Russian writers request return of patriotic novel in schools

The Union of Russian Writers has submitted a request to the heads of the State Duma and Federation Council to return Alexander Fadeyev’s novel The Young Guard to the school curriculum.

Russian news agency TASS reported on the matter, referring to a meeting between the chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, and the head of the Union of Russian Writers, Valery Ganichev.

“[...] Alexander Bastrykin said that literature plays one of the main roles in patriotic education,” said official representative of the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, of the meeting.

According Mr Markin, the representatives also discussed the issue of monuments that periodically suffer destruction or attack.

The novel The Young Guard (1946) centres on the underground anti-fascist youth organisation of the same name active in the German-occupied Soviet city of Krasnodon during the Second World War. They carried out several feats of sabotage and protest before being destroyed by German forces, with most members of the organisation tortured and then executed by the Germans.

Source: Colta (in Russian)