Tatarstan schoolchildren and students to be sent to military training camps

Camps for all schoolchildren in September, for cadets — in April

Basic military service training camps will be held in schools, colleges and training centres of Tatarstan this September and in April 2023. Tatarstan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin signed a dedicated decree.

Senior schoolchildren and college students — those who must to do military training during the last two years of education according to legislation — will go to the camps, reads the document. Not only educational institutions but also training centres will host them: Patriot sports and patriotic youth pre-conscription training centres in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk, Vatan in Chistopol as well as local centres, defence and sports camps, at bases of military units if possible. The Kazan Higher Tank Command College will become the camp base in the republic’s capital.

If district cannot organise training camps at pre-conscription training centres, the Cabinet of Ministers recommended holding them in defence and sports camps and organise training shooting training in regional shooting ranges.

According to the decree, the camps in April will be at Patriot republican centre, they will last for five days, while year 10 students of cadet schools and cadet boarding schools will participate in them. Besides standard classes, cadets will be offered shooting training at the tank college.

Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Russian Guard will oversee public order, while health workers of municipal polyclinics will take care of their health.

It is unknown yet when Tatarstan boys will do the basic military training, the plan with specific dates is to be confirmed in the republic’s Ministry of Health Care and Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Those who miss the camps will sit exams

According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, the republican Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Youth Affairs, the military commissariat and executive committee of municipal districts will join the organisation of the camps. They must provide the trainees with educational materials, organise timely transportation of students to the camp sites and back and, most importantly, engage all physically qualified boys to the training.

Check-ups that will be organised in regional polyclinics will determine if a future conscript qualifies for learning the basics of military service. Those who don’t show up at the training for a good reason will receive additional classes to learn the theory and then sit exams.

All municipalities of Tatarstan will be attached to military units and the tank college to hold the camps. Representatives of the latter are tasked with organising military and patriotic work during the training.

Moreover, as the decree puts it, the financing of the camps “within the money envisaged to perform a state task” falls on educational organisations.

First camps for year 10 students were in April

This year, the training camp for schoolchildren coincided with active actions during the special military operation in Ukraine, which caused fears among parents. But the concern turned out to be excessive. Such training camps have been held in year 10 during the health and safety class since 2020.

A military commanded worked in Soviet schools since the 60s, while all senior students did basic military training. It was introduced after the service in the army reduced from three to two years. Today it is just one year. Therefore it was decided to revive boys’ training for army in training camps and health and safety classes.

The first camp was on 11 April this year. In Kazan, about 200 year 10 students participated in five-day camps. It was said then that shifts with the same duration will take place at Avangard military and patriotic training centre during the year.

The camp programme includes shooting training, assembling and disassembling a Kalashnikov, the combat basics, schoolchildren are also taught to dig a trench, put on a gas mask and a protective suit according to norms and many other drills.