When talking about military service, as usual, a certain associative array comes to mind: martinet, uniform, bearing, chasing step and so on from the same series. At the same time, many people of civilian life, including military families, are concentrated around the fulfillment of the immediate tasks that the homeland has set for its defenders, however, the military themselves, it must be assumed, do not devote all 24 hours to the parade ground. It was to fulfill the tasks of a spiritual nature in the first decades of the last century that the Cultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was created.
Rise of the center
The idea of the need to organize cultural recreation for servicemen who spend a lot of time in the trenches came at the end of the third decade of the last century - in 1928 the Central House of the Red Army appeared. In less than a hundred years, it has undergone several renamings, however, this did not affect its essence in any way. First, it became the Central House of the Soviet Army, and after the collapse of the Soviet empire -Central House of the Russian Army.
Initially, the future Cultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was subordinate to the political and administrative structure in the army, the so-called GPU. Since, when organizing cultural recreation, the department sought to cover as many types of activities as possible, it was in charge of a variety of objects: for example, halls for showing films, organizing lectures, concerts, exhibitions, auditoriums for education, libraries, and parks. In addition, dances or board game tournaments, theater performances were organized for active recreation.
Pre-war period
Despite positioning itself as an organizer of primarily cultural pastimes, in the pre-war period, the new department was mainly concerned not so much with the cultural and educational level of military personnel as with their compliance with high army standards. Employees of the newly born department, as well as the current CC of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, were mainly engaged in the popularization of militarized sciences, patriotism and valor from an army point of view among civilians. However, it is worth noting that it was this military cultural department that gave rise to many incredibly talented groups known to this day, for example, the Alexandrov Song and Dance Ensemble, the Central Academic Theater and the Sports Club of the Russian Army and other famous groups.
In addition, it was thanks to this organization that the Soviet army and navy got their own museum, which in 1964 was called the Museum of the Armedstrength.
War and after
Various documentary chronicle of the war years clearly demonstrates the urgent need for those artistic groups that traveled around the front, fearlessly put their numbers on the front lines and in hospitals. Lidia Ruslanova, Olga Orlova, Valentina Serova, Georgy Yumatov and many others who, under the roar of shells, under the whistle of bullets, risking death every minute, with all the breadth of their souls and generosity of talent, raised the morale of those who forged victory in sweat and blood.
The current Cultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from the very beginning of the war turned into a field headquarters, the main function of which was to provide the front with any means to increase morale. It was here that the so-called front-line brigades were formed, which included pop artists, film and theater actors.
At the end of the war, by decision of the country's leadership, the department began to bear the name of the famous revolutionary Mikhail Frunze. Although the most terrible war ended with the complete defeat of fascist Germany, a feeling of a new military clash was in the air, so the institution changed its profile somewhat and began to teach foreign languages, to prepare for admission to military academies to strengthen the officer corps. In addition, the political and educational component was strengthened, expressed in the opening of the University of Marxism-Leninism.
A new life for the department began after the collapse of the Soviet empire. In 1993, it already bore the name of the Russian army, and in 1997 it was renamedCultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Departmental tasks
The modern military-cultural department includes six departments. The department responsible for culture in a peculiar sense is the main one. It is he who is responsible for the cultivation of morality among the military, as well as among their families. His educational inclinations extend to all civilian personnel. The formation of those same brigades today is entrusted to the military patronage department, which also organizes ceremonial events for memorable dates. Propaganda functions are entrusted to the writing department.
Although the Cultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has a modern name, it relies on its heritage, which means it solves the tasks originally set, with some adjustments for the time, and uses approximately the same methods as its founders. In modern rhetoric, it is possible that it is precisely such organizations that will bear the main burden of the massive integration of patriotic ideas of the current spill with specific propaganda goals.
