Option 1
(453 words) People should not forget the history of their people, because it is this that teaches us not to repeat the mistakes of the past and allows society to develop without stepping on a rake. In addition, the memory of the exploits and achievements of our compatriots instills in us pride in our fatherland and inspires us to make our own discoveries. Many Russian writers wrote about this.
For example, L.N. Tolstoy, in his epic novel War and Peace, reflected on the unfortunate mistakes of historians who exalted Napoleon, who shamefully fled Russia and left the army to the mercy of fate, but did not appreciate the feat of Kutuzov, who chose the wisest strategy that liberated Russia. To restore justice, the author studied in detail the course of the 1812 campaign and outlined his thoughts in the book, not allowing contemporaries and descendants to forget the truth about those tragic events. He paid tribute to Kutuzov, who, without thinking about his career and not wanting awards, tried to liberate his homeland and save as many fighters as possible. He constantly postponed and rescheduled the dates of clashes, cheated and drove the enemy to the rear so that he would become exhausted and lose without unnecessary casualties. Then, in the heat of the clashes, his strategy was not clear to people, many reproached him for cowardice. “Memory destroys time: it brings together what seems to be happening separately,” the author notes. This means that history, the memory of the entire people, connects disparate events into a chronological sequence that allows us to draw conclusions and prevent repetition of the mistakes of the past. Tolstoy and other authors managed to rehabilitate the field marshal and convey to new generations the moral lessons of the War of 1812. If we forget them, we will not be able to apply Kutuzov’s useful strategic moves and be imbued with the selfless patriotism that guides his mind.
The theme of historical memory was continued by M.A. Sholokhov in the epic novel “Quiet Don”. He described the arrival of a Bolshevik agitator in the village. Shtokman met kind, strong, but ignorant people from the Cossack environment, where no one received an education. That is why Khristonya, Mishka Koshevoy and other regulars of his circle were shocked when “A Brief History of the Don Cossacks” was read at the meeting. From scientific work it follows that for centuries the government used the Cossacks for its own purposes, without giving anything in return: people lived poorly, although they worked hard. But the representatives of the elite lived richly due to their ignorance and humility. “The unknown author ridiculed the meager life of the Cossacks, mocked the order and administration, the royal power and the Cossacks themselves, who hired themselves out as guardsmen to the monarchs.” Representatives of the upper classes took advantage of people’s ignorance, so the Cossacks remained “cannon fodder” for wars and tools for working in the field. Knowing nothing about the historical path of their people, the heroes could not change their lives for the better, because they did not analyze their situation, which had nothing to compare with.
Thus, a people cannot develop without remembering its history. It must not be forgotten, because without the lessons of the past we cannot control the present and cannot change the future. People must study their roots, honor traditions and learn from the mistakes of their ancestors. In addition, we must learn to use the wisdom of the fathers in comprehending new truths.
Arguments
"The Tale of Igor's Campaign"
. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is one of the ancient monuments of ancient Russian literature. Unfortunately, the name of the author is currently unknown to us. However, this did not make the poem any less significant and did not disappear from school and university curricula. The main message of this book is that unity is the key to success. One of the heroes - Prince Igor - in pursuit of personal glory and recognition, decides to go alone on a campaign against the enemy. His regiment is defeated, and the leader is captured by the enemy. But if Prince Igor had listened to his brothers - other Russian princes - the enemy would have been defeated by the united striking force of several armies. Unlike the wise Svyatoslav, who knows the history of his country and lists the civil strife of ancient times by heart, Igor neglects this knowledge and makes a mistake. The main goal is not to become famous, but to defeat the enemy who is preventing people from living peacefully in Rus'. The unsuccessful campaign of Prince Igor, his selfish act is an excellent lesson for many subsequent generations. Do not forget about this event so as not to repeat this again. This is a significant page in the history of our country. As you know, it is important to remember history in order not to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors. If we erase from our memory the plot of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” and the actions of the hero of this work, there will be a great risk that someone in the present time will want to gain fame and recognition by such a selfish method. Thus, forgetting the past threatens its repetition - which means that in no case should this past be forgotten. This is why writers capture such events in their books.
“War and Peace” L.N. Tolstoy
. Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's epic novel “War and Peace” is truly a treasure trove of various life situations and wise thoughts. Our topic is no exception. The author paid attention to it in his outstanding literary work. A significant part of the novel is occupied by a description of military operations and all those events and thoughts of the heroes that occur at the front. L.N. Tolstoy talks about the Patriotic War of 1812. The reader observes how war changes people, how people suffer, how difficult important decisions are for the authorities, how many people die. For example, I remember an episode when Natasha Rostova persuaded her parents to give up part of the convoys, on which they planned to take things and valuables out of the capital, for the wounded. The consequences of the occupation of Moscow contributed to the ruin of the ancient noble family. The picture of the deserted city that its inhabitants and defenders abandoned is also terrifying. The enemy treacherously breaks into it, destroying and burning the ancient capital. But all this could have been avoided if Emperor Alexander the First had not concluded the shameful Peace of Tilsit and did not give the enemy the opportunity to gather forces to strike Russia. The Tsar did not remember the lessons of the very recent past: even then, French political emigrants who found refuge in Russia were talking about the value of Napoleon’s word. Napoleon made peace more than once, and then treacherously rushed to attack. But no one took this into account, so people were not ready for the attack of the invaders. Of course, forgetting the past threatens to repeat it. If we do not now read and remember these terrible events of the early 19th century, such a nightmare may happen again. Thanks to Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, this significant page in the history of our state is firmly captured in the book. This is a good lesson for humanity.
“Crime and Punishment” by F.M. Dostoevsky
. When we talk about the past, we do not always mean the history of an entire state or people. Sometimes this applies to the life of an individual. For example, in Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment,” the reader learns about Roman Rodionovich Raskolnikov and his difficult fate. At first we see him poor, gloomy, he has no goals in life, except for stubbornly following a harmful theory that allows him to kill people. Then the reader becomes a witness to the real crime that the main character commits. After severe delirium, a painful state, paranoia and other ailments that torment Raskolnikov, Rodion is finally spiritually reborn. His beloved, Sonechka Marmeladova, helps him in this. However, the writer has no illusions at all: despite his repentance and confession, Raskolnikov is still sent to hard labor as punishment for committing a serious criminal crime. For in the case of each individual person, as in situations with an entire state or people, there is a rule that says: oblivion of the past threatens its repetition. If the criminal is forgiven and released even after a sincere confession and sincere repentance, the sad story may happen again. Thus, the criminal must be punished and remember his mistake so as not to commit it again. Moreover, every person must understand that any action is followed by consequences, and behind them comes responsibility. And everyone bears this responsibility for themselves. So is Rodion Raskolnikov - he started a new life, but did not forget about the past, because it serves as a valuable lesson for the present and future.
“Quiet Don” M.A. Sholokhov
. One of the terrible and tragic pages of the history of our state was captured by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov in his novel “Quiet Don”. In it, the writer spoke about the horrors of the Civil War of 1918-1922. During this terrible period, not only friends and comrades, but also close people, relatives, and members of the same family rebelled against each other. Many people died, many destinies were broken. The author gives us the opportunity to analyze all the reasons for what happened. One of them is forgetting the historical path of one’s people. During discussions in the circle of the Bolshevik agitator Shtokman, the Cossacks discover for the first time the history of the Cossacks. They argue fiercely, think a lot and compare the present with the past. For the first time in their lives, their picture of the world became complete: they learned not only about today, but also about yesterday, and could compare, think, and draw their own conclusion about where and how their people are moving. But their ignorance reflects the state of the entire Cossacks, who do not remember their kinship. Not knowing history, people repeated the follies of Razin and Pugachev and walked towards universal happiness along the warpath. Perhaps, given our current knowledge of what happened in the past, they would not repeat the mistakes of their ancestors. Thanks to the literary work of M.A. Sholokhov's descendants will remember these terrible and bloody events; this will be a sad but instructive lesson for other generations. Perhaps then we will be able to avoid repeating this nightmare - after all, it is precisely the oblivion of the past that threatens its repetition. Thus, it is necessary to remember and study history - it contains the experience of our ancestors, and it also contains mistakes that we have a chance to avoid.
"Borodino" M.Yu. Lermontov
. The experience of the past is reflected not only in prose, but also in lyrics. A striking example of this is the poem “Borodino” by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. In it the reader sees two heroes - young and experienced. The second tells about the “combat battles” that took place during the Patriotic War of 1812. “Yes, there were people in our time, not like the current tribe, heroes - not you,” says the veteran. He, an eyewitness and participant in the battles, leaves descendants a reminder of the exploits of his ancestors, of their courage and dedication in defending their homeland. This is a good example for future generations, an example of worthy people, the way everyone should be. In addition, M.Yu. Lermontov begins his poem with the words: “Tell me, uncle, is it not for nothing that Moscow, burned by fire, was given to the French?” And the answer to this almost rhetorical question is obvious - of course, not in vain. It was a difficult, important and responsible decision - to leave the capital, literally leaving it to the enemy. However, there were reasons for this, and such a risky step was justified. Thanks to such works as “Borodino”, even after several centuries we remember such an important and difficult event in the history of our country. And it is within our power not to repeat the mistakes of the past and prevent a new bloody war. Since forgetting the past threatens to repeat it, you should not erase significant events and valuable lessons of your ancestors from your memory.
“And the dawns here are quiet...” B.L. Vasiliev.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 This is a very terrible and tragic event. No matter how many years pass, we must not forget about this, otherwise the bloodshed will happen again. To remind people of this, Boris Lvovich Vasiliev created the story “And the dawns here are quiet...”. In it, the writer talks about the fate of the fifth brave girls - Rita, Lisa, Sonya, Galya and Zhenya - and their foreman Fedot Vaskov. Their life was divided into “before” and “after” the war. Before these terrible events, the heroes had families, friends, loved ones, favorite activities, work... And after... After that, not even the girls themselves remained. All of them died during the mission - they went into the forest to stop enemy saboteurs at any cost. Rita, Lisa, Sonya, Galya, Zhenya - they all died a heroic death defending their homeland. Boris Vasiliev captured this feat in his book - for a long memory for all future generations. The reader understands and even feels that the heroes of the story are people just like you and me, with their own lives and their own emotions. And these people died during the war, trying to save their country and protect their people. Thus, we must remember the exploits of our ancestors, their tragic experience, in order to never allow war to happen again, because forgetting the past certainly threatens its repetition. Perhaps the Third World War did not happen precisely because we still remember the sacrifice of millions of our ancestors for the sake of world peace.
"The Fate of Man"
M.A. Sholokhov. Another literary work that tells how the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. influenced the destinies of people - the story of Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov “The Fate of a Man.” One thing is an entire people and an entire state, but it may seem like something too great and enormous, and maybe even distant. And a completely different matter is a specific person with his own history, reflecting the tragedy of the entire Soviet people. In the story by M.A. Sholokhov, such a person becomes the main character - Andrei Sokolov. The reader finds out how he lived before the war - he had a wife and children. But terrible events took the hero’s family away. Andrei bravely went through the war - he was captured, did not give up and did not humiliate himself, he believed in the victory of his people, his homeland. Sokolov endured hunger, cold and other torments. When the bloody war is over, Andrei, lonely and devastated by the war, meets the orphan boy Vanya. The heroes save each other from loneliness, become support and support for each other, and take care of each other. But how many people like Andrei Sokolov actually were there? Hundreds of broken destinies! And very often the story ended not at all like that of the main character of the story, M.A. Sholokhov - everything was much more tragic. If humanity forgets about that terrible period when bloody battles did not stop and people who defended their homeland constantly died, then this horror may repeat itself: enter our home and take away our family. We must not allow this to happen. It is not for nothing that writers and poets devote their works to such difficult and important events. They knew for sure: forgetting the past threatens to repeat it. So you shouldn’t erase even the most terrible periods of history from your memory. These are valuable lessons from the past that help the current generation and will help the future to avoid making the same mistakes and avoiding the same losses.
"Sotnikov" V.V. Bykov
. In Russian literature there are many works dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. There are good reasons for this. This period was truly terrible, bloody and sad, and none of its participants and eyewitnesses would want to subscribe to the boastful slogan: “We can repeat it!” Another work that tells about the fate of people in the war is “Sotnikov” by Vasil Vladimirovich Bykov. Here the reader learns about two soldiers - Sotnikov and Rybak. The two of them go on a mission. But the first one is wounded, it’s hard for him to walk, he moves slowly. At first it seems that Sotnikov is a burden, that he went on a mission in vain, that he is in the way of the brave Fisherman. But at the end, when both heroes are captured by the Nazis, Sotnikov will never betray his homeland. He will be executed. And the “strong” and “brave” Rybak surrendered and agreed to cooperate with the enemy. So, the story of V.V. Bykova exposes betrayal - one of the most common vices of society during the war. This story provides a valuable lesson. We understand what a worthy person is, a citizen of his country - he is brave, selfless, noble. He thinks about honor and the salvation of the people more than about himself, about personal gain. Sotnikov was like that - and in reality there were many such people. They serve as an example for the present generation and for future generations. And if we forget traitors like Rybak - and there really were such people - then they will remain unpunished. And such terrible situations will happen again and again. After all, forgetting the past threatens its repetition. Thus, worthy people should be remembered in order to follow their example, and unworthy people should be remembered so as not to repeat their mistakes. The experience of our ancestors is a gift that we receive through science, history, literature and other forms of art.
“Not on the lists” B.L. Vasiliev.
The work of Boris Lvovich Vasiliev, an author already familiar to us, “Not on the Lists” tells about a young man who, before he even had time to write his name on the list, ended up at the front - in the thick of things. But during the defense of the Brest Fortress, the young lieutenant behaves bravely, he bravely defends the fortress from the Nazis and does this even when they capture the object. All night long, hungry and weakened, Nikolai came out of hiding and killed his enemies. At the end of the work he still dies – a heroic death. Using the example of the fate of one guy, the writer painted a portrait of a whole host of similar heroes who performed feats and died young and nameless on the battlefield during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. However, the name of Pluzhnikov remained in history: now all visitors to the Brest Fortress are told about him. Why, it would seem, reopen old wounds and shock the guests? But the author, like the guides, understands that it is necessary to remember and honor these people who selflessly defended their homeland until their last breath - for the sake of the bright future of the next generations, for the sake of the people. Such a terrible event, which brought so much grief to people, must under no circumstances be forgotten, so as not to repeat these mistakes, so as to prevent new bloodshed and losses. Forgetting the past really threatens its repetition. Therefore, we should learn from the experience of our ancestors.
“One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich” A.I. Solzhenitsyn
. The writer Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn was sent to hard labor. His life came at a difficult time for the country and the people - the period of Stalinist repressions. The writer was not afraid to express his opinion and talk about the problems of society and the state, for which the authorities persecuted him. A.I. Solzhenitsyn left us several outstanding literary works in which he captured those terrible years. One of them is the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” The story is dedicated to one day in the life of a man convicted and sent to a camp - Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. Of course, there were many people who were accused of something they did not do at all and then convicted. The reader is truly horrified by how poorly not only the convicts live, but also those who remained free in the village. So, for example, the main character refuses parcels from his relatives in the village, because he knows that they are no less hungry there than in the camp. In addition, we see how versatile and different personalities are sent to hard labor. Everyone has their own destiny, their own story. But they are all forced to serve their sentences unfairly. Thanks to the fact that A.I. Solzhenitsyn dared to talk about Stalin’s repressions and the nightmares that were associated with them, now we have the opportunity to remember these events and not make such mistakes again. Forgetting the past threatens to repeat it, so you should not rush to erase everything bad from your memory. This will not make the grief less, the pain will not go away, and the past will not be restored, but there will be a risk that the horror will repeat itself. Our task and the task of future generations is to preserve the memories of this terrible but important page in the history of our state. This is the experience of our ancestors, which allows us to develop, not make their mistakes and learn valuable lessons that the past teaches us.
Option 2
(507 words) Every country has a school subject called history. In Russia it is taught from the fifth grade, and this is understandable. It is during this time period that children begin to fully understand the world and are ready to study this not very simple subject. But is it necessary to study it? In my opinion, yes. Each person is the result of the life of several generations, a direct descendant of the past of his country. If we cannot get rid of it, we cannot throw it out even from our own, relatively short life, then how can we throw out the history of thousands of years, our ancestors, thanks to whom we all now exist? Many authors have written about the importance of the past of our people, to whose works we will turn for an example.
So, in the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov "Borodino" we see an eyewitness account of the events of 1812. The fighter took part in the Battle of Borodino and risked his life to save his homeland. His generation sacrificed themselves for a noble cause and defended the country from foreign invaders. But the old soldier complains that the next generations of people did not show courage, honor and dignity like their ancestors. He contrasts his contemporaries with their descendants: “The heroes are not you!” Apparently, this discrepancy forced him to openly talk about the past for the edification of the future. This lesson from a veteran should inspire and motivate listeners to take up the baton and faithfully serve the Fatherland. History is cyclical and tends to repeat itself. Studying it is not only a desire to learn interesting situations from the past, it is an attempt to gain the experience of others, a hope to avoid the mistakes that have already been made. People tend to come to friends and relatives to ask for advice, as the narrator did in the poem “Borodino”, who became interested in the Battle of Borodino. We can turn to history in the same way, because this is the experience of other people, and everyone is able to find in the past someone who could be close to him, in whom he could see himself. Therefore, we must not forget the history of our people, it is a storehouse of wisdom!
And as a second example, we can recall the most famous book in the world - the Bible, namely the path of the Israeli people. When the Israelites found themselves in the desert, their only task was to believe in God and obey him, especially since they saw all the miracles being performed. It was because of disobedience that many lost their lives. But the most amazing thing is that their ancestors did the same thing 40 years ago. Then their disobedience also cost many lives. The Israelites once again disobeyed God's direct orders, resisted and began to grumble, which angered God, and he allowed the snakes to bite his people. This ended only after Moses begged God to have mercy on the people. To prevent such a situation from repeating itself, Moses left his testaments to his descendants, where he described the mistakes of his people and their consequences. This example convinces us that the history of our fatherland is an invaluable lesson for future generations. It must not be forgotten, otherwise everything bad that happened in the past will happen again.
Klyuchevsky once said that history is a lantern to the future that shines for us from the past. And there is nothing to add to this. How can you move forward if the lantern goes out? How quickly will a society advance if it finds itself in complete darkness, deprived of what constitutes its foundation? Of course, forgetting history will be a fatal mistake, because without the experience of our ancestors we will repeat their mistakes again and again.
Essay 3
I think that in general history should not be forgotten, even if it is not very pleasant - neither ours, nor the people’s, nor humanity. Why are we talking only about our own people? Maybe I consider myself a citizen of the world. Or I come from a multinational family! Here, as long as the versions of history among different peoples are not too different.
But if we talk specifically about our people, then it is clear that we must not forget their history, since it led to your life. Surely, the people of your people gave their lives in the war, for example, so that you could live now! And this is also important so as not to repeat old mistakes! If you better study the character of your people, it will be easier to predict the future. They say that everything repeats itself...
We are interested in the history of our ancestors, because the people are our big family. And the largest family is humanity. I think that in the future we will have to bring history to some common denominator so that it becomes the same for all people. With teleportation it will become difficult to figure out who is coming from where. Born there, studying in another hemisphere, attending classes in Antarctica... There will still be disputes about history! Here they wanted to celebrate the victory over the Mongol-Tatar yoke, that is, make an official holiday out of it for the whole country. So some of our republics were indignant! Just try to connect everything here and not offend anyone!
And if they talk about forgetting, then there is knowledge. If it exists, then it must be stored! If it’s not there, then you need to look for it... I like it when they restore the appearance of our ancestors, all sorts of battles. It brings history to life, it's not just about teaching dates! The story should be interesting, and it really is.
I think history should be made popular! Do not scare with boring paragraphs, but interest. Then everyone will want to better know the history of their people, others... Of course, there is no need to make a film about superheroes, but simply showing the material is exciting. Naturally, there is no need to get carried away with alternative history, where everything is changed for the sake of interest. I’m watching a channel on the Internet where they recreate a day in the life of a legionnaire, a knight and others. This is interesting! You are transported back to that era and you learn so much!
Of course, you also need to learn dates, it develops the brain after all, it helps to navigate in time. But it’s better to do this when there is already interest in the events themselves. If you immediately load yourself with dates and maps, you won’t want anything else.
I enjoy studying history (especially of my people), but I’m interested in something more exciting than textbooks, which is understandable. And I advise everyone to pay attention to our history - we have such a heroic people, so many interesting people and events!
