Military Preparedness Lessons in the Soviet Schools. Education in the USSR

How did the USSR government prepare the Soviet children for future military service? Today's video covers the topic of NVP: Initial Military Preparedness lessons for Soviet teenagers.
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[@UshankaShow]

Hello, comrades! My name is Sergei. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA. Ushanka Show channel was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR. My book about arriving in America in 1995 is available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/s?k=american+diaries+1995&ref=nb_sb_noss Please contact me at [e-mail] if you would like to purchase a signed copy of “American Diaries” You can support this project here: www.patreon.com/sputnikoff with monthly donations Support for this channel via PAYPAL: paypal.me/ushankashow Ushanka Show merchandise: teespring.com/stores/ushanka-show-shop If you are curious to try some of the Soviet-era candy and other foodstuffs, please use the link below. www.russiantable.com/imported-russian-chocolate-mishka-kosolapy__146-14.html?tracking=5a6933a9095f9 My FB: facebook.com/sergey.sputnikoff Twitter: twitter.com/ushankashow Instagram: instagram.com/ushanka_show/ Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/The_Ushanka_Show/

[@TheRealBamboonga]

I wish they did this here.

[@nickdubil90]

So I was born in sovereign Ukraine. Additionally, I have been asked this question mandatory: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noi3d3ppf5Z2hpo явно this is not reality, but I would want to see this video made. How did it happen?

[@mikecarone7320]

In America at 8th grade you either go to public high school Technical or Agricultural or a Catholic high school

[@dalepeto9620]

Did they specifically identify who the enemy would be?

[@texasborn2720]

@@mikecarone7320 ?

[@UkraineJames2000]

Mad respect to the teachers who jumped on live grenades to protect the kids. How unbelievably tragic.

[@mikecarone7320]

Even in America that happens

[@bobmiller7502]

amazing wouldnt get that here in Liverpool,,xx

[@frankygmanentertainment5835]

This man had to realize it was real, determine a course of action, and accept his fate in 4 little seconds. What a hero

[@obywatelcane6775]

We had classes like that in Poland too. It was called Przysposobienie Obronne "defensive training". Drill, shooting KBKS, running in gas masks similar to Russian ones ===it was called elephant because it had that vacuum cleaner hose 🙂We learned how a grenade, rifle, radiostation, dosimeter are built. We were dressing with bandages and running in OP-1 overalls with an "injured" friend on a stretcher. The teacher selected the largest and heaviest individual for this role. We had to carry him down the stairs and then up the hill in the yard. It was one of my favorite subjects at school, never skipped that class. Still remember my teacher's name === Andrzej Sienkiewicz, he recently passed away 😞He was able to pass knowledge and interest the student. We respected him. There was no fooling around during his classes. That's what a commander should be like.

[@professionalantichristhate528]

Полковник/Palkovnik is equivalent rank to colonel.

[@igerce]

True

[@ocudagledam]

@Heywood Juhblowme Well, Sergey wasn't sure, so the comment is on point.

[@shaunw9270]

Brilliant show . I wish we had ,had military classes at school .

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

I grew up in Scotland in the 70s and 80s, we had Cadets at school and as a result, we were trained in using rifles (mine was a Mk4 Lee Enfield .303 bolt action battle rifle) machine guns (a .303 Bren Mk 1*) grenades, bayonets, handguns (Browning 9mm). By the time I was 14 I could field strip and reassemble a Bren Gun blindfolded in under 3 minutes.

[@coltpiecemaker]

Honestly, I wish American schools did some of this stuff. Learning how to handle firearms, as well as the discipline and respect that must be honored to use them, would greatly benefit students these days.

[@zaxarispetixos8728]

I think they did in the old days, i have seen on youtube old schools with shooting ranges.

[@angrydragonslayer]

@@zaxarispetixos8728 they even taught civics

[@bangochupchup]

@@angrydragonslayer My mouse must be broken. It only allows me to like your comment once. Could you repost your comment so I can like it again?

[@angrydragonslayer]

@@bangochupchup they even taught civics AND TAXES

[@dashy9482]

Yeah I wish this would come back

[@andrefiset3569]

We had a similar event in Quebec in 1974 when a grenade exploded in a room full of cadets during a safety demonstration. Six killed and 50 wounded.

[@nicolasuribestanko]

That tragedy was really swept under the rug. No one was found responsible. You don't even hear about it today.

[@jpotter2086]

The Canadian version of ROTC also had an accident with a live grenade. It was in the '70s. Very convoluted story. They had a session on explosives training, with minors. It was supposed to always be held out on a practice field. But one day it was raining. Instead of cancelling, they held it in a *basement*. Through a ridculous chain of bureaucratic events, a case of live grenades and the case of practice grenades were commingled. End result ... children handling a live grenade in an enclosed, underground room. It did not end well.

[@sctumminello]

From an armchair military historian perspective, is anyone else surprised the USSR was still training for the use of anti-tank hand grenades in the late 80s? Awesome video Sergei.

[@Catire92]

Not at all. If the USSR, the GDR and other eastern block nations would have attacked Western Germany, Germany would shave habe the biggest tank battleground ever known to men. Therefore, training for the use of antitank hand grenades doesn’t really surprise me.

[@sctumminello]

@@Catire92 My understanding is even with WWII era tanks, anti-tank grenades were obsolete. The issue is that neither the part of the grenade that would strike the tank, nor the angle of impact could be predictef which prevented the use of a hollow charge warhead. There was some success in using raw explosive force to damage a tank like the Germans' famous gebalte ladung grenades but these were not especially effective against armor or very easy to throw. Any grenade with enough HE to be effective would be too heavy to easily throw. Yes, track assemblies could be disabled by such a grenade, but a normal concussion or frag grenade could too. And that was with WWII era tanks. Frankly that a handthrown bomb could be threat to a T-72, T-80, M60, Abrams, Leopard or Challenger tank beyond the track assembly defies belief.

[@Catire92]

​@@sctumminello Wow, didn't know all of that. Thanks a lot! Well, maybe then it was just the soviets that were sticking to old traditions and military doctrine, thinking it may come in handy one day. From what I know even in the 80s they still had giant warehouses full of WW2 artillery.

[@valeskavictoria1278]

@@Catire92 They still do!

[@tylerfreal6472]

point of AT grenades is to have the option of every infantryman having anti tank defense without a huge weight or size penalty

[@briancasey7971]

I had heard about these classes in the Soviet Union, however until this video I didn't know what name they were called.

[@m.w.6526]

Classes existed in Yugoslavia too

[@m.w.6526]

They exist in Cuba today too

[@briancasey7971]

@@m.w.6526 The first time I ever knew anything about these classes, I was in Moscow (year 2000) and watching television with my girlfriend at the time. I want to say that it was a commercial that showed these kids in this class doing these activities. The commercial made it look like the kids were having fun, however I knew that they were working very hard! I asked my girlfriend if she ever did that when she was that age? Of course her answer was "yes". I didn't ask her if this were mandatory, or if this had been voluntary for her because she wanted to become a military woman.

[@m.w.6526]

Well it's curriculum, so of course it's mandatory!

[@rossbryan6102]

HI SERGEI! I WAS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL IN KANSAS 12 YEARS AND GRADUATED 1960! IN THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO KINDERGARTEN! WE WERE THEN A RURAL AREA 30 MILES AWAY FROM KANSAS CITY. IN OUR SCHOOL WE HAD MANY CLASSMEMBERS WHO WERE THERE THE FULL 12 YEARS! IN THE YEAR WE STARTED HIGH SCHOOL (9 th GRADE OR FRESHMAN YEAR) WAS WHEN WE STARTED SEPARATING THE COLLEGE BOUND FROM THOSE WHO WOULD BECOME THE WORKERS! SOME CLASSES WERE MANDATORY FOR ALL , BUT MANY WERE OPTIONAL SO THE STUDENT COULD CHOOSE FOR HIMSELF , BUT SOMETIMES PARENTS WOULD HAVE THE ULTIMATE CHOICE! IN OUR SCHOOLS THE MILITARY TRAINING WAS CALLED ROTC! (RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS). IN THE SMALLER SCHOOLS THIS WAS VERY RARE, BUT IN LARGE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS ROTC WAS MORE COMMON! THERE WERE ALSO MILITARY SCHOOLS STARTING AT AGE 8 THAT WERE BOARDING SCHOOLS WHERE A BOY WOULD BE THERE AWAY FROM FAMILY! IN OUR SCHOOL SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR THEY WOULD TAKE US BOYS OUT OF CLASS AND SEND TO THE LIBRARY OR AUDITORIUM AND WE WOULD HAVE A RECRUITING PERSON THERE TO INTEREST BOYS TO JOINING ESPECIALLY THE JUNIORS AND SENIORS! ALL BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY WERE REPRESENTED AT DIFFERENT TIMES EXCEPT THE MERCHANT MARINE! EVER SINCE I WAS VERY YOUNG I WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILITARY, AND WOULD AVOID CONTACT AFTER THE RECRUITERS SALES TALK!! EVENTUALLY THE DRAFT CAME MY WAY IN DECEMBER 1963, AND I JOINED THE ARMY RESERVES IN A NON COMBAT SUPPLY UNIT! IN BASIC TRAINING I HAD A VERY BAD TIME MARCHING AND DRILLING BECAUSE I WAS AN POORLY COORDINATED KLUTZ AND WAS BADLY TREATED BY THE PLATOON SGT AND THE DRILL SGT! THE DRILL SGT THOUGHT EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOLS ALSO WENT OUT FOR MARCHING BAND! AS I HATED OUR MUSIC TEACHER I NEVER TOOK ANY MUSIC AT ALL IN MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS! I DID GET GRADUATED FROM BASIC TRAINING BUT ON GRADUATION DAY I WAS MADE A BARRACKS GUARD INSTEAD OF MARCHING!! DIDNT HURT MY FEELINGS!! LOL I DID TAKE ALL THE WOODWORKING AND METALWORK CLASSES AND DID WELL THERE! AFTER HIGH SCHOOL I FARMED AND WORKED AS A MECHANIC! MY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS THAT TAUGHT THE MORE CLASSICAL COURSES AND THE ARMY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE A FAILURE IN LIFE, BUT I FOOLED THEM! I GOT ON WITH THE AT&SF RR GOT A 4 YEAR MACHINIST APPRENTICESHIP AND HAD A SUPER GREAT 30 YR CARREER!!

[@loganholmberg2295]

Holy shit I was in Army cadets in High school in Canada but this is on a whole other level. Grenade throwing competitions and how to fight from trenches? Damn I have to say that beats survival training repetitive marching drills. We got to shot guns but just single shot marksmen 22s.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

The matching thing we have it to in Greek schools, if I remember correctly they begin to train you on marching saluting ect from 3d grade so you can take part in the celebrations of 25th of March ( the date of the beginning of the Greek war of independence) and the 28th of October ( the date that Greece entered ww2 ) although it's more like a echo of pre ww2 times were children use to be wear dark blue uniforms and have actually military training ... note to mention the " Roman salute " they was told to do

[@mikecarone7320]

In the North America you can be Greek Americans Greek Candadians or Greek Mexican

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

@@mikecarone7320 I didn't knew that " Greek - Mexican" even existed 😄😃

[@zaxarispetixos8728]

It is not mandatory my school always sent 10 kids to the celebrations i have no idea how to march.

[@gnas1897]

Greek who lives in Cyprus here- Cyprus has the same celebrations as Greece so we do these too

[@Coinbro]

Thats terrible what a real hero saving all the kids.. God bless his soul and family.

[@bobmiller7502]

love the insight and shear HONESTY thanks for sharing brother,,,xxx

[@nickadams2451]

Sergei in high school we had ROTC. Ours was Air Force so we only did drill team with fake rifles. However we had a ground school class for learning to fly planes. I was in charge of the class as I was the highest ranking in class at the time. Originally I enrolled in the class to study for pilot’s license. We would go to the Air Force base that was still active and go up in Cessna or Piper aircraft. Once I got to go up in a T-38 that happened to be doing routine flights and was refueling. A few other times we went up in helicopters mainly Huey and Black Hawk at the other Air Base that was now decommissioned but still used for National Guard and Rescue. They kept unit specifically for fires and natural disasters. To this day I still know how to march and that was part of my duties and the flight commander as well as taking charge of cadets when instructor was not there. I was only 16 at the time and most of the kids were so power hungry they let it go to their head. Many were like little mini Brezhnev’s with the awards and medals they were given over and over. Became more like a popularity contest and after 3 years of doing it I opted not to my last year of high school. The first two years oh high school I had to do it to be able to go to that high school even though it was 2 miles from where I lived and the high school I was assigned to was nearly 12 miles away. Which really made no sense but that’s school districts for you.

[@boathemian7694]

We had a ROTC armory in the basement of high school, with racks of M14’s and Springfield a3O3’s

[@cmanlovespancakes]

JROTC at high schools don't have real rifles. Only drill rifles. Never saw any real weapons when I was in school 30 years ago. Now there is no JROTC at any schools near were I live. The programs were shut down by request of the school system because parents complaints. That was in the early 1990s.

[@gordonlumbert9861]

I heard old guys say Vietnam War was really hard on Jr ROTC. There is still one in my area though.

[@tristanholland6445]

@@cmanlovespancakes No they were real demilitarized military rifles that had the firing pins welded off and a rod welded into the barrel. My Army JROTC had M1903A4s but at a drill meet once of all of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines JROTC in Florida some had demilitarized M1 Garands and some had demilitarized M14s. Now maybe today things having gone extensively pansy mode they might be totally fake rifles but back in the 90's they were real and the manual of arms for inspections worked. In Florida at least we all had the real McCoy just with a plug and a welded off firing pin.

[@tristanholland6445]

@Relichound 55 I don't think he knows because the M1903 used by JROTC were all A4 produced during WWII and no M1903 was ever made in .303

[@tristanholland6445]

@@gordonlumbert9861 They are probably referring to ROTC not JROTC. ROTC is the college program used from the late 40's to today to prepare college students (who enroll in ROTC) to become commissioned officers. JROTC is Junior as is high school and has the primary function of preparing those interested in becoming enlisted men in the military. Some JROTC students do go to college and become officers through an ROTC program. From about 1960 to 1970 ROTC was actually a mandatory course at some universities but it was not a requirement to be become an officer it was just a way to hopefully spark some Male college students to want to become officers and also acted as an emergency reserve corps in time of war(never happened and Vietnam didn't qualify as a national emergency). As the anti war movement grew obviously the general attitude towards ROTC also became very negative and most schools dropped ROTC from being a mandatory course for make students and some got rid of ROTC completely. JROTC is largely a post Vietnam War concept that was introduced after the end of the draft in 1973 as a way to develop interest in the from 1974 all volunteer armed forces. And therefore the anti Vietnam War movement didn't really have any impact on JROTC. Though the change to an all volunteer armed forces did have a significant impact on JROTC.

[@gonzachambi3937]

I think we all as kids (at least a huge number of kids) really went crazy many times about being in the army, uniforms, weapons. Quite an interesting formation you had! Nothing better to teach than a retired officer.

[@silenthunteruk]

2:00 The 'staying in same class' thing is done in the UK for each of the school types; I stayed in the same class with the same Form Tutor from 11 to 16.

[@mchobbit2951]

This is done in most places in Europe as well as in Japan. You stay with the same group of kids until that school type is done and you all move to new schools. It never occurred to me that there are places that DON'T do it that way until I heard Americans talk about how their kids made friends last year and now they weren't in their class even though nobody left and nobody was held back. I don't understand why they would do this, honestly. It makes no sense. It's like these kids just made friends and all but you'll redistribute them among classes a different way even though there is no need to.

[@anahuerta6391]

I've been wanting for a video about legends and ghost stories from the U.S.S.R. Mexico has the llorona here in South Texas we have Chipita Rodriguez. I just think it would be an interesting topic.

[@oliversmith9200]

Dyatlov Pass incident.

[@RogerThat787]

Another Ushahka Show Banger

[@Fnbnmgsgns]

This very similar to JROTC, in that class we learned how to read maps, rappelling, marksmanship & we went to the local army base and did some orienteering.

[@Legitpenguins99]

You probably did your training with the AK-74. Biggest difference between it and the AK-47 (or AKM) is it shoots a smaller bullet similar to the M-16

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

Good to see another viewer of FW.

[@justdustino1371]

Nah, probably an AKM. It took a long time for AK74 production to meet demand and the Soviet Army was mobilized and fighting in Afghanistan, with AK74s in short supply! Most rear echelon units in Afghanistan had AKMs, so to train kids I'm sure they used AKMs or even 1950s milled AK47s.

[@justdustino1371]

A Russian told me Naval cadets in the USSR trained with SKSs well into the 80s.

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

@@justdustino1371 A few things I saw in Ushanka's vid was (assuming) that those people with firearms were students were interacting with some "outdated" firearms and current. Some of them were: a RPD and an AK drum (7:15), a PPSh with drum mag with a DP-28 and a SKS (11:15), AK's with 90° and 45° gas blocks (13:37), and a PPSh with stick mags with a Mosin PU Sniper and AK-74M (14:00). To me, it looks like they're using/training with old stock and new stock stuff to make sure that people can use anything the Soviet gov. could have.

[@justdustino1371]

@@LOUDcarBOMB I hope you aren't a terrorist! LoudCarBomb is a terrible name! The AKM and RPD are excellent weapons at the squad, and platoon level. I spoke to a Viet who escaped with the Boat People, he fought in the Sino-Viet War of '79. Very interesting!

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Fantastic video!

[@TheVideoRaf]

Awesome story!

[@casamesadoof]

Just bought the book. I can't wait to read it.

[@stevenhugh1785]

I live in England and this video shocked me but it was one of your best, thank you for sharing.

[@bangochupchup]

Sergei, I'm pretty sure you can buy a semi-automatic copy of the Kalashnikov in your state.

[@Flamechr]

Wish we have that in Denmark. our defense budget have been cut way to much since 2004.

[@jimdawdy6254]

My wife had these classes in Kazakhstan. While I have the utmost respect for the capabilities of Soviet women in wartime (such as female snipers and pilots) these classes were utterly wasted on her. I mean, she was like 5 feet tall and 100lbs soaking wet. Not exactly Spetsnaz material.

[@gamecubekingdevon3]

depend, for the use of firearm and grenade throwing, if she has the technique, she can still get the job done, even if she's a lightweight

[@leenvisser4649]

Great video! This was something I was curious about for a long time. Great to hear your personal anecdotes about the training along with how it generally set up.

[@JohnSmith-wth]

I'm a year older than you and here in the US the only training we had was to duck and cover. They told us to hide under our desks when you all dropped the bomb. Really it was to make cleanup easier. I lived in the region 1 in WV. They were gonna take out the plants here.

[@centineljr2774]

Thanks Sergei I've been waiting for an video about this for a long time

[@Tenkai917]

Polkovnik = Colonel. We have a similar program here in the US, JROTC. My battalion officer was a retired Army Major. It can typically be chosen as an elective in place of the mandatory physical education (PE) course more commonly taken. We learned all the formation/marching drill, orienteering/land navigation, rifle shooting, first aid, and basically all the other subjects you mentioned as well. I made it all the way to Captain and was in charge of the Honor Guard my senior year.

[@justdustino1371]

Awesome! I went in the Army at the end of the Cold War. 1992. Our nuclear, biological, and chemical training was called "NBC" training. They gassed us with tear gas in a chamber. We had to hide in a hole and get run over by a tank, then pop up and pretend to shoot it in the butt with an AT4. And we shot the M16A2. We practiced mine warfare alot too! The M21 was our antitank mine to kill Soviet T72s. I want a Soviet gas mask with that elephant trunk hose!

[@justdustino1371]

@JC Denton Yeah I worked in Naval shipbuilding later, the Navy called it "CBR" so I guess they are trying make jargon standard wide across all services. But in '92, it was NBC! And our pro mask was the M17A designed in the 1950s. We wore green MOPP gear.....Almost 30 years ago....🤔

[@justdustino1371]

@JC Denton My brother is still in, NG, CWO2, Mon-Fri works at Camp Shelby.... I bet the gas chamber at Benning today is still the same one I went through, summer of '92! Man I wish I had a photo of it! And the starship on Sand Hill that 1-38 Inf occupied in '92.

[@justdustino1371]

@JC Denton Yeah. I wanna visit Ft. Benning soon. USMC has a facility there. That is where Marines jump and get wings. Awesome museums, and we roadmarched on trails paved with fired WW2 .30-06 casings!!!!

[@alexxxx9709]

I didn't have many military training in my life. When i got the test for the military i was send away because poor eye site -9 and -9 1/2. Some lessons seem to be very intersting. I did shoot with an air reifle in my backgarden but was not very good shooter nor a good sportsman.

[@geraldgriffin8220]

They had something like that here in WW2 the instructor was either a veteran or a shop teacher ..might be good today to teach responsible gun handling..as opposed to them learning from Fallout 4.

[@-Ryan_Gasoline-]

Fallout 4 doesn't really teach about guns well, one that does is maybe tarkov or ready or not, lots of realistic military training.

[@Catire92]

They had these classes in all countries in the eastern bloc. In the GDR they also had them.

[@michaelboyd395]

Very interesting! Thanks for another cool video.

[@tristanholland6445]

Sergei kinda had Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner Roy Batty look in tenth grade. I'm expecting maybe he holds a dove and says "if only you could see the things I've seen".

[@michaelboyd395]

Tears in the rain?

[@tristanholland6445]

@@michaelboyd395 Haha I was thinking about the part when Batty finds the man that designed the replicants eyes. And he says "if only you could see the things I've see with these eyes"

[@damianhoratiu2287]

But yeah, the bonds between me and my comrades, in those 8 years (classes 1-8) were great. And we came from absolutely all backgrounds, social classes, ethnic groups. I wonder if implementing such a system of one class up to the 4th- 8th grade would not alleviate in part some of the psychological problems that lead to the US mass shootings in schools.

[@notapplicable6611]

Thanks for another great vid!

[@kobrayt6076]

My grandpa told me that they had same thing in Yugolsavia

[@patrichausammann]

2:18 Is this Jake from "Two and a half man" in front of the Lenin statue? 🤣

[@shafur3]

Thank You so interesting

[@marianotorrespico2975]

ACTUALLY . . . | Your student photograph is normal; an intelligent young man of promise with wild hair.

[@igerce]

Well, I'm glad for Comrade Sergey, he got a good voenruk. Our voenruk was sort of dumbacc. I feel he hated us, гансов.

[@zaxxon4]

Our closest thing is Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). Not every school has it, and from what I've heard it is drills but no weapon training. I wish it was required and included weapon training, so that we'd have fewer ignorant people who think semi-automatic is the same as full auto.

[@PavelAVasilevich]

Полковник/ Polkovnik Rank is Colonel in English.

[@johnsheetz6639]

We had the ROTC. It was basically drill formations. And being told how the military goes. We did get to shoot 22.'s at targets every once in awhile which was really cool. What it mostly taught me is I didnt want to be in the military. Sounded like a bunch of people telling you what to do.

[@onetruekeeper]

The U.S. should have this too.

[@johnshanks8390]

If Sergei walk into American gun shop could he still remember how disassemble reassemble ak

[@pricelessppp]

Interesting video.

[@HVACSoldier]

I’m guessing it is the equivalent of JROTC, here in the US.

[@hond654]

Health and safety was not a concern - fingers on trigger, rifle pointing in all directions :D But it was fun!

[@lawrenceestreich9737]

All we got in public school was close order drill because we did not have gym or gym teachers. Our class teacher told us we were all getting drafted and need to know this. We were seven and were told that we would be sent to Vietnam. They did make us hide under our desks just in case the Russians dropped the big one. Like the desk was going to save us from 4 floors hitting us in the head.

[@lifeontheX]

In Soviet Russia you don't fork the road, the road forks you

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

I wonder what would have happened if when they asked you where you wanted to serve if you were drafted, you answered "In the United States Air Force.". I'd have loved to have tried that. Pretty crazy in the United States parents would have freaked out with their kids being trained like that. In fact I'm really surprised American anti-Soviet propaganda did not make use of this. All you'd need to do is show these photos, and esp any movies of kids handling these kinds of weapons under tutelage of uniformed instructors, and that would make American civilian blood boil in that era. I was in the Civil Air Patrol as a teen during the 80's and we were not allowed to wear our uniforms when not 'on duty'. We could not even wear parts of our uniforms when out and about. Even for special school events we could not go in uniform.

[@damianhoratiu2287]

The same in Romania. First it was the GMA (Gata pentru muncă și apărare- Ready for Work and Defense)- aprox. 1952- 1961, and then the PTAP (Pregătirea Tineretului pentru Apărarea Patriei- Preparing the Youth for the Defense of the Homeland)- aprox. 1968- 1989. As far as I could see from what I experienced- utter rubish and and uselessness. Very few real military training, a lot of propaganda bullshit. Did not see not even one AK 47 in my "military" career as a pupil.

[@triviace]

Excellent technical illustrations,your Mother?

[@jenniferjuniper97]

Is that a land mine on the desk? I wish our schools taught weaponry. In metal shop, We had lessons on Revolutionary War-era rifle (musket) manufacture technology. Mainly gunnery experience came in private situations/ hunting and target practice out in the fields in rural California. I wish you were a university professor so more could learn of the real USSR.

[@tristanholland6445]

In the cover picture? No that is a 75 round drum magazine for the RPK that the girl is feild striping. On the table, RPK 75 round drum, RPK dust cover, and look like maybe the RPK recoil spring but she's about to pull out the bolt next. Haha and I was in US military shows how effective the training is I have never stripped an RPK but I have done it to both an AK47 and AK74 and obviously an M16. Honestly I definitely prefer the AK47/74. I own both(kit built Soviet AKM and a Bulgarian AK74 copy)but own no AR15 platform rifles.

[@skdewolf7606]

What do you think about current social break down?

[@roygunnargranmo4641]

Have you seen the vice video called Hunting the Radioactive Beasts of Chernobyl? kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3-knYh9o5WFj8k If not: Watch the whole thing. At 5:44 they are in a school in Pripyat. The posters(or what ever to call them) he is commenting on. Are they from one of these Military Preparedness classes you think?

[@TheGrindcorps]

They brought this back in Russia this past year from my understanding.

[@oliversmith9200]

I don't know why the girls didn't fall all over you, you looked like a movie star, Shurik, from the adventure comedy movies!

[@shelby3822]

Take comfort in the fact that I looked much worse in 10th grade comrade

[@boredfartless4221]

Like school in Starship troopers.

[@jonmoate4184]

Thank you, Very informative videos, i have always been interested in Russia.... I grew up in the 80's & 90's & & the west Always Painted the Soviet union as Evil ..... Look at the movies from that time period, Russians were always the bad guy

[@gamecubekingdevon3]

i wish we had such classes in western eu....unfortunately we did not :/

[@mr.waffentrager4400]

Dushka !

[@infinitecanadian]

Why would you have to buy the uniform?

[@UshankaShow]

Because it was required to wear

[@infinitecanadian]

@@UshankaShow Why wasn't it provided if it was required?

[@UshankaShow]

All school supplies as well as uniforms were parents' responsibility. I don't know why.

[@infinitecanadian]

@@UshankaShow That's retarded.

[@tristanholland6445]

Look at the Soviet woman feild strip that RPK in the cover photo.

[@andreipuscalarga9996]

Polcovnic rank is equivalent to colonel.

[@infinitecanadian]

Who was that at 0:23?

[@halaheleu7013]

Life was much better in old USSR than 3rd and 4th world nations at that time.

[@soco13466]

That grenade is probably based on the American hand grenade, works the same. Did they familiarize you with American weapons? Everybody here knew about the AK47.

[@mikecarone7320]

Full Metal Jacket

[@briansarah2745]

We should have mixed America with ussr schools

[@AlexandruNicolin]

It seems it's becoming a thing again in Russia.

[@UshankaShow]

Yep

[@Moody801]

Did you serve, or were you able to get an exemption?

[@UshankaShow]

I went to college so no, so military service in my life story

[@mule-RIA]

Wow you learned more useful things in the ussr then any american high school kids

[@shelby3822]

10:35 are you my mummy?

[@roygunnargranmo4641]

I think disassemble and assemble an AK 47. Would be a fantastic thing to do in school. We did nothing like that in Norway

[@UshankaShow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJLUaIOggMyWbLs

[@TreyPDB]

the good old days where you could bring a glock to schools. kids are too soft these days

[@fazesupersoaker5716]

First

[@fazesupersoaker5716]

@LoveBug Loves Jesus um okay

[@duartesimoes508]

These videos are becoming dull. There are now too many of them with less and less quality. The first ones were really great, but now it looks as if what matters is making as many as possible. Less quantity and more quality please.

[@michaelboyd395]

I liked this one, truthfully. I always find the military aspects of the CCCP most interesting.