Today, Russian schools held a “Conversations About Important Things” lesson dedicated to Cosmonautics Day. Students were told about the history of the space industry, its importance for the country, the role of specialists working in this field, and the need to preserve “scientific and technological sovereignty.” The partner of the lesson was BSTU VOENMEKH, which trains personnel for the defense industry.
Following the script, teachers explained that Russia is “one of the leading space powers,” and that all achievements in space are “a source of national pride.” Students were reminded that “the first satellite, the first human spaceflight, the first woman in space, the first spacewalk — these are our victories.”
“What do you feel when you realize that it was our country that opened the path to the stars for humanity?” — the teacher asks, according to the script.
In the main part of the lesson, students were shown an interview with Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of the state corporation Roscosmos. He spoke about careers in the space industry and the knowledge and skills needed to become a cosmonaut.
Special emphasis was placed on the link between space development and national security. According to the lesson authors, “reliable access to space is the foundation of national sovereignty,” and “Russia’s space policy is oriented toward ensuring security.” Students were also told that “the world has not yet developed a space engine model that surpasses domestic designs in cost and reliability.”
As part of the lesson, students learned about the history of the rocket industry starting from 1946 and were asked to recall early Soviet rockets and test sites. Older students were also shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s BesogonTV, in which he describes how Americans came to study the Soviet education system ten years after the end of World War II.
