«PATRIOTIC CULTURE» AS A SCIENTIFIC CATEGORY

The phenomenon of patriotic culture is considered in the state and regional programs on patriotic education of youth, which is a strategic course of the state policy of the Russian Federation. Socio-political changes in Russia have led to a change in spiritual and moral values among young people. There is a tendency of losing patriotic consciousness in the younger generation. In this situation it is patriotism and culture which ensure the integrity of Russian society, state immunity, independence and preservation of historical and patriotic heritage. The concept patriotic culture is studied by many researchers. Researchers pay attention to the complexity and multidimensionality of the interpretation of this phenomenon. The author defines patriotic culture of students as scientific knowledge of the history of state, its traditions, ideology, the essence of patriotic duty and love for your motherland. The author distinguishes cognitive, sensory-emotional and activity components in the structure of patriotic culture. The formation of patriotic culture of university students is defined as a specially organized step-by-step process of students acquiring the ideal objectivity produced by culture in the context of identifying patriotic culture according to the goals and objectives facing future professionals. The formation of patriotic culture of students on the basis of the components mentioned above should be based on understanding of internal needs of an individual that emerge in the process of studies at university. The process of the formation takes place in the classroom during the study of disciplines of the chosen specialty, as well as during psychological and pedagogical practice, which clearly shows the level of the acquired patriotic culture and the culture of interpersonal and interethnic relations of students.