Non-Formal Civic Education in the Context of State Politics of Memory in Modern Russia (the Example of St. Petersburg)

This paper is an attempt to develop a broad understanding of the issues concerning the relationship that exists between civic education, state politics of memory and political socialization of school children in modern Russia. This relationship is illustrated using the examples of three organizations that work within different models of civic education and experience varying degrees of support from the state. The activities of the following organizations are analyzed: the Regional Civic Institute “Research and Information Center Memorial,” the State Museum of the Political History of Russia and the School Museum “The muses could not be silent.” The project at first pinpoints social actualization of this topic and provides a literature review involving a discussion of the most significant research work in the sphere of civic education, as well as various traditions and rules of state politics of memory. This research also includes the analysis of legislative framework and interviews with Russian experts in the field of civic education. The author makes an attempt to develop a typology of civic education in the field of perception of history using the city of Saint-Petersburg as an example. Then the main assumption is examined: the state politics of memory in modern Russia encourages the preferential development of a civic-patriotic model of civic education. Over the past ten years the number of organizations working within the framework of civic-patriotic model grew rapidly. In contrast, organizations working within the framework of other models (human rights education, etc.), reduced the amount of activity aimed at working with school children. The reason for this are the financial and reputational costs associated with this format.