the children. In addition to military and civil sciences, the cadets were taught the rules of etiquette. Teachers considered it their duty to eradicate vices among students and were engaged in their diversified development. Private examinations were held three times a year and once in the presence of the empress or high officials. The duration of training was 5 and sometimes 6 years.

The formation of the educational process and certain rules took almost ten years. The first generation of cadets were of different ages and often did not know how to read or write. Many of the students did not want to study. Some outright refused to attend classes, while others feigned illness and pretended to be sick for months. As a result, in 1737 the Empress signed a decree that cadets who had not completed the program before the age of 16 should be sent to serve as sailors. The threat of being placed in the same category as rootless and poorly educated sailors did its job, and the overwhelming majority of students began to pass the exams successfully. It is interesting that Alexander 1 ordered that not only noble children, but also members of the imperial family, including crown princes, be enrolled in the cadet corps. Already during his reign, the institutions in question established themselves as elite. It was believed that the education received by a cadet was universal, versatile and very deep.

In 1752, Catherine the Great, by imperial decree, established the Naval Cadet Corps. Strictly speaking, the decision to create it belonged to Peter 3, but its formation was postponed due to a palace coup and the coming to the throne of the eminent German woman. Ten years later, Catherine established the Artillery and Engineering Noble Cadet Corps on the basis of Peter the Great's noble schools. The educated empress approved a new cadet charter in 1766. The draft new document introduced the following changes:
admission to the cadet corps was allowed for children no older than six years old;
the cadet was obliged to constantly remain within the walls of the institution for 15 years, only occasionally short-term visits with relatives were allowed;
In addition to unity of command in the person of the director, collegial elements were also introduced into the management system in the form of a council;
The cadets were divided into three age groups, each of which lived and studied separately.

The changes had a beneficial effect on the quality of education, which was confirmed by the special trust in its level from the imperial court. When the cadets reached the age of 14, they were distributed in two directions: military or civilian. Graduates who passed the exam brilliantly were promoted to the rank of lieutenant, the rest became cornets and ensigns. If a cadet's performance was poor, he was awarded the rank of non-commissioned officer. During the period of enlightened absolutism in Russia, many talented historians, researchers and writers emerged who held the position of directors of cadet corps. Among them were such famous names as Musin-Pushkin.

In 1792, the Shklov Noble School, founded at the expense of the nobleman Zorich for poor noble families, was transformed into a cadet corps. In 1806, a cadet corps was opened in Smolensk, which in 1824 was transferred to Moscow and renamed Moskovsky.

Paul I also made his contribution to the development of the educational institutions under consideration. Back in 1798, by his order, a Military Orphanage was created, in which it was planned to educate noble children from impoverished families and soldiers’ sons. Pupils from different walks of life were required to be taught separately. In 1829, Emperor Alexander ordered to transform the institution into the Pavlovsk Corps of Cadets, and in 1863 it ceased to exist. Renaming and transformation continued. Pavel introduced drill and the Prussian view of military discipline into the atmosphere of the cadets, but immediately after the coup, the policy regarding the cadet corps changed. Alexander turned out to be a continuator of the ideas of his great grandmother, and during his reign the number of institutions for training officers increased from four to seventeen. Among the graduates of the cadet corps were Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, Mellisino, Miloradovich, Sumarokov, Kamensky and a number of other famous and famous personalities.

The Cadet Corps of Pages had an elite character, achieving this status in 1804. The foundation of the boarding house dates back to 1742. The emperor himself took the exams for graduates, and the children and grandchildren of full generals or artillery cavaliers enjoyed the right to enroll. Among the best cadets of the Corps of Pages was the Decembrist Pestel.

In the first quarter of the nineteenth century, cadet corps Finnish, Kalisz, and the Noble Regiment were created, later renamed the Konstantinovsky Cadet Corps.
In 1810, in order to increase the social status of teachers, military benefits were introduced for them. Teachers were given the benefits of one rank, and wages were raised significantly. In the corps, corporal punishment was widely used, mostly canings. Gradually, a phenomenon “like old cadets” is emerging among students.
The fragmentation of buildings, gymnasiums and other military educational institutions was eliminated in 1832. Alexander I created the General Staff, which coordinated the entire system of military education.

A new reform of military education took place under Nicholas I. All academic institutions were classified into:
regular cadet corps;
Corps of Pages;
Marine Corps and Artillery and Engineering Schools.
In addition, seventeen more corps were created in various parts of the country, which were administered from the district center. In total, three military educational districts were created throughout the country: Moscow, Western and St. Petersburg. In 1841, the authorities paid special attention to the life and nutrition of the pupils. Funding has been increased and regulations have been revised.

Alexander III also made his contribution to the development of military education. His policy was characterized by tougher conditions for the living conditions of cadets and was aimed at preparing future officers for the harsh reality of the army. Attention was paid to cleanliness and discipline. Structural reforms of the system were again undertaken, and the appointment of teachers to the corps began to be strictly monitored. Only an officer could work as a cadet teacher, and all military educational institutions began to be called corps. All cadet corps were considered secondary educational institutions, and the program provided only a general education level.

By the turning point of 1917, the Russian Empire numbered forty cadet institutions. However, the Bolsheviks saw them as a threat to Soviet power and during the period from 1917 to 1918 the corps were liquidated. Only during wartime in 1943 did the Nakhimov and Suvorov schools appear to train new officers with a reliable ideological orientation. The first graduation occurred in the middle of 1950, and since the first students were taken on the principle of orphanhood, it became necessary to develop a procedure for admission to schools. Since 1950, the institutions began to enroll not only boys orphaned during the war, but also children from 11 years of age from intact families. To be admitted, the child had to have four primary grades of education and be healthy.

Since 1960, a new reform took place, as a result of which the age of applicants increased to 15-16 years, and the period of study was reduced to 2 years. The Soviet military education system produced brilliant results. Of the graduates, in a short period of time, 65 people became Heroes of the USSR, Russia or Socialist Labor, more than 1000 received the rank of general, a huge number of talented scientists and engineers, military commanders and other honored citizens of the country emerged.

The modern system of cadet education is fragmented. Many educational institutions operate on the basis of a variety of documents and belong to different departments. In addition to the newly emerged ones, the Nakhimov and Suvorov schools operate successfully. The goal of modern cadet education is the formation of a full-fledged, harmoniously developed personality who can think. The program is aimed at developing in the cadet a desire to serve his Fatherland, as well as developing in him high moral principles and patriotic views. Today in Russia there are more than 200 educational institutions that call themselves cadet institutions.

“Cadres are educated from youth, as they cherish honor from a young age,” - it was this principle that formed the basis of the system of cadet education that appeared in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 18th century. Later, in the 20th century, during the terrible Civil War, the cadets would be called the banner and conscience of the Russian army.

Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, admirals Fyodor Ushakov and Ivan Kruzenshtern, designer of the first aircraft, Rear Admiral Alexander Mozhaisky, pilot Pyotr Nesterov (the first in the world to perform a “loop loop”), famous traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky, great composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov - what unites these and many other of our outstanding compatriots? All of them at different times were cadets of the Russian Empire.

The word "cadet" comes from the diminutive "capdet" in the Gascon dialect, which means "little captain" or "little head". It is difficult to overestimate the role played by the “little captains” in the history of Russia: of course, not all of them became professional military men, but many promoted Russian art, science and culture for the benefit of the Fatherland. And many graduates of cadet corps are forever inscribed in the golden pages of Russian history.

“Good and solid teaching is the root, seed and foundation of all benefit to the fatherland.”

Cadet corps, in fact, became a response to the demands put forward by new times, the time of revolutionary transformations of Peter the Great. Having entered a new stage of development, it was vital for the state to create a privileged military caste, entire dynasties that respected the traditions of their own country, knew its historical and cultural heritage and had a clear civil patriotic position. Just as during the lifetime of the reformer tsar, special schools were created for the children of the clergy, digital schools for the children of the bourgeoisie and commoners, and garrison schools for the children of soldiers, so closed schools for children of the nobility began to emerge.

Back in 1701, Peter I founded the “School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences,” and a little later special engineering and artillery schools arose. But there were still not enough educated and well-trained personnel for the huge army, and therefore Empress Anna Ioannovna, who ascended the throne in January 1730, quickly responded to the proposal of the President of the Military Collegium, Count Minich, and the Russian Ambassador to Berlin, Count Yaguzhinsky, to establish a cadet corps in Russia.

The project was initially based on the statutes of the Prussian and Danish cadet corps, and in 1731 classes called the “Knight Academy” were opened in St. Petersburg. But already in the same 1731, the empress issued a decree on the establishment of the “Corps of Gentry Cadet”. This decree stated: “I command the establishment of schools so that all the children of service fathers have reliable food and are trained in what sciences they have an inclination for. So that over time they could not only be useful to the state, but also be able to earn food for themselves through those sciences.”

Anna Ioannovna included among the “useful crafts for the Fatherland” not only military affairs, but also “various sciences: reading and writing, the law of God, arithmetic and geometry, geography and history, the ability to ride horses, dancing, foreign languages, etc.”

On February 17, 1732, the opening of the first cadet corps in Russia took place. On this day, there were already 56 students in the ranks, but soon the number of cadets was increased to 300; Other cadet corps began to open.

At the same time, not everything went smoothly and smoothly - and primarily because in Russia at that time there was no pedagogical science as such, theoretical and practical developments, or even textbooks. Books, ammunition, mathematical instruments (especially compasses) had to be ordered in Narva, Revel and Riga. There were also not enough teachers who could teach students the subjects included in the program. The first teachers were generally accepted into the service without a thorough check - as long as the applicant had his own housing not far from the building.

The more aristocratic the school, the more severe the rules.

From the very beginning, the Cadet Corps was under the closest attention of the top officials of the Russian Empire. The country's rulers, as well as the highest command of the army and prominent government officials, regularly visited the cadets, made their own amendments to the curriculum, and even took exams. Thus, Catherine II became the “chief of the corps,” and since the time of Alexander I, the presence of scions of the royal dynasties at summer camp gatherings has generally become commonplace.

Under Nicholas I, Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich and his brothers, Grand Dukes Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail Nikolaevich, studied in the corps.

At the same time, not only children from noble families, but also children of ordinary staff officers could get into such a privileged educational institution. Boys from poor families and those whose fathers were wounded or killed in the war had advantages. For all its closedness and elitism, this school was not distinguished by the snobbery so inherent in modern “aristocratic” schools for little nouveau riches.

You can draw the following conclusions by studying the rules of the corps:
“Upon admission, parents were required to sign a statement that they would voluntarily send their child to the institution for at least fifteen years and “they would not even take temporary leave.”
– All cadets lived together on the territory of the building, under the supervision of teachers. One captain and lieutenant were always with the cadets.
– The cadets’ rooms housed 6-7 people, one of whom was appointed senior.

– During their studies, the cadets were strictly guided by the class schedule.
- The guards were obliged to instill in the cadets “courtiness, decent obedience, the ability to command and fight lies and other obscene vices.”
– In addition to basic training, the cadets were trained in drill, they participated in parades, and performed guard duty; passed public exams in the presence of the empress or ministers and generals.

In a word, training in the corps could not be called simple and easy, and the cadets themselves could not be called “major boys.” For example, they all worked in turning and carpentry workshops: it was believed that a future officer must be able to do everything. Extracurricular hours were also loaded to the limit - the cadets went in for sports, fencing, dressage, dancing, foreign languages, singing, music, recitation, and participated in theatrical productions.

The most important attention was paid to instilling in the future officer the necessary moral qualities: thus, in the cadet corps, hazing, lying and sneaking were strictly prohibited. Senior cadets were required to take care of the younger ones and help them in their studies. For laziness and indifference, the offspring of even the most noble family could easily be expelled from school. Diligent students were encouraged by going to the theater, city fairs, folk festivals and “pies” with officer families.

Lieutenant General Ivan Ivanovich Betsky, an associate of Catherine II, in the new charter of the cadet corps he wrote, briefly and succinctly described the goals and objectives of such education:
a) make a person healthy and able to endure military labor;
b) decorate the heart and mind with deeds and sciences necessary for a civil judge and warrior;
c) raise a healthy, flexible and strong baby, instill in his soul calmness, firmness and fearlessness.

The lieutenant general also formulated two rules that, from his point of view, are absolutely necessary for educating “new people.” Firstly, to accept into the corps children no older than six years old (at this age, in his opinion, it is still possible to free the child from the vices he has acquired in the family), and, secondly, the pupil’s continuous stay in the corps for 15 years with rare meetings with relatives established by superiors under the supervision of educators. This is again necessary to isolate “from harmful influences from the old breed.”

“We stepped out of the earthly formation into the heavenly formation”

For more than two centuries, students of the cadet corps were the color of the nation, and with honor fulfilled the order of Peter the Great “to seek to be at sea during the battle.” They met the October Revolution of 1917 with the same sacrifice and devotion to duty. At that time, thirty cadet corps, as well as cadet schools, were opened in Russia. And not a single cadet corps out of thirty, and not a single cadet officer school, betrayed the oath.

When demonstrations of the “liberated proletariat” moved past the cadet corps in St. Petersburg in February 1917, the cadets threw open the windows and sang the anthem of old Russia at the windows, risking being torn to pieces by the uncontrollable crowd. In Moscow, cadets and cadets with a small number of officers captured the Kremlin and courageously defended it. They had no allies, they were alone, and with the pride of the doomed they defended what was the main symbol of their beliefs.

Junkers and cadets poured into the White Army, and quickly became a tangible threat to the Bolsheviks. A contemporary of those tragic events writes: “They spoke in a deep voice to appear older. They were exhausted under the weight of a soldier's infantry rifle. They made huge transitions that were not provided for by any regulations. They drowned in rivers, froze in the snow, starved without complaint, and experienced the despair of hopelessness. The word “cadet” became the most hated and most violent symbol for the revolutionaries.”

In the end, General Wrangel, in order to protect the surviving cadets, created a new cadet corps in Crimea and gathered young men who fought there from all fronts. The boys sat down at their desks again, but already scorched by the war - there were more than forty people in this course alone. After the White Army was defeated, emigrants created several cadet corps in Serbia and France. This is the only case when a military establishment of one country existed on the territory of another state. The cadet movement abroad is another page of our history that everyone needs to know.

During the USSR, the Suvorov and Nakhimov schools were opened. The creation of such schools was the call of the times and became a significant page in the history of the Russian army and navy. But the revival of the cadet corps with their unique experience of educating citizens and patriots became possible only after 1991.