The article discusses the possibility of using local history material (the history of one’s hometown) to instill in schoolchildren love for the «small» Motherland, and through it, love for the Fatherland. An example is the course «Irkutsk Knowledge», the teaching of which began in Irkutsk schools in 2020-2021. The purpose of the article is to talk about the Irkutsk experience of introducing the regional course “Irkutsk Studies” in city schools. The objectives of the article are to give a historical insight into the experience of studying the native land in pre-revolutionary Russia, to show the role of municipal institutions: MKU «Information and Methodological Center for Educational Development « and MBUK Museum of the History of Irkutsk named after A. M. Sibiryakov in the formation and development course «Irkutsk Studies». The difficulty for teachers teaching this discipline is that there is no single methodological guide or textbook for students. In the absence of a textbook, the information and methodological center for the development of education in Irkutsk (MKU «IMCRO») regularly holds events for teachers teaching Irkutsk studies: scientific and methodological seminars and conferences. Active support for the formation and development of the course «Irkutsk Studies» is provided by the MBOU Museum of the History of Irkutsk named after. A. M. Sibiryakova: in particular, annually holds a children's historical and local history conference «My City» in which students from secondary educational institutions of Irkutsk present their projects dedicated to the history of our city. Research results: introduction into the school course of interdisciplinary subjects with a local history focus (the so-called regional component), devoted to the study of history, literature, culture, geography of the native land, contributes not only to the development of cognitive activity, but also to the formation of regional identity in students.

Keywords: regional component, local lore, education, patriotism, regional identity