Battle of characters. The regional stage of the republican military-patriotic game "Orlyonok" gathered more than 100 young patriots.

A parade competition of marching and song, a shooting competition, assembling a Kalashnikov rifle, and a field military game. The correspondent of "VV" found out what challenges 14-16 year old teenagers had to face.

120 students from general secondary education institutions demonstrated fortitude, showed coordinated teamwork, and confirmed their status as patriots of their country.

– It is important to instill love for the Motherland in the younger generation from an early age. Young people should be ready to defend the Fatherland at any moment. "Orlyonok" is a hallmark of military-patriotic work. It is a decathlon where teenagers demonstrate skills directly related to the defense of the Motherland. They try their hand at shooting, drill training, handling weapons, and tactical actions in the field. This is a real school of life. Not only boys but also girls from all over the region participate in the competition. Here they learn to take responsibility, trust their comrades, and make decisions in a split second. It is no coincidence that the territory of the Vitebsk State Technical College became the venue for the event. The institution is headed by a Komsomol member, a friend and mentor to the youth, Alexander Losyakin. Moreover, it has the strongest primary organization of the BRSM, – noted Zhanna Naritsyna, First Secretary of the Vitebsk Regional Committee of the BRSM.

12 teams had to go through 4 stages of competition, which started with a review competition of drill and song "Each of us is in formation!" The jury assessed appearance, drill posture, clarity of command execution, and performance of patriotic songs.

– When preparing for the regional stage, the emphasis was placed on the review competition of drill and song. Not everyone was familiar with the drill step, so it took a lot of time to hone every movement. We were worried about the team competition, but everything went successfully. For me, "Orlyonok" is an opportunity to test my strength and prove myself, – emphasized Matvey Zhukov, a participant from the Rossony district.

Next, the participants faced the "Accurate Shooter" challenge. The air rifle shooting competition required maximum concentration from the participants.

– During the military field training, our team practiced assembling and disassembling weapons and attended shooting classes. After the training, we continued to prepare for the competition, so we are determined to win today. It is useful for young men to undergo such trials because we must be able to stand up for ourselves, our family, and our Motherland, – said Dmitry Konovalov, a participant from Orsha.

The final challenge of the military-patriotic competition was the militarized game in the field "Team Time". Here, teamwork, navigation skills in unfamiliar terrain, tactical training, and the ability to make decisions in an extreme situation were tested.

According to the results of the regional stage, the team that took 1st place will have the right to represent the Vitebsk region at the republican stage of the "Orlyonok" game, which will be held from June 14 to 16.