Military History in Games: The Boundaries of Reality

      An educational forum organized by the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), "Military History in Games: The Boundaries of Reality," was held in Moscow.

      The forum brought together Russia’s leading historians, educators, game developers, esports players, and representatives of professional and youth communities. Experts gathered to discuss the role of historical accuracy in video games.

      "The popularity of computer games is growing every day. Children and adults are spending more and more time on this activity, which prompts us to think about how to use games for good—primarily for education and development. The gaming format is popular among young people. It can become an excellent tool for educational outreach. The video games we will talk about today stimulate interest in studying history," noted Vitaly Martynyuk, Executive Director of the Russian Military Historical Society. He recalled that with RVIO’s participation in 2014 the computer game Ilya Muromets was developed. It is dedicated to the world’s first Russian strategic bomber, which carried out missions during the First World War. It is a predecessor of modern strategic aviation aircraft.

      Artur Berlov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy of the City of Moscow, conveyed greetings on behalf of the Mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin:

      "In the modern world, games are becoming not just entertainment, but a powerful tool for learning about the past, capable of attracting the attention of the younger generation to important historical events. Military-historical themes in the gaming industry open new horizons in the field of education and enlightenment. They help preserve the memory of the heroic past of the Fatherland and convey it to future generations in an engaging format.

      The Moscow government pays great attention to popularizing historical knowledge and developing creative industries. We are grateful to the Russian Military Historical Society for organizing this important event in the capital. The forum serves as a platform for constructive dialogue between historians, experts, game developers, and representatives of youth organizations. I am convinced that the discussions will result in new interesting and high-quality projects rooted in a love of history and the Fatherland, aimed at preserving and strengthening the traditional spiritual and moral values of our people," the greeting read.

      Alexey Goreslavsky, General Director of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Internet Development Institute" (IRI), also addressed the forum’s guests and participants. He noted that 62 percent of Russia’s population sometimes spend their leisure time playing games, including computer, mobile, and board games. The Internet Development Institute pays great attention to supporting domestic producers of game content.

      The forum was organized by the Russian Military Historical Society with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation as part of the national project "Youth and Children." Rostelecom acted as a partner of the forum.

      Special guests at the event included veterans of the Special Military Operation and Heroes of Russia Ivan Boldyrev, Anton Starostin, Igor Yurgin, as well as recipients of the Order of Courage Roman Grishin and Sergey Proklov.

      "We are ready to share our experience, ready to advise and help. Now, together with the developers, when we are on various platforms, we will be happy to listen to you and answer all your questions," said Hero of Russia Igor Yurgin, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Upbringing, Additional Education and Children’s Recreation, and participant in the "Time of Heroes" program.

      "Today, games are not just a hobby but a direct tool for working with youth, a means of obtaining not only entertaining but also useful information. By playing games, there is now an opportunity to at least virtually immerse oneself in the events that our people had to experience, and to at least somewhat feel what our people had to endure.

      Today on this platform are developers, teachers, military bloggers and journalists, and our youth. I hope this day will be memorable for you, that you will gain new knowledge and make use of it in the future," noted Hero of Russia Anton Starostin, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Youth Policy of the Republic of Crimea, Adviser to the Head of the Republic of Crimea, and participant in the "Time of Heroes" program.

      The forum featured thematic sessions: "Historical Accuracy in Games: Between Truth and Fiction," "Cultural Code and National Identity in Video Games," "From the Chessboard to the Digital Universe: Games as a Form of Cultural Policy," and others. Participants included Doctor of Historical Sciences and member of the RVIO Scientific Council Yuri Nikiforov; Konstantin Podstreshny, director of the media agency Navigator; Boris Sinitsky, product director of World of Tanks; Alexey Koptev, CEO of the Siberia Nova studio; Daniil Tuseev, producer of the IL-2 game series; Maxim Lozovsky, head of GR at Mir Hobby; Artemiy Bolshakov, CEO of Pioneers of Game Art LLC; and others.

      One of the key moments was the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Russian Military Historical Society and the Russian studio Game Art Pioneers. The document lays the foundation for joint work on high-quality projects that combine historical accuracy with game mechanics. A series of multi-genre games, created literally on the basis of history textbooks, is intended to be integrated into the educational process as supplementary materials, with export potential as a tool of "soft power."

      Interactive zones for young visitors were available at the forum: a cyber tournament for the game Frontline, a game library with historical board games, large-scale gaming spaces, and a hackathon for novice developers.

      The final discussion drew particular interest and included Mark Mozhalsky, President of the Federation of Bloggers of Russia; director and composer Mikhail Medalin; public figure Maxim Petrenchuk; head of development at Game Art Pioneers Sergey Aleksashenko; and a special guest — esports player Grigory Korolyov ("Grisha Putin"), who has repeatedly voiced support for the Special Military Operation within the global gaming community.

      As forum guests noted, games can be not only entertainment but also a powerful tool for education, fostering among teenagers an interest in history and respect for Russia’s past.

      Alexander Egorov, head of VK Play Media: "The Russian gaming industry has confirmed the presence of first-class specialists and a powerful technical base. However, game development is currently going through a period of 'turbulence': the PC games market is not showing significant growth, but it is not declining either, and forecasts remain optimistic. The main task of the industry is to strengthen trust: Russian players must believe in domestic PC games, and developers must believe in their audience."

      The forum became not only a platform for exchanging opinions but also a starting point for systemic cooperation between the gaming industry and education. Its results confirmed that the digital era requires new approaches to working with Historical Memory, and games can become one of the most effective channels for engaging young people in the study and preservation of the history of the Fatherland.