Abstract. Sharp decrease in the society's level of morally-spiritual development brings up a prior task of patriotic education as the factor overcoming negative trends among young people. The authors suggest discussing the problem of patriotic education through teaching and educational process in a higher school of medicine.

The problem of patriotic education is one of the most burning ones in the contemporary Russian higher education. It sharpened during Post-soviet period, when reevaluation and ideological shift were under way.

In XIX Russia entered the new level of development but inherited plenty of economical, political, social and other kinds of problems from the gone epoch, Great changes took place in morally-spiritual sphere of the life activity of the Russian society. The educational potential of art and culture decreased significantly. The winds of change left a strong impact on the domestic educational system which endured all negative and positive circumstances of the transitional period. As a result patriotism as a socially valued quality lost its significance and its role for youth sharply decreased.

It is generally known that the development of patriotism and love of motherland must be guided since early age within the family and then must develop along with other social institutions when the outlook base of the personality is being founded. The special importance of the coordinated solution to the problem must be emphasized. However the modern realities are such that the society almost completely delegated the power to the educational system thus making the problem more complicated.

Under the present-day circumstances when we speak about the revival of Russia the patriotic education has started playing a main role as a catalyst of the process. The above mentioned point is eloquently testified by a number of state documents having been adopted recently. First of all, it is the State Programme "Patriotic Education of Russian Federation citizens from 2001 to 2005" (approved by the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of the February 16, 2001 №122); the Concept of Patriotic education of the citizens of the Russian Federation (approved by Government Committee on social issues of the military, citizens retired of military service and their family members, minutes № 2(12)-П4 of the May 21, 2003); State Programme "Patriotic education of Russian Federation citizens for 2001-2005" (approved by the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of the July 11, 2005, №422) and others. Besides the programmes of youth patriotic education are adopted on the regional and departmental levels. The common idea of all above-mentioned documents is that their implementation must "promote the maintenance of social stability, restore of national economy, and strengthening of national defense capability" [1]. It is added that "patriotic education is a systematic and purposeful activity of the official bodies and organizations to develop patriotic conscience of citizens, the sense of faith to their motherland, eagerness to fulfill their civic duty and constitutional obligations to defense the interests of the Motherland" [2]. The mentioned documents set the same goal, anyway, this goal is "the development of the system of patriotic education of the citizens of the Russian Federation, the system developing patriotic feelings and consciousness and providing on the base of them the solution to the problems on social consolidation, maintenance of social and economic stability, strengthening the unity and friendship of the peoples of the Russian Federation" [3].

It should be noted that the resolution of the mentioned problems is a very complicated process especially under the circumstances that the previous system of patriotic education was damaged and the new one is only developing now. Its development at the moment depends directly on the predetermination of constructing "a new mentality", "universal human self-awareness etc. A similar system has brought in new values basically different from common Russian state forming ones. Moreover they came into conflict with the previous ones and the denouement is quite soon to be expected. However, a conflict-free resolution of the problem is still may be found, if a new system is formed with the indispensable respect to the existing traditions provided.

Teaching and upbringing are integral notions. The unity of the process must be formed on the base of rich spiritual and universal cultural traditions of the developing of the patriotism and patterns of international relations. It's for them to play the most important role in social, civic and spiritual moulding of the personality, they give the base to strengthen the love of Motherland, responsibility for its power and independence.

Educational process is one of the main aspects of the patriotic education system in the university. The success of the whole system depends greatly on the process handling. There are no trifles in this handling, it is the application of new educational technologies which is important as well as the close contact with museums, theaters and other cultural offices based on the design and implementation of long lasting programmes. But the focus on world outlook takes a special place, it plays a key role in the moulding of the patriotic personality. In the connection to it the mission of liberal arts is considered greatly significant as it is up to them to play the role of state ideology conductor, to form the proactive life philosophy. To solve the task of patriotic education in the higher school is not impossible. Furthermore it is determined by "State Educational Standard on Higher Professional Education" within the syllabi of the humanitarian disciplines: National History, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Education Science, Political Science.

The structure of the educational process must include the following basic components:

- continuous renewal of the educational content;

- relevance and maximum response to the state demand;

- students' understanding the importance of the taught subject;

- an attentive approach to the past of this country;

- the maintenance of continuity between the past and the present;

- the integrity of the patriotic education with the economic and political problems.

It should be noted that a special role in the organizing of the student upbringing is played by the teacher's personality, their professional efficiency, creative approach to the work, longing to constructive cooperation, moral and psychological impact on the audience, the significance of their opinion for students.

The strengthening of the patriotic education in the teaching process is possible if a syllabus includes the patriotic sections giving information about the life activity and achievements of national scholars, teachers, workers of industry, culture and art. The syllabus must provide

- topical lectures devoted to the memorable dates of the state and university history;

- writing of the reviews covering key events in national history as well as important present-day events;

- Olympiads, contests, discussions on burning problems of Russian history, world and national philosophy, culture, politics.

Teaching of arts must pay a special attention to such concepts as "selfless service to Motherland", "civic duty", "honour" etc.

We consider it crucially important and vital to develop new subject groups and maintain the existing ones, the work in which could significantly broaden the outlook and intellectual horizon of students and foist them the skills of reasonable time management. It is vitally important to support the activity of history group learning the History of Russia, region, city. The members of this group could find, learn and examine unknown historical events or papers. Such activity besides its obvious patriotic inclination supposes learning the skills of research work and it contributes furthermore to the development of unflagging interest to the fruitful intellectual labour. It goes without saying that such activity must be accomplished in close cooperation with museums, research funds of big libraries, and other cultural offices and social institutions. Such contacts to our mind must contribute not only to the acquiring the skill of constructive research but also to the development of one's own route of the effective cooperation with offices and individuals relating anyway to the examined problem.

Besides, the following kinds of activity are effective enough to give a patriotic education:

- arrangement of continuously working exhibitions devoted to the burning problems of national activity, life of region, university, field of industry? science or culture;

- arrangement and conduct of student research and practical conferences;

- the establishment of the fund of students' research projects;

- publishing of the students' research papers in the university periodicals.

Thus, the problems of patriotic education are crucially important and vital issues in the system of the upbringing a patriotic citizen, who is eager to devote their activity to Motherland welfare. The partial realization of these issues is possible within the teaching of Arts in the university with the integral policy of patriotic education in the university provided, along with the creative approach of the academic stuff, reasonable initiative, directed at the motivation of academic and research activity of students.