This paper considers the paradoxically currently existing in the field of patriotic education in Russia. The paradoxically, in essence, is a set of contradictions caused by two major factors. From one side, there is a demand for a well-organized system of patriotic education that enables individuals to develop on the bases of spiritual and moral values traditional for the domestic society. This factor is of vital importance for the existence of the State of Russia. On the other side, the current domestic education system encourages development, largely uncontrolled, of individuals with obvious cosmopolitan attitudes and signs of colonial or semi-colonial mindset. This factor contributes to the risk of disintegration of Russia. The paper discusses the nature of the paradox and how it is seen from the spiritual and moral education perspective. The author attempts to resolve the paradox by justifying the need to accept such notions as "patriot" and "patriotic education" as defined within the context of the Orthodox-based pedagogical approach.