Figure 1.--Here we see a student at a Kadet School in modern Russia, about 2010. He was with a group on a field trip to a Moscow Museum. Notice the girl behind kadet them. |
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The Kadet Corps (Kadetskiy Korpus/Кадетский Корпус) is a military middle school for boys that dates back to the Russian Empire. The first Kadet School was founded in 1732. These were essentially military schools for boys based on the Kadet schools in Austria and the German states. Many other Kadet schools were subsequently opened, primarily in the Russian areas of the Empire. The academic program was seven years. Boys entered at about 11-12 years of age. The instructors were drawn from the military. The curriculum included both academic subjects and military preparation. Graduated became a junker and had the qualifications to enter the military as officers. When the October or Communist Revolution occurred, the kadets and junkers like most of the officer corps largely supported the Whites in the Civil War. This reflect the middle-class and aristocratic origins of kadets. The Bolsheviks which prevailed in the Cicil War closed the Kadet schools. Emigres founded kadet schools in the countries to which they emigrated. In Yugoslavia (Bela Crkva), King Alexander I who has graduated from the St. Petersburg kadet corps supported them. Some White emigre kadets joined the Russian Corps (Русский корпус), a military force of about 3,000 men that operated in Serbia after the German invasion (1941). It fought with the Axis forces that occupied Yugoslavia. After World War II, many Russian emif\gres migrated to the United States and other countries. As a result emigre kadet corps disappeared. A kadet union was organized to help kadet graduates keep in touch. After the fall of Communism and disolution of the Soviet Union (1991). kadet schools were reopned in Russia. The schools have been opened to girls as well.
One of the earliest European military schools as we now know them was founded in Russia. Peter the Great fomded a miliary academy in 1698. We believe that this was the first Russian military school. We do not have, however, any detailed information about that school. This subject is somewhat difficult to research in the photographic record because as best we understand, Russian secondary schools had military-styled clothing. This in images we have found we believe they are regular school uniforms and not military schools. We are not sure if the actual military schools had destinctive uniforms. We do not yet have any information on Soviet military acadamies. The Kadet Corps (Kadetskiy Korpus/Кадетский Корпус-KK) is a military middle school for boys that dates back to the Tsarist Empire. The first Kadet School was founded in 1732. These were eseentially military schools for boys based on the Kadet schools in Austria and the German states. Many other Kadet scghools were subsequently opened, primarily in the Russian areas of the Empire. The Kadet schools became an important sources of officers for the Tsarist Imperial Russian Army. The academic program was seven years. Boys entered at about 11-12 years of age. The instructors were drawn from the military. The curriculum included both academic subjects and military preparation. Graduated became a junker and had the qualifications to enter the military as officers.
When the October or Communist Revolution occurred, the kadets and junkers like most of the officer corps largely supported the Whites in the Civil War. This reflect the middle-class and aristocratic origins of kadets. The Bolsheviks which prevailed in the Civil War closed the Tsarist-era Kadet schools. Emigres founded kadet schools in the countries to which they emigrated. Yugosalvia was organized around pre-World war I Serbia, a country with close ethbic and cultural ties to Russia. In Yugoslavia (Bela Crkva), King Alexander I who has graduated from the St. Petersburg kadet corps supported them.
There was compulsory military training of boys in the old Soviet schools. This was in regular schools, not just military schools. We are not sure just when this was instituted.
Some White emigre kadets joined the Russian Corps (Русский корпус), a military force of about 3,000 men that operated in Serbia after the German invasion (1941). It fought with the Axis forces that occupied Yugoslavia. After World War II, many Russian emigres migrated to the United States and other countries. As a result emigre kadet corps disappeared. A kadet union was organized to help kadet graduates keep in touch.
Compulsory military training fell into abeyance following the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, President Putin reportedly wants to bring it back in order put to some backbone into 'wayward' Russian youth. Hopefully our Russian readers will provide us more information. HBC is not sure, but we believe that these military caps were only issued to boys at Soviet military schools. Boys in the Young Pioneers or attending civilian schools were not issued such caps. A HBC reader had sent this image of a cadet in a post-Soviet military school. He is not a boy in a cadet program in an ordinary schoolboy, but a boy in a full-time military academy. These boys or their parents have chosen a military asademy becaise of an interest in a military career. However, instead of imbibing a stodgy diet of Marxism-Leninism he will now be regaled with patriotic tales of holy mother Russia. The image of the military in the post-Soviet era is far different than that it enjoyed during the Communist Soviet era. Our reader reports, "The point is that he is a cadet in a modern Russian military academy at a time when many Russian boys have become disenchanted with the army and conscription of young men is generally unpopular."
Modern Russia does have military acadamies, but we know nothing about them. Kadet schools were reopned in Russia. As we understand it, they are not part of the local public school system. They would be something like a charter school in the United States. Perhaps a mlitary school is a closer comparison, although unlike American military shools these are state supported schools. Students have to apply to enter the schools and each school sets its own admission standards. The schools have been opend to girls as well. The schools are similar to military schools in the United states, except they are not boarding schools. Some of the children are thinking about military careers. Some parens chose the kadet schools for the children because of the discipline involved. These are not private schools, but schools financed by the state. The Kadet corps is a special type of secondary school, where boys get basic military education. This is not the only type of military school in Russia. There are also the Suvorov Military Schools and Nakhimov Naval Schools.
Kadets wear a military uniform at school. They have three different sets of uniform: casual, parade, and
field. The uniforms are based on Russian Army officer styles. Field uniform is made of military camouflage cloth.
The kadets not only wear their uniform at school, but when they visit theaters, museums, exhibitions and other official events.
The Cadet schools use the same uniform as it is based on Russian Army styles. Each kadet school has its own Charter where all requirements to the uniform are written. But all those schools take Russian army style as a base and differ only in small details, for example, color of shoulder straps and so on.
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