The new NVP training manual will be tested in five regions of Russia.

The textbook on basic military training, developed by Synergy University and DOSAAF with the participation of the Avangard Center for Military and Patriotic Education, will be piloted in five regions of Russia in 2026. This was reported in the press service of Synergy.

"In the new NVP textbook, we have combined theoretical knowledge and real-world experience. We focused on making the material accessible to young people and providing practical skills. Testing in five pilot regions will allow us to collect feedback from students and teachers and, if necessary, finalize the manual before scaling it to the whole country," said Vadim Lobov, President of the Synergy Corporation.

During a speech at the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation summarizing the joint activities of the Ministry of Defense with government agencies and organizations, Lobov spoke about plans to distribute this training manual in the regions of Russia. According to him, from May 1, the testing of the manual will begin in the Republic of Crimea and the Volgograd region, and from September 1 — in the Republic of Altai, the Altai Territory and the Novosibirsk region. The testing will take place in several dozen educational institutions in each region. During the lessons, teachers will mark which topics are most difficult for students and which ones are of the greatest interest. Based on this information, a report will be prepared, and based on the results of its review, in case of a positive conclusion, the manual will be included in the list of recommended educational materials at the federal level.

The educational edition includes modules on combat, fire, tactical and medical training, radiation, chemical and biological protection, UAV control, topography and communications. A separate volume is devoted to army hand-to-hand combat. The manual is supplemented with historical tabs about the exploits of the defenders of the Fatherland and the heroes of the SVR. The textbook's authors include professional instructors in physical, medical, and combat training, including participants in a special military operation, as well as military historians.

In February 2026, the course was presented at the federal level at a press conference at the Izvestia Training Center. The presentation was attended by State Duma Deputy Speaker Sholban Kara-ool and the heads of the organizations that developed the training manual.

In USSR schools, primary and pre-conscription military training was introduced in 1939 according to the law "On Universal Military Duty", adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 1 of the same year. Initial military training was conducted in all secondary schools from 5th to 7th grade. From 1992 to 2024, the subject "Fundamentals of life safety" with elements of basic military training took the place of NVP in schools and secondary specialized educational institutions. Since September 1, 2024, it has been replaced by the subject "Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland", which includes an extracurricular course of basic military training jointly developed by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

The specialists of the Avangard educational and methodological centers for military-patriotic education of youth, who have experience in developing methodological materials and teaching teachers of the subject "Fundamentals of security and Protection of the Motherland", are engaged in the training of instructors for teaching NVP courses throughout the country. Avangard centers have been operating in Russia since 2020, and the opening of the center in Kubinka was initiated by the governments of Moscow and the Moscow Region with the support of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The project was supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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