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.