On the Role of Public Cossack Associations in the Patriotic Education of Young People

The purpose of writing this article is due to the decision of the problem of activating the patriotic education of young people, in particular, students of universities, on the basis of spiritual and moral principles and values of the Russian Cossacks, taking into account the participation of public Cossack associations (PCA) in the implementation of state youth policy. In the process of research methods were used: observation, conversation, modern information technology, the study of historical and normative legal documents for the drawing of the Roadmap for the development of the system of continuous Cossack education. Results. The conducted review shows that the social markers that form the basis of Cossack identity are highlighted and, in general, understood by society, associated with patriotism, love for the Motherland and the Orthodox worldview. In the process of Cossack revival the pedagogical and educational potential of Cossack culture was discovered, based on the values of democracy, on the one hand, and on the traditions of statehood, on the other. Although marked by a certain transformation of the Cossack idea in the direction of «militarization», this process does not contradict the basic principles of Cossack education, which became the basis of interaction between universities and OKO in the educational process. Conclusions. The analysis of organizational and pedagogical forms of youth upbringing with participation of modern OKOs shows by the example of the South of Russia (Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region) that a certain stage of formation in the educational system has already been passed and represents a four-dimensional model, including the younger generation from preschoolers to students. The last stage of the model is in the formation stage, which is characterized by the creation in 2021 of the Association of Cossack universities of Russia and the signing of the Roadmaps for implementing joint, scientific, educational and social activities of universities and public Cossack associations, defining a new round of development of Cossack higher education and patriotic education of the university youth.