In one combat calculation

- Sasha, you promised to tell us something more about Afghanistan. Today you have a free evening.

- Sashok, please, ah, Sash. ..

Usually, with such persistent requests, they turned to the former paratrooper, who had at least a free hour after work, his brother Igor and his friend Misha.

Misha and Igor were ready to listen, as they say, without end and edge. But Sasha painted every evening, even Sunday, literally by the minute: he was intensively preparing to enter the institute. Therefore, having stated one or two stories from his military service, he usually said resolutely:

- Everything, guys, today is enough, otherwise there will be nothing left for later. ..

And the boys eagerly waited for it "later" when it appears in Sashathe opportunity to once again sit with them, to sing under the soft chime of a guitar a song born somewhere out there, behind the distant Hindu Kush, to recall several combat episodes.

Yesterday they "attacked" Sasha directly in the kitchen, when the young man, having returned from work, sat down at the table. But then Grigory Ivanovich, Sasha's father and Igor appeared at the door:

- That's it, boys, Sasha is really busy today, and tomorrow I suggest you go to the meeting of those soldiers who served in Afghanistan. I think there will be a lot of interesting things for you. I'll go too. I want to see my son's fighting friends. Do you think there is no objection?

Misha and Igor even shouted with joy. What objections are there!

Both considered almost a minute before the cherished "tomorrow".When, at last, together with Grigory Ivanovich came to the square, they gasped: so many people gathered. It's one thing to know theoretically that somewhere in the neighborhood of you, in the same city, there are internationalist warriors, and quite another to see them all together: slender, smart, with military orders and medals on your chest.

And around the smile, the flowers, the loud copper of the orchestra. ..

Somewhat later in the newspaper there was a publication about the meeting of soldiers-internationalists in the city of Kirov. Misha and Igor still cherish the clipping, where there are excited lines: "They had something to remember, than to share with each other. And the names of Afghan cities and villages, rivers and passes sounded. .. And they stood, embracing, and their eyes sometimes became treacherously damp. And next to them, twenty-year-old soldiers of the reserve, were veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Together photographed for memory. They shared their memories. The difference in years did not separate them from each other. At first it seemed that the veterans were looking at the youngsters too closely, as if they were comparing them to themselves, but then, especially towards the end of the meeting, everyone saw how strong and inviolable this alloy was - gray-haired and almost boys. Not without reason, the awards of both are the same: the medal For Courage, the Order of the Red Star. Army comradeship! »

The formation of the heroism of the defenders of the socialist fatherland is one of the most important problems of the ideological upbringing of the younger generation. The whole of his spiritual world depends on how the person relates during the years of his childhood, adolescence, youth to the heroic deeds of thousands and millions of soldiers, fighters who saved the peoples of the world from the threat of slavery, especially attitude towards people, to work, to public interests. .

Stories about heroes teach children to see the world through the eyes of patriots. The heroic not only broadens the horizon, but also helps to feel that in the life of all Soviet citizens - both those who have passed away and those who live today - there is something in common - the great, the sacred, the most precious and with nothingnot comparable - HOMELAND. ..

raising children

As the boys watched with their own eyes from the first minutes, they had no doubt that in the correspondence we are talking about them too, about Igor and Misha. How else?!They were very close to the Chevalier of the two Orders of the Red Star, Sergei Lukov, from Sergei Alchikov, on whose chest the Order of the Red Banner was adorned. They were photographed literally side by side with Alexander Matushkin, awarded for military affairs with the Order of the Red Star and the Medal "For Courage".Before them that day, Hero of the Soviet Union, a student of the MV Frunze Military Academy, AP Soluyanov, also an "Afghan" who came from Moscow at the invitation of the Kirovites. Is this forgotten?

Yes, the impression of such events among the guys is really indelible. Even adults keep for a long time in the soul what has stirred up, the most hidden corners of it are disturbed. Especially if they directly come into contact with people who have shown heroism and dedication - we think that loud and solemn words filled with high humane meaning are appropriate here - in the name of the bright future of the common man.

About the benefits of sharing with the children of dads and moms in such activities, after which the family involuntarily raises the conversation about good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, dedication, heroism, cowardice, many books, special articles have been written. And yet, unfortunately, not all parents understand how important this is for the social development of our children. Live conversations with veterans of the war, with soldiers-internationalists, vivid examples of selfless service to the Motherland-the heroes themselves speak about them extremely simply: they performed military duty-they affect not only the feelings and emotional sphere of the children, but, most importantly, the moral sphere. The children comprehend with their minds and hearts that even the most difficult - sometimes to the unlikelihood - the tests did not break the strength of the spirit, the will of their parents, their older brothers. True love for the Motherland overcomes all obstacles.

It's hard to judge, either because of our pedagogical unpreparedness, or for some other reasons, but we, parents, very often think and talk about our children a little bit simplistic. They, they say, are still too small to fully penetrate the essence of high matter, concluded in words: "Soviet patriotism", "socialist internationalism".But we are very wrong here. It turns out that our guys perceive these concepts absolutely correctly, in their true sense. That's why - we emphasize once again - the importance of experience is great when parents together with children meet veterans-front-line soldiers, with soldiers who left in reserve relatively recently, having fulfilled their patriotic and international duty to the end.

Some of the readers may be interested: what is the value of such an experience?

Let's return again to the crowded square in the city of Kirov. Like the little bodyguards, a dense ring was surrounded by the ubiquitous boys of everyone who fought the enemies of the revolution in the land of Afghanistan. We followed them on foot, throwing dozens of questions. Especially the children wanted to hear that they helped the soldiers in a difficult army service, was a reliable help in the most difficult situation. Sergei Smirnov, a young worker, answered sincerely and simply:

- A sense of duty to the Motherland. Homeland! For many children, this word was then filled with concrete content, took on an almost visible form, as if imprinted in young hearts.

And Vladimir Sheskov, a former mortar driver, frankly confessed:

- Personally for me the most reliable help was physical endurance. Without serious physical training, which I previously did not pay much attention to, the army is very tight. Try to run with a full combat calculation, when the total weight of the cargo - under forty kilograms.

He was asked:

- How many times did you pull yourself up on the crossbar to the service?

- One time twelve - fourteen.

- And before you retired?

- About forty. ..

Not one month since then, does not leave Misha with Igor a dream - to catch up on the crossbar forty times. And although the guys are still very far from the cherished figure, they train patiently, persistently, gradually improving their personal records.

Which conclusion is born? The meeting with soldiers-internationalists not only left a good trace in the boys' memory. She, among other things, set them up for physical perfection, pushed them to work on themselves, which oh, as useful to future defenders of the Motherland. As if from a spark that fell on fertile soil, the thoughts and desires of the guys who had already gone through life felt inflamed, figuratively speaking, in one combat calculation with their idols. And what's so frustrating is that we, parents, miss the sometimes most favorable opportunities for cutting the personality of children. Life itself gives us sometimes the strongest educational support, but we do not see it, we do not appreciate it. Thus we deprive ourselves and the children.