MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Russian soldiers and officers, raised by the Russian school and teachers, are heroically doing their duty as part of the special military operation, defending people from terrorists, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday as he addressed members of an educational program.

"As we know, soldiers and officers of the Russian army, raised by our schools, our teachers, mentors, are now valiantly, heroically doing their duty, defending Russia, our people, protecting them from neo-Nazis and terrorists, those who have for eight years tortured and killed people in Donbass, those who killed Daria Dugina in Moscow, those who committed another terrorist attack, another crime today," he said.

He said that the historical mission of the national education system has always been to teach civic consciousness and patriotism, responsibility for the fate of the country.

The president brought up the works of teachers Anton Makarenko and Vasily Sukhomlinsky, as well as the daily feat of teachers during the Great Patriotic War, the asceticism of masters of industrial training, who, together with their students, built factories and enterprises in the post-war period.

"The word, the wisdom of teachers inspired students to scientific, technological triumphs, technological records and so on, served as a reliable guideline in work, in their chosen profession at the time of the most difficult trials," he added.

The president said that 2023 has been declared the Year of the Teacher and Mentor in Russia in honor of "hundreds of thousands of wonderful, dedicated people of different generations." According to Putin, this is a "wonderful occasion to say thank you" to everyone who is engaged in the education of new generations.

"I am sure that all of us share the most sincere feelings of gratitude and appreciation for our teachers, who helped us at the beginning of our life and professional path, shared not only knowledge, but also warmth, were proud of our victories, which, as [poet] Andrey Dementyev said, make up the happiness of the teacher," the Russian leader said.

Putin stated that the point of the Year of the Teacher and Mentor is to draw society's attention to the work of people who devote their time and energy to children and youth, and therefore to our common future. The head of state said that "it’s necessary to talk more about the colossal contribution that teachers and mentors have made and are making to the success and achievement of the whole country."

"The historical mission of the national education system has always been to teach civic consciousness and patriotism, responsibility for the fate of the country," Putin said.