Domestic Sports Songs as a Source of Historical Memory Formation among Student Youth

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Blonsky L.V.
The Pushkin State Institute of the Russian Language, Moscow

Keywords: domestic music, songs about sport, historical memory, Russian history, Russian sport, students

Introduction

In the humanities, a substantial body of research has examined the phenomenon of patriotism and historical memory formation among youth through the medium of music [1]. Nevertheless, many dimensions of this phenomenon remain underexplored. This study seeks to investigate how Russian songs about sport influence the formation of historical memory among university students.

Research objective

To assess the extent to which domestic songs about sport contribute to the formation of historical memory among student youth.

Methodology and research organization

The study was conducted at the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy between September 2023 and December 2024. A total of 225 first-year full-time undergraduate students participated. Over four practical sessions within the course “Fundamentals of the Russian State,” students were exposed to four representative Soviet and Russian songs about sport: “Song about Hockey Players” (1967), “Heroes of Sport” (1972), “Russia Will Win” (2012), and “Olympic Waltz” (2014). Following each listening session, participants completed a structured questionnaire to evaluate their perceptions.

Results and discussion

When asked whether the historical era depicted in the songs was accurately recreated, 84.7% of respondents answered affirmatively. Notably, 82.7% of participants believed that the historical authenticity of the Soviet-era sports songs was more convincingly portrayed than that of contemporary Russian songs. Only 17.3% found the modern Russian songs more historically convincing.

Regarding the portrayal of the national character of Russian athletes, 74.6% of respondents felt it was depicted more authentically in Soviet-era songs, while 25.4% favored the contemporary Russian compositions.
On the question of the role these songs play in preserving historical memory of specific eras in Russian sport, an overwhelming 94.6% of respondents affirmed that these musical works perform a very important role in maintaining collective historical consciousness.
Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that domestic songs about sport serve as powerful cultural instruments in shaping and preserving historical memory among student youth. The Soviet-era compositions, in particular, are perceived by students as more authentic and emotionally resonant representations of Russia’s sporting heritage. These results underscore the enduring pedagogical potential of music as a vehicle for transmitting historical narratives, national identity, and patriotic values within higher education contexts.

References
  1. Saratovtseva, N.V. (2017) Rol’ muzyki v patrioticheskom vospitaniy sovremennoy rossiyskoy molodezhi [The role of music in patriotic education of contemporary Russian youth]. Nauchno-metodicheskiy elektronnyy zhurnal «Kontsept», 31, pp. 711–715.