Project «NеNorma»

Underwear, balaclavas, and stretchers: how child labor is used for the army in Russian schools

2026-03-25T13:55:34+00:00

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, schools have become increasingly involved in supporting the army. By the fifth year of the war, some of them have effectively turned into “sewing units,” producing military supplies directly during classes and in large quantities.

According to a joint study by «Ne Norma» and «Verstka», at least 1,017 schools across 77 regions reported on their official VK pages that students make items for participants in the war during “Technology” (labor) classes.

“The girls carefully stitch seam after seam, skillfully threading elastic bands. They turn pieces of fabric into underwear,” — wrote one school.

“During technology classes and in their free time, students sew identification armbands, bedding, and orthopedic pillows for SMO soldiers,” — reported another.

“Sewing underwear is a way to show our support and solidarity with those defending our country,” — stated a school administration.

During labor classes, students have produced at least 57 types of military supplies.

▪️ Sewing clothing and bedding — from underwear and socks to pillows and pillowcases.

▪️ Making elements of equipment — chevrons, “friend-or-foe” armbands, knee pads.

▪️ Weaving camouflage nets, hoods, helmet covers, and “Kikimora” suits.

▪️ Assembling medical supplies — stretchers, tourniquets, hospital pillows.

Trench candles and camouflage nets are the most common items made by children. In many cases, this is large-scale production. For example, in the Moscow region, students in grades 5–9 sewed at least 408 “bone-shaped” pillows and 124 pillowcases for hospitals over 14 months during class.

Labor classes are a mandatory part of the curriculum, which makes refusing to participate in such activities effectively impossible. And the longer the war continues, the more schools involve children in this work.

❗️Read the full investigation by Ne Norma and Verstka on how Russian schools have turned into “sewing units” and how child labor is used for the army here: https://verstka.media/detskie-shveybaty-kak-shkolnikov-zastavlyayut-rabotat-na-nuzhdy-armii

Or here without VPN

Cover: Dmitry Osinnikov, Verstka

“One can serve the theater, one can serve the country”

2026-03-23T18:41:38+00:00

Today, Russian schools held another session of “Conversations About Important Things”. As part of a lesson on the Bolshoi Theatre, students were told about its history, global recognition, and significance for the country, as well as the idea that theater is not only art but also a space for “spiritual enrichment,” creative labor, and collective service to culture.

According to the lesson script, teachers described the Bolshoi Theatre as a national treasure and one of Russia’s key symbols, calling it a place where historical memory and continuity between generations are preserved.

Students were shown an interview with Bolshoi Theatre director and Putin confidant Valery Gergiev. He stated that the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” is considered Russian despite being written by a foreign author, and spoke to children about the concept of service:

“One can serve the theater, one can serve the country, one can serve traditions.”

Older students were shown a fragment from the program Besogon TV, in which Nikita Mikhalkov argues that greatness never becomes outdated, no matter what new technologies emerge.

“By rejecting everything that people who created our country and our history believed in, we deprive ourselves of a future — and that is probably the worst thing that can happen. It seems strange only to those who think about it. The fearlessness of the unthinking is madness,” — says Mikhalkov.

As additional material, students are encouraged to watchthe film “Cultural Rear Workers.” In the film, a Siberian writer speaks at a concert opening in Irkutsk, telling stories about wartime life in the city and the importance of cultural life during the war.

“Those on the home front have a different kind of war. Talent inspired hope and motivated people to acts of heroism,” — the writer tells the audience.

Subtitles in the film note that more than 200,000 people took part in Irkutsk’s cultural activities during the war years.

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-03-20T14:21:08+00:00

Drone lessons in kindergarten, contract army recruitment inside schools, the letter Z as a “vibe of history,” a new course on “how to love the Motherland,” and special schools for “bad behavior” — here’s what stood out this week in Russian education.

📌 Drone operation lessons for preschoolers

In a kindergarten in the Belgorod region, preschool children were shown how to operate drones using controllers, VR headsets, and simulators. The session was organized by the military training center “VOIN.” According to the report, each child was able to “feel like a drone operator” and gain basic engineering skills.

📌 Schoolchildren introduced to contract military service

At a gymnasium in the city of Artyom, a military serviceman delivered a presentation titled “There Is Such a Profession — Defending the Motherland.” According to students, the school also displayed stands with the “correct” version of events from 2014 and 2022, and placed leaflets in hallways promoting contract service and enrollment in military training centers.

📌 “Feel” the letter Z

At a gymnasium in Zheleznogorsk, students were asked to experience the so-called “vibe of history” during a lesson. Two men in “military-style” uniforms showed children a slogan: “Feel the symbol. Feel the history. Z is not just a letter. It’s the vibe of history.”

📌 New “patriotic” course for younger students

Starting September 1, schools will introduce an extracurricular course titled “My Family” for grades 1–4. Children will be taught “how to love their fellow citizens and the Motherland,” as well as traditional spiritual and moral values and family relationships. The Ministry of Education claims the course will not be mandatory and schools may adopt it voluntarily.

📌 Special schools for “bad behavior”

A draft law has been submitted to the State Duma that would allow schools to transfer students aged 11–18 to specialized institutions for repeated disciplinary violations. The authors say the measure will affect only a small group of children but will have a broader disciplinary impact. In their view, schools currently lack sufficient tools to manage students under the age of 15.

The School from the Oscar-Winning Film

2026-03-19T15:04:05+00:00

The film "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," directed by Pavel Talankin, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film is based on footage shot at School No. 1 in the city of Karabash, Chelyabinsk region, during the first years of the war, where Talankin worked as a videographer.

What is happening at the school now?

Over the past few months alone, dozens of “patriotic” events have been held there. For Defender of the Fatherland Day, the school hosted a ceremonial assembly with children in military uniforms and a meeting with a participant in the war against Ukraine.

“Patriotic education” begins as early as primary school. Younger students take part in competitions involving drill training and military-themed performances. For grades 5–7, there are contests with tasks like “scout” and “don’t miss your target.”

In November, the school opened a “Hero’s Desk” in honor of a soldier killed in the war against Ukraine. Students are also involved in practical support for the military. For example, they collected waste paper as part of the campaign “Turn in paper — help SMO”, with proceeds sent to soldiers.

Even career guidance is tied to the military: ninth graders were taken on a field trip to a military aviation academy, where they were shown barracks and equipment.

❗️Talankin’s film is not about just one specific school. It shows from the inside how the Russian education system currently operates. What has been happening in School No. 1 in Karabash is typical for thousands of schools across the country.

❤️ But we found something positive as well. The school’s social media page still features a post from 2021 thanking Pavel Talankin, as a director, for organizing film screenings and discussions as part of the educational film festival “Growing Up Together.”

School Events Marking the Anniversary of Crimea’s Annexation

2026-03-18T17:22:26+00:00

Russian schools widely marked the twelfth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. Students took part in homeroom lessons, quizzes, meetings with “participants of the special military operation,” and dictations based on Putin’s quotes. In schools, the day was framed as an opportunity to “form patriotic consciousness” and discuss the country’s “unity.”

There were also militarized activities. For example, in the Kirov region, the date was marked with the game “Zarnitsa 2.0” , featuring tasks “close to real conditions,” as well as airsoft shooting competitions using Makarov pistols and meetings with “SMO participants.” In some regions, children were taken outside school grounds to attend rallies and concerts.

Among the most common formats were homeroom lessons titled “One Country — One History,” quizzes like “Crimea Experts,” and the campaign “Russia — a Family of Families,” during which students wrote dictations composed of Putin’s quotes.

“How a girl’s life changes with the arrival of a child during school years”

2026-03-17T13:32:06+00:00

Hundreds of Russian schools and colleges reported holding a “Week of Responsible Attitude Toward Pregnancy.” Educational institutions organized lectures, discussions, and “preventive” sessions on reproductive health and family planning. Even students in grades 7–8 attended so-called “healthy lifestyle” lessons.

“The health of every person is the foundation of the health of future children and a strong family,” — Fedorovskaya Secondary School.

In Tuva, a school medical worker held a discussion with 9th-grade students on a topic “that is important to talk about in time.” She explained “how a girl’s life changes when she has a child during her school years” and emphasized that “growing up is not only about freedom, but also about responsibility for one’s body.”

In senior grades, lessons were framed as “open conversations” about reproductive health. Teenagers were told about pregnancy planning, a “proper lifestyle,” and the need to prepare in advance for having children.

“A healthy child, born on time and without pathology, is every woman’s dream. That’s why pregnancy should be planned to address potential health issues of the parents in advance,” — Secondary School in Chernorechensky.

In the Ryazan region, Lyceum No. 52 published several posts with informational cards about pregnancy, vitamins to take six months before conception, and the “impact of the mother’s age on the health of future children.”

In the Altai Republic, girls attended a class where the following “proverb” was written on the board as a key message:

“If you want to destroy a lineage — corrupt its women.”

Discussions about “proper” pregnancy and the role of women are becoming a regular part of education — and they are now starting as early as kindergarten.

“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” wins Oscar for best documentary

2026-03-16T14:00:18+00:00

The film about school propaganda, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, has won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The award was presented at the 98th Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles.

Teacher Pavel Talankin from the Chelyabinsk region spent several years filming school assemblies, “Conversations About Important Things,” and patriotic education lessons. After leaving Russia in 2024, he took the footage with him and, together with American director David Borenstein, edited a documentary showing how Russian schools changed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and how propaganda became part of everyday education.

Accepting the award, Talankin said:

“For four years now, we have been looking at the night sky and making our most important wish. But there are countries where not stars fall from the sky, but rockets and drones. For the sake of the future, for the sake of children — stop all wars now.”

❗️This is a very important victory. Thanks to this film, even more people around the world have learned about what is happening in Russian schools.

For four years, our project Ne Norma has been documenting and analyzing the militarization and propaganda in Russian education. Talankin’s film shows from the inside how state propaganda has become part of everyday school life.

Congratulations to Pavel — and to everyone who stands against Putin, war, and the militarization of childhood.

“The future of our factories depends on you!”

2026-03-16T13:44:33+00:00

Today, Russian schools held another session of “Conversations About Important Things”. Under the theme “Factories of Russia,” students were taught about the role of industry in the country’s history, its importance for the economy and sovereignty, and the need to choose engineering and technical professions.

Following the official guidelines, teachers explained that “factories are not just places where things are made, but also part of the country’s security,” and that “Russian industry is the foundation of economic sovereignty and technological independence.”

“Therefore, today’s discussion is not just about professions. It is about the country’s security and independence. About why factories were defended and why their restoration was considered a matter of honor.”

Students were shown an interview with Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov. He said that Russia has “great potential” in unmanned aviation and encouraged young people to pursue careers in industry. According to him, there is currently high demand for engineers, technologists, and designers, and factory work is “well paid.”

Special emphasis was placed on the role of industry in wartime, noting that during World War II “industry also stood up to defend the Motherland.” College and technical school students were told that “without domestic production — there is no army, no country.”

A mandatory part of the lesson for older students was a segment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s program BesogonTV, where he reflects on bloggers and industrial workers, asking students to imagine what would happen if workers became bloggers.

“The future of our factories — and therefore the future of all of Russia — largely depends on you. Each of you can become a true professional who will make a significant contribution to the development of our Motherland,” — the teacher concludes the lesson.

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-03-14T14:50:09+00:00

"United Russia" campaigning in schools, mass surveillance of teenagers’ social media, a fine for speaking at a parent meeting, recruitment into drone units, and the full transition of schools to MAX — this is what another week in Russian education looked like.

📌 "United Russia" enters schools

Ahead of the State Duma elections, the ruling party "United Russia" began using schools as platforms for political campaigning, despite it being prohibited by law. Deputies visit students with fruit, toys, and gadgets branded with party symbols. In many cases, the campaigning is accompanied by military imagery.

📌 Mass surveillance of students’ social media

In the Sverdlovsk region, authorities reported the round-the-clock monitoring of 4.6 million teenage social media accounts. According to Deputy Governor Tatyana Savinova, when “prohibited” content is detected, signals are sent to the Ministry of Education and the school, after which “targeted work” is conducted with the family.

📌 All schools switched to MAX

Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov announced that all Russian schools have transitioned to the MAX messenger. According to him, it is now used for access to gradebooks, assignments, and enrollment services for kindergartens and schools. The move was justified as necessary to protect children from “destructive content.”

📌 Fine for speaking at a parent meeting

A resident of the Krasnoyarsk region was fined 15,000 rubles under the law on “discrediting the army” after speaking at a school parent meeting. She opposed fundraising for the Russian military, after which another participant reported her to the прокуратура (prosecutor’s office). She did not admit guilt, and the court based its decision on witness testimony and meeting records.

📌 Students recruited into drone units

At a lyceum in Yekaterinburg, an active drone operator gave a presentation to students about the “career prospects” in unmanned systems. The school administration stated that such meetings help foster patriotic consciousness and interest in technical professions.

“Dedicated to the anniversary of the liberation of Sudzha from the Fascists of the 21st Century!”

2026-03-13T15:22:15+00:00

Schools, libraries, and even kindergartens in the Kursk region held events marking the first anniversary of the “liberation of Sudzha from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” Children were told about the military operation “Potok,” shown documentary films, and involved in patriotic activities.

At Budanovskaya School, students attended a “hour of remembrance,” where they were told about the events of March 2025 and the “facts of Sudzha’s liberation,” followed by a minute of silence for the fallen. At Krivetskaya School, a “patriotic” discussion was held even for second graders.

“Such events help shape respect for the history of one’s homeland and a sense of pride in its heroic past among the younger generation,” — Krivetskaya Secondary School.

In many schools, including sports schools, the central element was screening the film “Sudzha. Iron Stream.” Students of School No. 30 were also made to weave camouflage nets and produce trench candles, described as “vital for soldiers on the front line.”

“Through this event, we once again became convinced that Kursk land has a heroic past and an equally heroic present,” — Dmitrievskaya School.

Some schools hosted meetings with participants in the war against Ukraine. For example, at School No. 15, a member of the Association of SMO Veterans led a “lesson of courage,” telling students about the operation “firsthand.”

Schools also organized poetry readings and art exhibitions dedicated to “215 days of courage” and the “anniversary of the liberation of Sudzha from the fascists of the 21st century.”

“There were works about weeping birch trees scarred by shrapnel, … and about a frontline father whose son asks forgiveness that fascists are once again trampling his land…” — Goncharovskaya School.

“Patriotic” events were also held in kindergartens across the region. In Kindergarten No. 127, a “Conversation About Important Things” was conducted, where a school student group — the “RODIMTSEVTSY” agit-brigade — performed a literary and musical composition about the war:

“Z is a banner, Z is resilience, Z is courage, Z is us. We are witnesses of victory, we are the ones who keep the flame, and as long as we remember, as long as we stand firm — Russia will stand.”

March 8 with a rifle: How Schools celebrated the Spring Holiday

2026-03-09T15:56:00+00:00

International Women’s Day is one of the most peaceful holidays. But in Russian schools, even it is used as an excuse to talk about war. On the eve of the holiday, schools across the country held “lessons of courage,” meetings with participants in the war and their relatives, and militarized competitions.

The largest initiative was the “To You, Beloved!” campaign organized by the Movement of the First. Across the country, schoolchildren congratulated women whose “children, husbands, and grandchildren gave their lives for their family and country or are standing guard over the Motherland.” According to organizers, children visited more than 10,000 military families.

Special attention was given to the theme of “women at war.” In St. Petersburg, school and university students attended a “lesson of courage” with the “first female hero of the ‘special military operation,’” Ekaterina Ivanova. In Krasnodar Krai, organizers invited the head of the "SMO assistance" headquarters to an event titled “Spring, Women and Victory.”

“What does a spring holiday have to do with military life? The most direct connection!” — School No. 3, Gulkevichi

Hundreds of schools held lectures such as “Women at War and on the Home Front” and remembrance lessons titled “War Has No Female Face,” dedicated to female pilots, snipers, and signalers of World War II, as well as women participating in combat in Ukraine.

“Such events help demonstrate the multifaceted nature of women — they can be not only keepers of the home, but also defenders of the homeland, doctors, engineers, and scientists. This helps break stereotypes and broaden young people’s understanding of women’s roles,” — Borodinskaya School No. 3.

Even festive contests were turned into military-style competitions. In the Amur region, organizers held a military-sports game “Girls in Uniforms–2026,” while in the Irkutsk region, they organized a military relay as part of the “Beauty of Yunarmiya” contest. Girls competed in assembling rifles, quickly putting on gas masks, and shooting.

Even one of the most peaceful spring holidays has been integrated into a militarized school calendar — where any date becomes a reason to talk about war.

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-03-06T16:47:23+00:00

Schoolchildren at a memorial event for Ayatollah Khamenei, a mandatory history exam, student recruitment into drone forces, advertising the assembly of combat drones for teenagers, and mass screenings of a propaganda film — this is how another week in Russian education unfolded.

📌 Children taken to honor Ayatollah Khamenei

In Astrakhan, members of Yunarmiya were made to take part in a memorial event at the Iranian consulate for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Flowers, candles, and soft toys were laid at his portrait, while walls featured quotes from Putin and texts condemning the United States and Israel. The event was described as “honoring the memory and spiritual legacy” of the Iranian leader.

📌 Mandatory oral history exam

Starting from the 2027–2028 academic year, all ninth-grade students will be required to take a unified oral history exam as a prerequisite for final state exams (OGE). According to Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, the exam will be held between January and April.

📌 Mass screenings of a propaganda film

School and university students across Russia are being shown the film “Betrayal” by VGTRK propagandist Andrey Medvedev. The Ministry of Education described it as a “socially significant product” with a preventive purpose. The film is based on interviews with people convicted in terrorism, sabotage, and extremism cases and is meant to “warn” teenagers about recruitment by foreign intelligence services.

📌 Teenagers encouraged to assemble combat drones

Alabuga Polytech and the Alabuga Special Economic Zone launched an advertising campaign encouraging underage students to combine their studies with assembling “Shahed” drones. In the videos, 16–17-year-old students talk about working in combat drone production and earning between 150,000 and 350,000 rubles per month.

📌 Recruitment into drone forces through violent imagery

At Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies, faculty dean Alexey Skrypnikov tried to motivate students to join drone forces by describing alleged atrocities by Ukrainian soldiers. During the meeting, he urged students to imagine “fascists” raping their relatives and shamed the audience for not wanting to go to the front.

“You can’t give birth to a patriot — you have to raise one”

2026-03-04T16:58:26+00:00

Across Russia, kindergartens are increasingly holding parent meetings dedicated to patriotic education of preschoolers.

We found hundreds of reports about such meetings in VK communities of kindergartens.

The topics speak for themselves:

“Raising future patriots”

“Patriotic upbringing in the family”

“Raising a patriot from early childhood”

“Creating conditions for raising a young patriot in cooperation with the family”

“The goal for parents was to improve their competence in the moral and patriotic upbringing of children,” — reported Kindergarten No. 6 in Ozernovsky.

At these meetings, parents take part in various “patriotic” quizzes, games, and training sessions. For example, in one kindergarten, parents were asked to describe what comes to mind when they hear the words “Motherland” and “patriot.” In another, they were divided into teams — “Pilot Caps” and “Girls” — and asked to form new words from the word “STATE.”

In Kindergarten No. 32, a psychologist was invited to speak with parents about the “peculiarities of how young children perceive patriotic values” and to give advice on how to reinforce these values at home.

“Patriotic upbringing of a child is the foundation for forming a future citizen. First and foremost, we must ensure that a small person becomes a ‘Person’ with a capital letter,” — Kindergarten “Golden Cockerel”.

Sometimes parents are also involved in joint activities with their children. For instance, Kindergarten No. 91 “Snegurochka” held a workshop titled “Letter to a Soldier,” which, according to organizers, is meant to instill in children a “sense of pride for their country.”

The main goal of these meetings, as openly stated in reports, is the “unification of efforts between kindergarten and family in patriotic upbringing.”

“Only through the combined efforts of the family and the kindergarten can we achieve results — raising a true patriot of the Motherland,” — Department of Education of Yoshkar-Ola.

Children are being massively taken to Registry Offices and “Married Off”

2026-03-03T10:18:32+00:00

Russian kindergarteners, schoolchildren, and students are increasingly being taken on excursions to civil registry offices (ZAGS). During these visits, teenagers are assigned roles of “bride” and “groom,” and mock wedding ceremonies are staged. As noted by Verstka, since the beginning of 2026, schools, colleges, universities, and registry offices themselves have reported such events more than a hundred times.

Educational institutions cite various reasons for these visits: career guidance, “Family Studies” lessons, or the celebration of different occasions. Posts often emphasize that these excursions are meant to promote “family values” and familiarize students with the “importance of family and love.”

“The children visited the reception area, the registration hall, and the archive. Staff explained that a strong family is the foundation of a strong state,” — Kindergarten No. 34 “Raduga”.

During some visits, registry office staff stage “weddings” — children exchange rings and sign a “marriage certificate.” In the village of Turinskaya Sloboda in the Sverdlovsk region, a school even published a video of such a “wedding.” In the Saratov region, two tenth-grade students were similarly “married”.

“The students were able to try on the role of newlyweds in practice… which allowed them to feel the importance and solemnity of the moment,” — School No. 12, Engels.

In recent years, reproductive propaganda targeting children and teenagers has intensified significantly. School communities on VK have turned into platforms for demographic messaging: they regularly promote the “benefits of large families,” discuss benefits for pregnant women, and encourage rejecting abortion and abstaining from sex before marriage. We examined this trend in detail in a joint study.

Schoolchildren threatened with real prison sentences

2026-03-02T10:49:28+00:00

Today, during “Conversations About Important Things” lessons in Russian schools, children were told not only how to avoid becoming victims of fraud, but also that it is impossible to fully hide online, and that any user “can always be found.”

Students were told that online scammers “specifically target teenagers,” and that many end up becoming accomplices in crimes. As an example, children were told the story of an 18-year-old who was deceived by scammers and now faces up to 20 years in prison under the article “terrorist act.”

“The more time we spend online, the higher the risks — from simple data leaks to real prison sentences for involvement in criminal schemes,” — a line from the teacher’s script.

Younger students were separately introduced to the concept of “digital sovereignty,” described as necessary “for the development of the state.” They were then shown a cartoon about nine-year-old Petya and ten-year-old Nadya, who, after responding to seemingly harmless requests from scammers, became accomplices and were tracked down by the police.

Students were told that any message online is “like a footprint in fresh concrete”: it cannot be fully erased, and even private chats in messengers remain accessible — meaning that law enforcement agencies “see and hear everything.”

For older students, videos were shown featuring teenagers who had fallen victim to online scams, with their faces blurred. They were told that deleted messages can be recovered and that no one can escape responsibility before law enforcement.

In colleges, students were encouraged to consciously affirm their civic identity, be capable of protecting the country’s sovereignty, and be ready to defend the homeland.

From “Novorossiya” to “Mother Earth”

2026-02-27T14:15:14+00:00

On the fourth anniversary of the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia launched the 7th historical and patriotic dictation “Bringing Victory Closer: Russia. Sovereignty. Future.” On February 24, it was held offline in St. Petersburg at the “Russia — My History” park.

“This is an opportunity to express your position, strengthen national self-awareness, and make a personal contribution to building national unity on the path to a shared Victory,” the organizers say.

Schools, kindergartens, and colleges активно encourage children aged 12 and older to participate online, promising certificates and a trip to St. Petersburg for top performers.

According to the organizers, this year the dictation впервые includes questions related to the “current political situation and the special military operation.” Out of 20 questions, none appear unrelated to the war against Ukraine, Putin, or the “current political situation.”

Students are asked when “Novorossiya” was founded — accompanied by the wording “Novorossiya is historically Russian land” — how many participants in the war in Ukraine have become “Heroes of Russia,” when the song “Mother Earth” was written, to draw parallels between the Russo-Turkish War and the “special military operation,” and to explain when and why the term “Russian Spring” first entered mass consciousness.

“Latin letters Z and V are placed on Russian military equipment, meaning ‘For Victory,’ ‘Strength is in Truth,’ ‘The task will be accomplished.’ When, where, and why did the tradition of writing something in white paint on combat vehicles originate?” children are asked.

A separate block of questions is devoted to Putin. Students must identify the stated goal of the “special military operation” announced on February 24, 2022, explain what is meant by “service to the Fatherland,” and name a project launched in 2026.

“For decades, Russian-language literature was systematically destroyed in Ukraine,” begins one question about a campaign to replenish the collections of educational institutions in the Kherson region.

In addition to text-based questions, participants are required to watch a trailer for the film “By Human Hands and Feet” about collecting humanitarian aid and write an essay on the topic “My personal contribution to Victory.”

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-02-27T13:54:39+00:00

Two billion for “patriotism,” “Kind Games” instead of “Conversations About Important Things,” drone textbooks, recruitment into military psychology, teachers against pacifist letters, and a BAFTA award for a film on school militarization — this is how the week in Russian school education unfolded.

📌 The army takes patronage over schools

In Bashkortostan, authorities approved a patriotic education program for 2026–2030 with a budget of 2.1 billion rubles. By 2030, officials aim to involve at least 75% of teenagers in patriotic organizations and 100% of students in профиль activities and training camps. One of the key directions is expanding military units’ patronage over schools, colleges, and universities.

📌 “Conversations About Important Things” turned into “Kind Games”

The Ministry of Education has renamed the “Conversations About Important Things” course for kindergartens to “Kind Games,” without publicly highlighting the connection between the two. According to the Institute for Education Development, it is an adapted version of the school program for preschoolers. As part of a pilot, children were taught — through games — about Russians’ readiness to unite in defense of the Motherland.

📌 Official drone textbook

Russia has published its first state-approved textbook on drones for grades 10–11. Students will be taught manual piloting, programming, and assembly directly in class. The Higher School of Economics stated that the course will allow teenagers to “try on the role of an entire aviation system.”

📌 “Here’s an example of how not to write”

At a lyceum in Ufa, students were forced to rewrite letters to the front because they expressed the value of human life and wished soldiers to “return home alive.” The homeroom teacher said such wording did not meet “standards” and suggested that parents “have a serious conversation” with their children about the value of military duty.

📌 Film about school propaganda wins BAFTA

The film “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” received the BAFTA award for Best Documentary. Director Pavel Talankin filmed footage in his school in the town of Karabash for two years after the start of the war, later storing the material on seven hard drives and secretly taking it out of Russia.

The Start of the War as a Source of Pride

2026-02-24T15:07:37+00:00

Today marks four years since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine. In terms of duration, it has already surpassed World War II, yet in Russian schools this is treated not as a tragedy, but as a reason for pride.

Each year, the number of schools and kindergartens that “mark” this date continues to grow. This year, the scale is especially noticeable: across the country, schools, technical colleges, colleges, and kindergartens held “lessons of courage,” meetings with “participants of the special military operation,” lectures, rallies, and commemorative events.

“War is not only sorrow and destruction, but also an eternal lesson in courage, resilience, and love for the Motherland,” — this is what Russian children are told during such events.

In the Lipetsk region, schools and technical colleges held a unified regional online “lesson of courage” dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the “special military operation.” Children were shown a video in which three participants of the war answered “patriotic” questions from a representative of the regional branch of the “Defenders of the Fatherland” foundation.

In the Orenburg region, medical college students were taken to an “SMO museum” located inside a local school, displaying personal belongings of soldiers and items brought from the front.

“This date has firmly entered the calendar as a symbol of decisive actions to protect state sovereignty and ensure the security of our Motherland’s borders,” — Buguruslan branch of OOMK.

In Udmurtia, a “lesson of courage” for 120 students was led by a member of the “Combat Brotherhood,” focusing on the “reasons for the start of the SVO” and the role of volunteers. In the Kaluga region, on the anniversary of the war, students were made to write letters to soldiers and weave camouflage nets.

“From now on, Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 23, will forever be inseparably linked in our memory with the eve and beginning of the SMO, proving to the whole world that truth is strength. And unity is strength,” — stated in one of the schools.

The most widespread initiative was the “Flowers for Heroes” campaign. In hundreds of schools and kindergartens, children laid flowers at monuments and “Hero Desks.” In the Orenburg region, students were brought to a cemetery, where they stood guard in the snow by the grave of a fallen participant of the war.

“What is happening in Ukraine now is called peace enforcement in international practice. The President and the army are now using professional military forces to destroy the military potential of a state created for one purpose — to subjugate Russia,” — teachers explain to children.

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-02-20T19:37:50+00:00

Interviews with war participants, rifles inside a church, lessons on “service,” a film about “traitors,” and pressure on parents to join MAX — this is what the past week in Russian schools looked like.

📌 The “new elite” talks about war

For Defender of the Fatherland Day, schools screened interviews with participants in the war against Ukraine who became members of the “Time of Heroes” program. In the videos, these “new” officials and leaders of patriotic organizations answer questions, including whether they had to kill at the front. According to school reports, the screenings were held for students of all ages, including in at least one kindergarten.

📌 Teenagers with rifles at the altar

In Obukhovo near Moscow, students from a military-patriotic center performed drill and firearms demonstrations inside a church for Orthodox Youth Day. The video appeared on the VK page of the Peter and Paul Church and was later deleted. In the footage, teenagers in camouflage handle rifles directly in front of the altar.

📌 Mandatory “service”

Starting next academic year, schools will introduce a course titled “Learning Through Service. Firsts,” which will become part of the mandatory curriculum. According to the Minister of Education, it will involve high school students in projects for the state and NGOs — from social initiatives to supporting the military. The course had previously been piloted as an extracurricular activity, including examples like “mini-kitchens for soldiers” and field drying units.

📌 Propaganda film instead of lessons

In Samara, students were shown the film “Betrayal” by VGTRK deputy director Andrey Medvedev instead of history and English classes. The film, about people convicted of terrorism and “extremism,” was recommended by the Ministry of Education for viewers aged 12 and older.

📌 Teachers told to boost MAX subscriptions

In Dagestan, teachers say they were instructed to secure at least 1,000 subscriptions to the state messenger MAX from each school, including parents. Work chats demand reports and subscriptions from staff and their families, while some parents report pressure on minors to install the app.

“Both Rus’ and Russia have been forced to wage numerous wars”

2026-02-16T15:04:46+00:00

Another round of “Conversations About Important Things” took place in Russian schools. The lesson, titled “A Hero from the Neighboring Yard,” was dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day. Teachers were instructed to convey to students that “true heroes are those who stand up to defend their Motherland and perform acts of bravery,” and that “a sense of pride and memory of the feats of ancestors” ensures the stable development of society.

The lesson consisted of two parts — a federal and a regional one. In the federal part, common to all regions, students were told that throughout its centuries-long history, Russia has repeatedly defended its independence from foreign invaders and has been forced to wage numerous wars.

“The idea of fighting an aggressor is a nationwide, traditional concept for Russia and is defensive in nature,” — a line from the teacher’s script.

Teachers were advised to conclude the federal part with a quote from the song “Father” by Shaman: “So that I could breathe, you won your final battle and became the brightest star in the sky forever.”

The regional parts of the lesson varied and were dedicated to “outstanding compatriots” from different historical periods: pre-1917, World War II, and the war against Ukraine. In this way, participants of the “special military operation” were effectively placed on the same level as WWII veterans in the eyes of students.

When discussing the war against Ukraine, teachers were instructed to cite Putin’s words that participants in the operation are “all heroes” and should be treated accordingly.

One part of the lesson included a video interview with military clergy — Archpriest Viktor Ivanov and Imam Khamza-khazrat Khafizov. In the video, they discuss service, the “Russian spirit,” large families, and the spiritual support of “SMO participants” on the front.

“I wish all young people to be patriots of their country, to study diligently, and in the future to become a pillar of our state, to do what depends on you,” — says the imam.

At the end of the lesson, students were invited to take part in the campaign “Our Defenders of the Fatherland” and were shown a video featuring “SMO participants” reflecting on heroism. Special attention in the video was given to the “Portrait of a Hero” campaign, which, according to organizers, involved 20,000 participants and is described as “a living dialogue and thousands of stories of courage and bravery.”

“To love your country, to be ready to defend your Motherland, even if it may cost you your life,” — says one of the servicemen.

Want to get into university? Learn to fight

2026-02-14T15:35:16+00:00

Graduates of the military-patriotic training center “VOIN” will now receive additional points when applying to universities. According to the center’s chairman, 32 universities in 13 regions of Russia, as well as in occupied territories of Ukraine, already recognize certificates of program completion.

At Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), students can receive up to 10 extra points on their Unified State Exam scores for military training; at RUDN University — 3 points. Universities in Kamchatka Krai and Murmansk Region offer up to 10 points, while in Belgorod Region — up to 5. The list, according to the center, will continue to expand.

“Every graduate of FEFU must possess not only professional skills but also be a true patriot: … able to defend their Motherland and their family,” — said rector Boris Korobets.

According to the leadership of the VOIN center, military training opens up “new opportunities for career development and further education” for school students.

“I believe this is a real social elevator for those who have completed our programs,” — added the chairman of the center.

❗️Extra admission points tied to the Unified State Exam are increasingly used as a tool to involve teenagers in pro-government and militarized structures.

We have previously written about how members of the Movement of the First are promised state-funded university places and admission bonuses. Similar mechanisms are used in Yunarmiya. Another example is the gamified project “Berloga,” launched by Putin after the start of the war. School students are offered up to 10 extra EGE points for learning drone operation and software development skills.

Chronicles of Indoctrination: Weekly Overview

2026-02-13T15:18:49+00:00

Shaman and MAX in university olympiads, lessons marking the anniversary of the Afghan war, studying eight-year-olds as future voters, and total surveillance of students after a rise in attacks — this is what stood out this week in Russian education.

📌 Shaman and the “national messenger” as new benchmarks for future journalists

At a journalism olympiad at the Higher School of Economics, school students were asked to write a news piece about Shaman’s performance in Pyongyang as one of the “main events of the year.” At Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, entrance exams now include questions about the “national messenger” MAX, war correspondents, and media promoting Russia’s agenda abroad.

📌 Children seen as future voters

The Kremlin has acknowledged that it is studying children as young as eight as future participants in the 2030 and 2036 presidential elections. Authorities are analyzing the values of younger generations and aim for domestically produced content to help shape “national identity.”

📌 Anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan

Russian schools widely held “lessons of courage,” rallies, and concerts marking the 37th anniversary of the Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Veterans of the Afghan war, participants in the war against Ukraine, and National Guard members were invited to speak with students.

📌 Monitoring instead of dialogue

Following a new wave of school attacks, authorities intensified monitoring measures — from collecting students’ social media links to compiling lists of “suspicious traits.” In some regions, teachers are required to track students’ appearance, interest in military topics, and behavior. Psychologists warn that such total surveillance increases alienation and may heighten risks rather than reduce them.

Young Anti-Fascist Heroes Day — now about the war in Ukraine

2026-02-10T15:53:42+00:00

February 8 is marked worldwide as the Day of Remembrance of Young Anti-Fascist Heroes — a date established by the UN General Assembly in 1964 in memory of children and teenagers who died in the fight against fascism. In Russian schools and libraries, this date has been repurposed as another occasion to talk to children about the war against Ukraine.

In the Pskov region, members of Yunarmiya were gathered at a local history museum and shown the documentary “Angels of Victory” — about underground pioneer groups in Donbas. Organizers claim the film explains “what we are fighting against today on the fronts of the special military operation”:

“From the film, viewers learn the deeper essence of Nazism and how the actions of Nazis during World War II are similar to those of today.”

In the Kostroma region, during a “lesson of courage,” students were told that “military history is repeating itself,” with examples of “young heroes of the SMO.” In the Kirov region, fifth graders attended a session titled “Five teenage heroes of the SMO our country is proud of.”

In the Sakhalin, Smolensk, Arkhangelsk, and Kemerovo regions, discussions about anti-fascist youth of the past were combined with stories about children and teenagers in the context of the war against Ukraine:

“The lesson also mentioned modern heroes… those who support participants of the SMO, demonstrating that the spirit of patriotism and selflessness is alive today.”

In Bashkortostan, a lesson dedicated to the commemorative date was titled “Heroes of Our Time.” A significant portion focused on stories of “feats by soldiers in the SMO zone” and discussions about “who today’s real heroes are.”

“Diplomacy as the shield and sword of the state”

2026-02-09T16:05:31+00:00

Another lesson from the “Conversations About Important Things” series was held in Russian schools, this time dedicated to the role of diplomacy. The lesson was built around the idea of a multipolar world and the “special mission” of Russian diplomacy on the international stage.

“We live in a world where, for a long time, one country or a group of countries dominated, imposing their rules on others. Modern Russian diplomacy advocates for a fundamentally different model — a multipolar world,” — a line from the teacher’s script.

Students were told that Russia has always been part of global dialogue, and that Russian diplomats have been able to find common ground with representatives of different countries while defending national interests.

“Russia’s foreign policy has always been led by people who placed service to national interests and the protection of sovereignty above all else. Today, the position of Foreign Minister is held by Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov,” — the teacher says.

A required element of the lesson for older students was watching a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s program BesogonTV. It featured Putin’s visit to Alaska, where he gifted an American a Ural motorcycle. The episode is presented as an example of diplomatic skills that, according to the lesson authors, are important not only in international politics but also in everyday life.

At the end of the lesson, students were introduced to the International Youth Festival, organized by decree of Putin. It is intended to bring together 10,000 children and young people “from all over the world.” According to the teaching materials, such large-scale events are regularly held in Russia.

A new “holiday” introduced in the Tula region — Day of Families of Defenders of the Fatherland

2026-02-06T16:05:26+00:00

Last November, Tula region governor Dmitry Milyaev, allegedly at the request of a “mother of many children whose son is an SMO participant,” introduced a new “holiday” — the Day of Families of Defenders of the Fatherland. It will now be observed annually on February 7.

“Throughout the week, ceremonial events will be held across the region in every municipality to honor and support the families of defenders of the Fatherland,” — regional authorities reported.

As usual, the involvement of schoolchildren and kindergarteners was mandatory. Dozens of educational institutions held “ceremonial” events, class sessions, and meetings.

Schools organized “Lessons of Courage,” which were meant to “make students reflect on the most important thing — the family and its role in raising a true Hero.” At School No. 61, a lesson was dedicated to a local resident killed in the war, while at School No. 17, two third-grade students were made to talk about their fathers “who have been participating in the special military operation since 2023.”

In some institutions, active participants in the war against Ukraine and their relatives were invited. At Pristantsionnaya School, two mothers of graduates currently fighting in Ukraine were invited, while at School No. 12 — “School of Growth” — a woman spoke whose brother was killed and whose son is participating in the war.

“The true strength of a hero is rooted in the love and support of their family, and duty to the Motherland begins with responsibility to one’s relatives and loved ones,” — Pristantsionnaya School.

Schools also held “unified class sessions” dedicated to the new date. At Ptanskaya School, the event was titled “Raising a Hero” and focused on “the importance of family in shaping a Hero.” At Lipovskaya Basic School No. 34, students discussed “what the family of a servicemember and defender should be like.”

At Kimovsk School No. 2, the entire day was devoted to the new “holiday”: it began with the national anthem, continued with children’s stories about the “real men” in their families, quizzes on military equipment, ranks, and branches of service, and ended with war poems, songs about soldiers, and the distribution of “symbolic hearts” to children of servicemen.

Kindergartens also gave significant attention to the new holiday. For preschoolers, institutions organized militarized sports competitions, “Lessons of Courage” about military branches and professions, and meetings () with war participants and their families. Children made “letters to soldiers”, drawings, and crafts in the form of angels and protective dolls, sang military songs, and talked about their fathers — “participants in the special military operation.”

This new “holiday” has become yet another element of children’s indoctrination and militarization. Russian schools and kindergartens already mark dozens of militarized dates — we have counted at least 70 military-related observances during the school year. The Tula region has now added one more.

Indoctrination Chronicles: weekly overview

2026-02-06T15:28:10+00:00

A puppet play about a soldier hare, surveillance of students’ social media, Orwell’s hero labeled a “destructive” character, and drone assembly in math classes — this is how the week unfolded in Russian schools and kindergartens.

📌 A play about a hare who “went to serve”

In Russian kindergartens, a puppet show was staged for February 23 about a hare who decides to join the army. In the story, fairy-tale characters conclude that military service made them stronger and more united. Administrations say such performances instill courage, friendship, and responsibility in preschoolers.

📌 Students’ social media to be monitored

In schools in Tatarstan, students in grades 5–11 were given consent forms for monitoring their social media and messaging accounts. Parents are asked to provide links to their children’s profiles and phone numbers to analyze “destructive content.” Regional education authorities claim the monitoring is voluntary and carried out with parental consent.

📌 The hero of 1984 labeled a radical

At School No. 4 in Tomsk, after watching a film adaptation of Orwell’s 1984, students were told that Winston Smith is a radical. A school report condemned him for “individual attempts to oppose a totalitarian regime,” “hatred of the Party,” and attempts to “undermine trust in it.” The discussion took place במסגרת an anti-terrorism education program.

📌 Math classes with drones

In Vladivostok, schools plan to introduce drone training into math and physics lessons. A pilot project is expected to launch in one of the city’s schools. Regional authorities say the goal is to develop engineering thinking and practical skills.

📌 Russian language in schools in occupied territories

Putin has instructed the development of special Russian language textbooks for schools in the occupied territories of Ukraine. He also proposed introducing a university course titled “Russian as a State Language.”

When war becomes the norm, violence enters schools

2026-02-04T16:23:55+00:00

Over the past 48 hours, three attacks have occurred in Russian schools. Yesterday in Ufa, a ninth-grade student opened fire with a pneumatic rifle at a history teacher and classmates. He had announced the attack in a Telegram channel and wrote that he was ready “to end up in prison.”

On the same day, in the Krasnoyarsk region, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, after a conflict with a teacher, attempted to attack her with a knife during a chemistry lesson. When that failed, she ran into the corridor and stabbed another student in the back.

Today, an even more severe incident took place in Krasnoyarsk. An eighth-grade student set a classroom on fire during an algebra lesson. She threw a flammable mixture into the room and then stood by the exit, striking anyone trying to escape with a hammer. Five students and a teacher were injured. One student suffered burns over 50% of their body and is in critical condition; two others have burns covering around 20%.

❗️The Krasnoyarsk attack is at least the seventh since the beginning of winter. In total, there were no fewer than eleven attacks on educational institutions in 2025.

These are not “isolated incidents” or a series of random tragedies. What is happening is directly linked to the aggressive militaristic propaganda that is being disseminated on a massive scale within Russian schools. War, violence, and death are being systematically normalized in children’s consciousness.

Schools regularly host “lessons of courage” with war participants and militarized games — in 2025 alone, more than three million children took part in stages of the Zarnitsa 2.0 program. Mandatory military training camps have been introduced, along with a new subject, Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland. Weapons are widely present in educational institutions, and children are taught how to use them by people with combat experience.

Children are being told that war is prestigious, honorable, and socially approved. In just the past three months, the school where the arson attack occurred today published five recruitment ads for contract military service on its official VK page. Teenagers are encouraged to “master a profession of the future”:

“This is an opportunity to earn up to 6 million rubles. Take a step into a new reality! Gamers get priority!”

Children are being socialized into the language of aggression and war. And as long as violence is methodically turned into the norm, these tragedies will continue.

“How is science connected to serving the Motherland?”

2026-02-02T14:16:40+00:00

Another lesson from the “Conversations About Important Things” series was held in Russian schools, dedicated to Russian Science Day. Students were told about the role of science in the country’s development and why it is important for state sovereignty. The key value emphasized by the authors of the lesson was patriotism.

Students were told about the “great contribution of Russian scientists” to the global history of discoveries. The lesson script stresses that “many discoveries that changed people’s lives around the world were made in Russia,” and claims that today scientists receive state support that helps them “generate new knowledge for the country and the world.”

In grades 5–7, teachers asked students to reflect on what unites scientists and heroes, guiding them toward the idea of “selfless service to the Motherland and to people,” and to consider how scientific work can be a form of serving the country.

“How do you understand the phrase ‘to work for the benefit of your country’?” — the teacher asks.

Special attention was given to sovereignty. Students were told that in a rapidly changing world, it is important for the state to have its own technological, digital, and food sovereignty, and that science is seen as a key tool for ensuring it.

At the end of the lesson, older students were shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s program BesogonTV, which claims that many ideas behind foreign discoveries actually originated with Russian scientists.

“This is just one hundred-thousandth or one millionth of what was created by the minds and efforts of talented people from Russia — both Russian and non-Russian, but rooted in Russian culture,” — Mikhalkov says.

How reproductive propaganda intensified in Russian schools amid the war

2026-02-02T14:10:04+00:00

Since the start of the war, school public groups on VK became a platform for demographic agitation. These pages regularly promote the “advantages of having many children,” benefits for pregnant women, and calls to reject abortion and abstain from sex before marriage.

To understand the scale of reproductive propaganda in Russian schools, «Ne Norma» and «Verstka» analyzed over 50 million posts from 30,000+ official school public groups on VK.

We selected posts mentioning demographic topics — pregnancy, childbirth, large families, abortion, chastity, and reproduction — and found that since 2021, Russian schools have published over 230,000 posts on these subjects.

“School years are a window of reproductive opportunity,” “The more children — the more happiness and state support,” “Want to start a new life? Just have a baby,” “My mom’s no ordinary lady — she’s a multi-child mama” — phrases like these have appeared regularly in Russian school pages in recent years.

Formally, this demographic propaganda isn’t mandated by federal regulations or educational standards. But the state’s demand for it is clear, and schools are responding. Sometimes, schools initiate lectures about increasing birth rates and the “dangers” of abortion on their own. Other times, they act under direct orders from regional authorities.

🔗 For more information on which regions' school publics were most active in writing about large families and chastity, how priests began providing sex education to schoolchildren, and the key message of demographic propaganda, read the joint study by the «Ne Norma» and «Verstka» projects at the following link (article in Russian): https://verstka.media/kak-na-fone-voiny-v-rossiiskih-shkolah-usililas-reproduktivnaya-propaganda

Cover image: Lyalya Bulanova, Verstka

«Business as service to the Motherland»

2026-01-26T15:10:47+00:00

Another lesson from the “Conversations About Important Things” series was held in Russian schools, this time посвящённый starting a business and entrepreneurship. Students were presented with the idea of “socially responsible business” as a form of modern patriotism and were told that one can register as self-employed from the age of 14.

According to the teaching materials, the teacher was supposed to explain that the country allegedly offers “one of the simplest tax systems in the world” for starting a legal business, and that new entrepreneurs “are not left alone with difficulties” thanks to state support measures.

“The state is ready to become your partner on this path, offering simple and fair tools for starting out,” — the lesson script states.

During the lesson, teachers were encouraged to discuss how business can become a form of serving the Motherland, and to ask what exactly an entrepreneur “gives back” to the state and society—beyond taxes—when receiving grants and benefits.

As an example of “business serving the Motherland,” older students were told about entrepreneur Vyacheslav Varyanikov. Since the start of the war, he has brought together dozens of businesspeople to collect aid for residents of the “liberated territories” and for military personnel. This case is presented as proof that a “true entrepreneur is a creator,” and that success is measured not only by profit but also by one’s contribution “to the future of the country.”

At the end of the lesson, older students were once again shown a fragment from the program BesogonTV, framing import substitution as part of national security and the “fight against sanctions.”

«A Guide for a Good Kindergarten Teacher». Analysis

2026-01-26T14:47:21+00:00

The Government of the Republic of Buryatia, together with the office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, has developed a methodological guide titled “A Guide for a Good Kindergarten Teacher.” The document was created as part of a project of “seamless patriotic education” called “Where the Motherland Begins.”

The authors describe the guide not merely as recommendations, but as a “full-fledged tool for improving the quality of patriotic education for preschool children.”

The booklet opens with a portrait of Putin and his quote that “the foundation of the future is patriotism.” The guide consists of five sections and three appendices.

The Russian anthem as a “civic prayer”

The first section introduces key concepts: “ideology,” “propaganda,” “patriotism,” and “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.” Propaganda is explicitly defined as “informing about ideology.” The authors suggest not being afraid of the term and compare it to promoting a healthy lifestyle, which they say “we certainly support.”

Special attention is given to the Russian national anthem, described as a “civic prayer.” Children and teachers are encouraged to treat singing the anthem as an act of collective unity.

“It was in Buryatia that the profound idea was first voiced: the Russian anthem is a civic prayer. When it plays, we all stand. Those who can sing do so, others recite the words silently. At that moment, we unite around our beloved Motherland.”

Raising not “armchair patriots”

The second section instructs educators to view all activities through a framework of “semantic decomposition”: informing → teaching → engagement → motivation, with motivation seen as the key outcome.

“Motivation is the most important element of patriotic education. We want to raise not ‘armchair patriots’ who love the Motherland abstractly from the comfort of their homes, but people who take practical actions for the benefit and development of the individual, society, and the country.”

A drunk hooligan with a gun is “good”

The third section focuses entirely on “traditional values.” Educators are encouraged not just to explain them, but to teach children to distinguish between good and bad actions and to internalize these values through play and interaction.

As an example, the guide presents a person “holding a gun”:

“We condemn a person who behaves like a drunk hooligan and harasses passersby, but we fully support that same person when he takes up a weapon to defend us and Russia.”

The “person of the future” and patriotism

The fourth section outlines seven value orientations of the “person of the future”:

Patriotism — love for the Motherland and responsibility for its fate;

Service — the moral foundation of a new elite;

Productive labor — self-realization within Russia;

Collectivism — rejection of the lone hero/individualist model;

Multinational identity — a source of strength and pride

Priority of traditional moral norms — intolerance toward extremism and sectarianism

Family values — the importance of family and children.

“Correct” books and cartoons

The fifth section provides a registry of recommended books, songs, films, and cartoons that effectively promote “traditional values.”

Educators are encouraged to evaluate materials using questions such as: Does this work instill pride in Russia? Does it highlight national achievements? Does it promote unity and patriotic ideas? Does it inspire actions for the benefit of the country?

17 “traditional values”

Appendix 1 lists 17 traditional values закрепленные presidential decree No. 809 (November 9, 2022), along with examples of cartoons that supposedly convey them.

For example:

Patriotism is to be taught through the cartoon “Three Bogatyrs.” Without it, children risk becoming indifferent to their country. Service to the Fatherland is illustrated through the cartoon “Luntik.”

Other values include productive labor, prioritizing the spiritual over the material, civic identity, moral ideals, historical memory, collectivism, and unity of Russia’s peoples.

“My good deeds for the Motherland”

Appendices 2 and 3 provide a detailed monthly plan of activities for children aged 5–7. Each month focuses on selected values, implemented through games, discussions, and creative tasks.

Examples:

February — patriotism and civic identity

June — collectivism and unity

July — priority of the spiritual over the material

October — service and responsibility

Activities include discussions like “Heroes of Russia,” games such as “Defend the Fortress” and “Military Exercises,” writing letters to soldiers, and creating drawings and cards for veterans and active servicemen.

The “Guide for a Good Kindergarten Teacher” is not just a methodological manual. It is an example of how state ideology is systematically embedded into early childhood education, turning kindergartens into the first stage of ideological indoctrination.

Games, cartoons, conversations, and celebrations are used not to develop critical thinking or emotional well-being, but to instill a predefined model of loyalty — where patriotism, service, and militarization become the norm long before children even enter school.

“The museum as a form of service to the Motherland”

2026-01-19T15:34:31+00:00

Another lesson from the “Conversations About Important Things” series was held in Russian schools. This time, it was dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the Tretyakov Gallery. According to the teaching materials, the lesson aimed to instill in students the values of “service to the Motherland” and the primacy of the spiritual over the material. In the script, the museum is presented not simply as a cultural institution, but as a “living testament to service to the Motherland.”

Particular attention was given to the museum’s work during World War II. Students were told about the evacuation of artworks to other regions of Russia and were asked to reflect on whether the employees of the Tretyakov Gallery performed a feat during the war and whether they could be considered heroes.

Teachers were also encouraged to discuss what qualities define “true heroes at all times” and to answer why preserving historical memory through cultural heritage is no less important than defending the country’s territory and the lives of its citizens.

According to the authors of the materials, it is precisely “faith in good, reverence for heroes, and the primacy of the spiritual over the material” that make Russian culture attractive “to people all over the world.”

“Russia is a state that has created a great culture, which for centuries has passed on the spiritual experience of the nation to new generations and strengthened the country’s authority in the world,” — the teacher says.

Older students were also shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s program Besogon TV. As additional material, the lesson authors recommend a film by the Movement of the First about the Tretyakov Gallery. In it, a guide—played by Pavel Tabakov—says that “while others invested in Western stars, Tretyakov invested all his resources in Russian artists.” Viktor Vasnetsov’s painting “The Three Bogatyrs” is described in the film as “not just a painting, but a manifesto.”

“Our cartoons are known all over the planet”

2026-01-12T15:52:24+00:00

The first “Conversations About Important Things” lessons of the new year were held in Russian schools. This time, the topic was domestic animation, with Soyuzmultfilm — which marked its 90th anniversary — as the official partner.

According to the teaching materials, the lesson aimed to introduce students to animation as part of the country’s “cultural heritage” and to foster a “sense of national pride in the achievements of Russian animation.”

During the lesson, children were told about the “evolution of domestic animation,” with emphasis on the idea that cartoons are not just entertainment, but also a tool of education that conveys the “core values of our society.”

Particular attention was given to characters from popular franchises. Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, and Alyosha Popovich were presented as role models: according to the lesson authors, they “always bravely defend the Motherland and stand up for justice.”

Another key message was the idea of national cultural exceptionalism: students were told that Russian animation is a source of universal recognition and pride, and that “our cartoons are known all over the planet.”

“Looking at the evolution of domestic animation, one cannot help but feel a special sense of pride in our animation school,” — the lesson script states.

📌 As part of the “What to watch?” recommendations, the materials included the Russian animated series Prostokvashino, a continuation of the Soviet-era cartoons. In one of the recent episodes, Putin appeared as one of the characters.

Military Advisors to appear in Russian Schools

2025-12-24T14:45:58+00:00

Starting February 2026, participants in the war against Ukraine will begin working as advisors on military-patriotic education in schools and technical colleges across North Ossetia. The launch of this “unique project with no analogues in Russia” was announced by the head of the republic, Sergey Menyaylo.

These former “SMO participants” will be officially integrated into the education system and tasked with shaping students’ “value orientations.” Their responsibilities will include: leading patriotic clubs, organizing educational events, working with pre-conscription youth, supervising school museums and Yunarmiya (Youth Army) units.

According to Menyaylo, this initiative addresses two goals at once: providing employment and “social adaptation” for returning soldiers, and strengthening patriotic upbringing for children and teens.

“Their experience, knowledge, and active civic position can make a significant contribution to instilling the right values in the younger generation,” — said the head of the republic.

Children Drawing Portraits of War Participants — Both Living and Dead

2025-12-23T19:10:08+00:00

War propaganda is seeping ever deeper not just into schools, but also into extracurricular institutions. Across Russia, children’s art schools are being transformed into platforms for militarist campaigns.

The largest of these is the “Portrait of a Hero” campaign, supported by the State Duma and the “Defenders of the Fatherland” Foundation. According to organizers, more than 18,000 children participated in the initiative, with over a thousand events held in nearly every region of Russia.

In Murmansk, as part of this “nationwide patriotic project,” a participant in the war, Roman Oleshkin, was invited to the local children’s art school. While asking him questions, students sketched his portrait — one of which will be sent to a national exhibition.

In the Tula region, the campaign was turned into a record-setting event. 1,007 children from 60 regions of Russia and Belarus drew portraits of “heroes” simultaneously. The event concluded with a large-scale “Lesson of Courage” — a meeting with “SMO veterans.”

“Portrait of a Hero is not just a creative campaign; it’s a crucial tool for patriotic upbringing. It helps children feel a generational connection, fosters respect for heroism, and preserves living historical memory,” — said State Duma deputy and project curator Maria Vasilkova.

In addition to national campaigns, regional propaganda events are also taking place. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, an exhibition of portraits of United Russia members from Norilsk — participants in the war and military veterans — was opened. The artworks were created by students and teachers of the Talnakh Children’s School of Arts.

In the Magadan region, an exhibition titled “In Memory of Our Heroic Countrymen” was held, featuring portraits of fallen soldiers drawn by young artists based on photographs and “biographies of their heroic deeds.” Relatives of the deceased were invited to the opening, and organizers announced plans to expand the project to other districts in the region.

Children’s art schools — meant to be spaces of creativity and freedom — are increasingly being turned into instruments of state propaganda, where even art is made to serve war.

"You cannot live on this Earth for your own benefit"

2025-12-22T16:15:13+00:00

Today, Russian schools held the final "Conversations About Important Things" lesson before the New Year holidays, titled "What Does Conscience Say?" According to the official methodological guide, students were taught about the nature of conscience, making difficult choices, and the connection between conscience and justice. The values promoted during the lesson were named as patriotism and creative labor.

At the beginning of the class, teachers asked students to define the word "conscience" and choose from a list of terms shown in a presentation. The most commonly selected words included “Duty,” “Honor,” and “Responsibility.”

“Did you know that only in the Russian language does the word ‘conscience’ have such a broad and profound meaning? In our language, this concept is linked not only to moral choice but also to duty, honesty, mercy, and sincere repentance,” — reads the lesson script.

The lesson's goal, according to the authors, was to instill in children the idea that when most people act "according to conscience," society becomes one where “mutual respect, support, and justice prevail.”

Students watched an interview with Georgian teacher and psychologist Shalva Amonashvili, in which he reflects on conscience in the context of national development and spiritual values. He emphasized: “You cannot live on this Earth for your own benefit.”

“Russia is a country where spiritual values still survive: faith, hope, love — they’re still alive. That’s why we must turn to these spiritual values. If Russia is destined to bring about the revival of spirituality in the world, then when is the time to act?” — said Amonashvili.

To conclude the lesson, high schoolers were shown a clip from Nikita Mikhalkov’s propaganda show BesogonTV. The episode featured a Soviet-era social experiment in which schoolchildren were allegedly tested for moral strength — with most portrayed as “collectivists” who passed the test.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-12-19T17:55:14+00:00

Over 13 million members in the “Movement of the First,” gifts only for children of war participants, Putin appears in Prostokvashino, calls for early marriage, and a documentary on school propaganda makes the Oscars shortlist — here’s what stood out this week in the realm of children’s education and upbringing in Russia.

📌 Every third student is in the “Movement of the First”

The all-Russian children's and youth organization “Movement of the First” now has 13.5 million members, with over 52,000 local branches established across the country, announced the movement’s chairman and participant in the war against Ukraine, Artur Orlov. Over the past year, the movement held more than 90,000 “Lessons of Courage”, most of which focused on historical memory, generational continuity, and service to the Motherland.

📌 Gifts — only for children of war participants

In the Irkutsk district, local authorities promised free New Year’s gifts only to children of “participants in the special military operation” (SMO). A mother of several children was told her family wasn’t eligible. Officials explained that “SMO is the first priority”, and aid for others would be decided at the local level.

📌 Putin to appear in Prostokvashino

In an upcoming episode of the beloved cartoon Prostokvashino, Putin will appear as a character, confirmed Soyuzmultfilm studio. According to the board chair, the goal is for Putin to become “the most popular soft power” tool for promoting Russia and Russian culture worldwide.

📌 Film on school propaganda shortlisted for an Oscar

The documentary Mr. Nobody against Putin by Chelyabinsk teacher Pavel Talankin has been shortlisted for Best Feature Documentary at the Oscars. It was edited from footage Pavel recorded over two years in his school in Karabash after the war began, saved on seven hard drives, and smuggled out of the country.

📌 Putin encourages early marriage

During his live Q&A session, Putin encouraged young people to start families early and have children, calling it important for demographics. He cited the family values of the Caucasus and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s family as ideal examples, stating that such models are “very well-suited” for the entire country. On the same day, schools broadcast the Q&A live during class time to students across Russia.

Schools across Russia watch Putin’s Annual Q&A

2025-12-19T16:55:31+00:00

The live Q&A session with Vladimir Putin hasn't even officially ended, but schools across Russia are already reporting that both students and teachers watched the broadcast.

👁‍🗨 Chuvashia

Students of a 7th-grade cadet class were made to watch the “Dialogue with the President about the country’s future”. According to the school’s post, the cadets “witnessed a unique format of communication” and learned about “Russia’s key achievements and priorities.” The broadcast was framed as part of their “civic-patriotic education” and preparation for serving the Motherland.

👁‍🗨 Saratov Region

Teachers were forced to attend a group viewing of the event. Despite an announced flu and respiratory illness quarantine that closed all city schools, dozens of educators were gathered in one room to watch together.

👁‍🗨 Mordovia

Students from grades 9–11 and the teaching staff “carefully followed” the joint press conference and annual Q&A session with the President.

Other regional schools reporting collective viewings include those in the Rostov Region, Bryansk Region, Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Kostroma Region, Saratov Region, and Chuvashia.

📌 These viewings have become a routine practice in Russian educational institutions. Last year, schoolchildren and university students were also widely forced to watch “Putin’s Year-End Review” during class hours — with dozens of schools across the country reporting mandatory viewings.

"Russian Community" in Russian Schools

2025-12-17T17:40:02+00:00

Yesterday, a tragedy occurred in the Moscow region: a 15‑year‑old teenager came to school with a knife, killed a 10‑year‑old child, and wounded three others. One of the main versions of the motive being considered is ethnic hatred. The largest nationalist, Islamophobic, and anti‑migrant organization in Russia is the “Russian Community” .

In just less than one month of December, representatives of the Russian Community held dozens of events in Russian schools — ranging from “lessons in courage” to military training courses and weapons demonstrations.

Here are just a few examples.

Tyumen Region

The Russian Community held several “lessons in courage.” During these sessions, participants of the war against Ukraine told students about themselves, showed military equipment, explained how drones work, and conducted first‑aid training.

Krasnodar Krai

A representative of the Russian Community, a combatant known by the callsign “Chas,” was invited to School No. 4 in the city of Abinsk. He told students about the “valor of warriors,” his service in the “Bars‑1” unit, and demonstrated a medal “For Bravery.”

Perm Krai

The Russian Community organized tactical medicine classes for schoolchildren. The training was conducted by an instructor — a participant in the war in Ukraine. More than 30 people took part, including students from local schools.

Zabaykalsky Krai

At School No. 9, a “large‑scale patriotic event” was held with the participation of the Russian Community, veterans of the Wagner PMC, and the “airborne brotherhood.” Children were shown various types of weapons, took part in hands‑on workshops on their use, launched UAVs, and tried on military gear.

Sverdlovsk Region

Representatives of the Russian Community attended a school celebration for the Day of Heroes of the Fatherland. Students were told about the organization’s activities and the “importance of preserving historical memory and patriotic education.”

Saratov Region

The Russian Community held a meeting with students in grades 2–9 at a special school. The event began with a prayer service and took place in the presence of the school principal. Children were shown and allowed to try on military uniforms, and some students said they wanted to seriously pursue basic military training “so that in the future they could join the army already possessing basic knowledge and skills.”

Rostov Region

At School No. 6 in the city of Salsk, veterans of the Russian Community conducted survival and military training classes, describing them as part of upbringing “in the spirit of patriotism and respect for the heroic past.”

“The Spirit of the Law” and the Duty to Defend the Country

2025-12-15T17:37:04+00:00

Today, Russian schools held another round of the weekly patriotic lesson series “Conversations About Important Things”, this time dedicated to Constitution Day. The lesson was titled “Law and Justice”, and the main visual featured a portrait of Putin. Students were told that justice is the foundation of Russian law, and that the Constitution is the result of a long and difficult historical journey — “the culmination of a movement toward justice.”

One of the discussion questions was: “Why has the pursuit of justice always defined Russian society throughout history?”

A required part of the lesson was an interview with Elina Sidorenko, head of the “White Internet” initiative and member of the Presidential Human Rights Council. According to Sidorenko, the Russian state is founded on deep historical continuity, a cultural code, and the “spirit of the law.”

She stated that the Constitution enshrines core values — clear and transparent rules that ensure freedom, national self-identification, and boundaries of what is permissible. Understanding the “spirit of the law,” she emphasized, allows society to be fair and transparent.

Students were also told that even at a young age, they already have state-guaranteed rights — free medical care, protection by police and emergency services, and access to free school education. Teachers emphasized that the state “cares for every citizen throughout their life,” but in return, citizens must obey the law and defend their country.

“On one side of the scale are every citizen’s rights: to life, health care, education. On the other — responsibilities: to obey the law, defend the country, protect the environment, preserve cultural and historical heritage, and pursue education.”

At the end of the lesson, high schoolers were invited to discuss how laws relate to ‘traditional values’, and whether Russian law is based on those values.

As a bonus material, children were offered a short film from the Movement of the First titled “Constitution Day.” In the film, a student falls asleep during class and has a dystopian dream, where the Constitution is abolished and he loses his right to free education, freedom of creativity, and freedom of movement. He wakes up relieved that it was only a dream — and grateful the Russian Constitution still exists.

How the fourth Military-Patriotic Dictation went

2025-12-08T16:32:29+00:00

For the fourth year in a row, the Avangard Center for Military-Patriotic Education of Youth has organized the “Military-Patriotic Dictation” for school and university students. According to the organizers, the in-person stage held on December 1 gathered around 60,000 participants across Russia. In total, over the three years of this campaign’s existence, more than 800,000 students from all regions have taken part.

The dictation consists of 25 questions, and participants have 45 minutes to complete it. Both teachers and students aged 14 and older are encouraged to join. The content covers military terminology and history, state symbols, WWII, heroic narratives, and — increasingly — the war against Ukraine.

Here are some examples of questions students were asked: define the term “denazification,” name the date when the “special military operation” began, identify the Donetsk memorial dedicated to “children killed by neo-Nazi aggression against civilians,” name the coat of arms of one of the occupied territories of Ukraine.

“What is the name of the set of measures aimed at freeing from Nazi influence, including dismantling and removing Nazi ideology that thrives in Ukraine?”

There is also a section devoted to military conscription, including questions such as: “What is the prison term for evading military service?”

Some questions are illustrated with memes and propaganda slogans. For example, the question about Operation 'Potok' / 'Truba' (related to an alleged Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region) is accompanied by a poster reading: “If there’s no gas in the pipes — it means there’s a special forces unit inside.”

We identified at least 30 questions explicitly tied to the war in Ukraine, either through direct terminology or implied framing.

Thousands of schools have already reported participation in the event, publishing photos of students and personalized certificates, emphasizing the role of the dictation in instilling patriotism in children.

Death instead of captivity and the invincibility of the Russian people

2025-12-08T16:16:56+00:00

Another “Conversations About Important Things” lesson was held in Russian schools under the theme “Russia — a country of winners.” The lesson was dedicated to Heroes of the Fatherland Day, celebrated on December 9. Students were told who “true heroes” are and were presented with the idea of the invincibility of the Russian people.

All students were required to watch a video in which participants of the war against Ukraine were equated with Russian military commanders and other historical figures. According to the script, the teacher emphasizes that throughout history Russia has fought many battles, but has always emerged victorious.

“Thanks to self-sacrifice, perseverance, and strength of spirit, our compatriots—on the front lines, in the rear, and even in peaceful times—have defended and continue to defend the independence of our country,” — the teacher says.

Students were also shown an interview with nurse and participant in the “SMO,” Lyudmila Bolilai, who reportedly saved a wounded soldier by shielding him with her body during shelling. In the interview, she says that, even without watching TV, she understood that “a war was underway” and went to the military enlistment office.

“They are patriots of their country, they are our defenders. They are just boys and girls like us,” — Bolilai tells students when asked who the participants of the “SMO” are.

Younger students were told that “a true hero is ready to sacrifice their life to save others.” From grade 8 onward, the lesson included an interactive task called “Phrases of Heroes,” where students had to match famous quotes with their authors. Among them were phrases like “This is for the guys” and “Get to work, brothers.”

In grades 8–9, students were presented with VTsIOM statistics claiming that “an overwhelming majority of Russians would be ready to become heroes in the face of a serious threat,” and that “92% of young people aged 15–25 say they are ready to help.”

Students in grades 10–11 were again shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s Besogon TV, where the director describes soldiers as “true heroes,” contrasts them with mass culture, references pro-war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, and emphasizes that it is better to die than to surrender.

“He says this with a gun to his temple that will fire in a second and kill him. … This is not Hollywood. This is a real confrontation between life and death, where death is chosen rather than surrender.”

Mine-detecting dogs and Bagheera the cat from the “SMO zone”

2025-12-01T17:10:39+00:00

Today, another “Conversations About Important Things” lesson was held in Russian schools, this time on the topic of pets. The lesson explored why people have pets, what role animals play in human life, and which animals became famous for their service to humans.

Despite the peaceful and seemingly harmless topic, the lesson authors introduced a military context. In grades 5–7, students were told about animals that played a significant role during World War II.

“Under fire, horses, reindeer, and even camels transported ammunition, field kitchens, and wounded soldiers. Mine-detecting dogs also played a crucial role, finding mines and unexploded shells. For example, the famous shepherd Dzhulbars discovered hundreds of mines and shells, saving the lives of many Soviet soldiers,” — the teacher says.

In grades 8–9, students learned about the feat of a dog named Rex, who reportedly swam across the Dnipro River three times to maintain communication between regiments, and about a cat named Mostik, who became a symbol of the bridge built by Russia to occupied Crimea.

“Have you heard of modern animal celebrities? For example, the ginger-and-white cat Mostik became an unofficial symbol of the Crimean Bridge. Builders took in a small kitten, who quickly became not only their favorite but also a social media star with tens of thousands of followers,” — the teacher explains.

In grades 10–11, a cat named Bagheera was presented as an example of animals serving humans—she is said to “assist artillery units in the SMO zone.”

According to the lesson script, teachers were also expected to convey that the issue of stray animals is a human responsibility and that animal rights in Russia are protected by law. At the same time, in 17 regions of the country it is officially permitted to capture and euthanize stray dogs.

The lesson concluded with safety guidelines on how to behave when encountering an aggressive stray dog.

GTO, SMO and Besogon

2025-11-24T17:36:38+00:00

In Russian schools, the “Conversations About Important Things” lessons continue to promote “correct” values among children — patriotism and service to the state. Today’s lesson, dedicated to the work of rescuers, told students that “saving people’s lives is a top priority of the state,” and that taking risks is honorable and respected.

According to the lesson script, teachers were expected to explain that throughout history humanity has faced “enemy invasions and internal conflicts,” but it is precisely in such moments that people demonstrate their best qualities by uniting to save lives.

“Protecting the population and territories from various threats is one of the key functions of the state. Safety is a shared responsibility,” — the teacher says.

A separate part of the lesson focused on EMERCOM’s international missions. Teachers were told that Russian rescuers have participated in “more than 550 operations abroad” and were encouraged to discuss with students the question: “Why do Russian rescuers help people in other countries?” Special emphasis was placed on the 1999 earthquake in Turkey:

“With the help of dogs, Russian rescuers found and pulled 72 people from under rubble — as many as all the other foreign teams combined!”

At the end of the lesson, students were shown a promotional video about universities that train rescuers and were encouraged to “connect their lives with service.” As a first step toward the profession, students were advised to complete the GTO physical fitness standards.

“Finish school, pass your exams, and move forward. Your contribution to the profession will not go unnoticed, because you will become those whom the whole country is proud of,” — the video tells students.

Older students were also shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s program BesogonTV about the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. In some regions, schools supplemented the lesson with their own “special guests”:

— In the Altai region, a medical worker from a military hospital — a participant in SMO — was invited. She spoke to students about working on the front line and the “feeling of being needed here and now.” According to the school, students were “wiping away tears.”

— In the Stavropol region, the lesson on rescuers was expanded into a broader list of “heroes of our time” — from doctors and firefighters to soldiers “defending the Motherland.”

— In the Perm region, the profession of rescuer was explained not by an EMERCOM specialist, but by a cleric from a women’s monastery, who described saving people as “service,” and cited examples of heroism as acts of “self-sacrifice” and stories of “fighters defending peaceful life in SMO zone.”

“Conflict is normal”

2025-11-17T18:42:27+00:00

Today’s “Conversations About Important Things” lessons in Russian schools focused on the topic of conflict — why conflicts arise, how to resolve them “constructively,” how to cope with difficulties, and when to seek help from a psychologist. The key values emphasized were mutual support, mutual respect, and collectivism.

During the lesson, teachers were expected to explain that conflicts are inevitable and “a natural element of social development.” At the same time, the concept of “conflict” was effectively equated with “disagreement.”

“Is conflict always bad? What does ‘constructive conflict’ mean?” — one of the discussion questions.

Students were told that “properly” resolving conflicts strengthens friendship and mutual understanding. Conflicts should not be avoided; instead, people should “face them and learn how to resolve them correctly.” Understanding the causes of a conflict was presented as the key to resolving it.

As an example of a “correct” way to handle a conflict, students were shown a film by the Movement of the First titled “Psychologist’s Day.” In the video, a seventh-grade student is bullied by an anonymous user in a school chat on VKontakte. The boy turns to the school psychologist, who informs the teachers about the situation. An IT teacher identifies that the anonymous account belongs to the boy’s classmate, Matvey. In the final scene, teachers and the psychologist publicly remove Matvey from the classroom in front of his classmates.

Domestic breeders and anti-Russian sanctions

2025-11-10T19:06:48+00:00

Another “Conversations About Important Things” lesson was held in Russian schools today, this time on the topic of “Selection and Genetics,” marking the 170th anniversary of breeder Ivan Michurin. The key values emphasized were “patriotism” and “high moral ideals.”

During the lesson, teachers explained the concept of food security and spoke about the challenges faced by breeders “under sanctions from the Western community.”

“In 2025, it has been 11 years since anti-Russian sanctions were introduced. In response, our state has strengthened its import substitution policy: the import of certain food products from countries that supported the sanctions has been banned,” — the teacher says.

According to the teaching materials, developing resilient crop varieties helps ensure domestic food production and reduces dependence on other countries. Teachers also emphasized that “serving one’s country implies not only defending it and ensuring sovereignty, but also preserving natural resources and goods.”

Students in grades 10–11 were shown a fragment from Nikita Mikhalkov’s 2015 program BesogonTV, in which the director discusses sanctions and the “unpretentiousness of the Russian people,” explaining why Russians are accustomed to modest living standards and value hard work.

Mikhalkov describes sanctions as “something between persuasion, political dialogue, requests, and military aggression,” framing them as part of hybrid and information warfare:

“There is no hot war yet—bombs are not falling, shells are not flying—but nevertheless, gradual pressure is meant to force states and the peoples living in them to abandon their principles.”

Fighting the enemy and “Mother Earth”

2025-10-20T19:31:41+00:00

Another “Conversations About Important Things” lesson was held today in Russian schools under the theme “Cities of Russia.” With the autumn holidays approaching on November 4, the lesson was tied to National Unity Day.

The key values emphasized were “the unity of the peoples of Russia” and “civic consciousness.” According to the authors, the lesson was intended to foster in students “an awareness of Russian civic identity,” the “development of an internal personal stance based on spiritual and moral values,” as well as an “anti-corruption worldview.”

In the first part of the lesson, teachers explained that National Unity Day is “not just a holiday, but a symbol of the unity of our people, capable of overcoming difficulties and fighting for freedom and independence.”

Students were told that Russia has repeatedly faced enemy attacks and other hardships, but has endured thanks to the unity of its people.

“Our country has gone through difficult trials—periods of internal strife, epidemics and crop failures, invasions by conquerors—but all of this was overcome thanks to unity and mutual support!” — the teacher says.

After discussing the people’s militia, teachers asked students what it means to stand up for one’s country and to give examples of “national unity in the fight against invaders.”

The lesson also included a patriotic promotional element. Students were shown an interview with singer Tatyana Kurtukova, who performs the song “Mother Earth.” According to her, she first sang the song ten years ago, but it has only recently become popular because “people have become interested in the truth” and in “authentic history.”

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-09-19T16:51:54+00:00

Patriotism as the main goal of education, a "funtuzum" scandal over green hair, weapons-themed school quizzes, and mass enlistment of children into "Yunarmiya" — this is how the past week looked in Russian schools.

📌 The main goal of education — raising patriots

MSU Rector Viktor Sadovnichy stated that Russian schools must "not just train professionals, but raise true patriots." President Putin echoed this message, telling lawmakers that Russian youth are "showing patriotism and readiness to defend the Motherland."

📌 “What is this funtuzum?!”

In Cheboksary, the principal of School No. 6 lashed out at a student and her mother because of the girl's green hair, threatening to place her under “in-school supervision.” The principal called the student a “funtuzum” and claimed the school charter bans “abnormal hair color.” However, the charter makes no mention of hair color.

📌 Gunsmith Day for schoolchildren

Across the country, schools held special events for "Gunsmith Day." Students disassembled rifles, solved weapon-themed puzzles, and studied the "history of Russian weaponry." In Udmurtia, hundreds of schools hosted a 47-question “Weapons Dictation” — the number chosen in honor of the AK-47. The event was organized by the government-backed youth group “Movement of the First.”

📌 Thousands of children join Yunarmiya

This week, thousands of students joined the militarized youth organization “Yunarmiya” in various regions of Russia: 300 in Kirov, another 300 in Krasnodar Krai, over 100 in Kursk Oblast, and dozens in Arkhangelsk. Children pledged to “be loyal to their country and the brotherhood of Yunarmiya.”

How school hallways across Russia are turning into memorial chambers

2025-09-19T16:27:38+00:00

More and more schools in Russia are no longer limiting themselves to installing “Hero of the Special Military Operation” desks or commemorative plaques — they are now dedicating entire walls to graduates who died or took part in the war against Ukraine.

▪️ Ziyanchurinskaya Secondary School, Orenburg Region

The wall “Worthy Sons of the Motherland” has been up since the very beginning of the war, featuring 35 alumni.

“Many current students are relatives or acquaintances of the soldiers whose photos are displayed on the wall,” the school’s post reads.

▪️ Ust-Ilya School, Zabaykalsky Krai

On September 15, the school unveiled a new display called “Heroes of Our Time” with photos of 18 graduates who have either died or participated in the war.

▪️ Kugesi Secondary School No.1, Chuvashia

The school museum has added a new “Hall of Military Glory”, featuring a wall with 17 graduates who went to war against Ukraine.

▪️ Tovarkovskaya School No.1, Tula Region

On September 18, the school museum opened a memorial wall titled “Soldiers of Russia Who Departed Into Eternity,” showing 16 fallen participants of the “special military operation.”

▪️ Pytalovo Secondary School, Pskov Region

The school held a ceremony to unveil the “Wall of Memory and Glory” — it features portraits of 13 alumni who died in the war against Ukraine.

“Of course, I’m proud — they are heroes of our country. Sadly, they died. That’s tragic, but people should know about them. That’s why this wall is necessary,” said a school counselor.

▪️ Lipetsk College of Transport and Road Management

On the Day of Solidarity in the Fight Against Terrorism, students held a ceremony to honor 13 alumni who died in the war, laying flowers at the memorial wall.

“The special military operation is a fight against terrorism, extremism, and neo-Nazism. Ukraine is waging an undeclared terrorist war against the people of Russia — blowing up railway bridges, killing soldiers and civilians who support the operation,” the college’s post reads.

Across the country, school corridors are turning into memorial halls. Tables with portraits of fallen alumni are decorated with flowers and candles. In some schools, children stand guard beside the displays — holding weapons.

Cult of Putin's personality in a Rostov school

2025-09-18T15:47:55+00:00

In Novocherkassk, Rostov Region, a ceremonial unveiling took place for a mural dedicated to the “Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin.” The portrait, along with a description of Putin’s childhood, school years, and personal interests, was painted directly on the wall of School No. 8

The “patriotic art installation” was created as part of the nationwide project “Faces of Heroes.” According to the organizers, it aims to “preserve historical memory and instill respect for outstanding individuals.”

“It’s very important for us to unite around this meaningful task of patriotic education for our students. In my opinion, the new mural will become a bright and significant object for our school,” — said acting principal Galina Pogibelnaya.

From now on, all school assemblies and ceremonial events will be held in front of the mural. The school administration believes the artwork will contribute to the “growth of the educational environment within the teaching community.”

“Intervision” Ads and Shaman

2025-09-15T16:15:44+00:00

Today, Russian schools held another propaganda class under the “Conversations About Important Things” program — this time titled “Creativity That Unites.” But even this seemingly neutral topic revolved around the usual messaging: prioritizing spirituality over materialism and promoting service to the Motherland.

Most of the lesson was devoted to the Intervision music contest — a project revived by the Russian authorities after the country was banned from Eurovision due to its war in Ukraine. Students were shown a promo video from Channel One describing the contest as “a returning legacy,” along with an interview with chief producer Yuri Aksyuta.

“The special effects there would blow even Hollywood away. It’s got artificial intelligence, augmented reality — everything,” — said Aksyuta in his promotional pitch.

Teachers encouraged students to watch the show with their families and root for Russia’s representative: pop singer Shaman.

A separate segment focused on “folklore and traditional values.” Students were introduced to the phenomenon of Nadezhda Kadysheva and the resurgence of folk motifs in modern Russian pop culture. The lesson concluded with a set of advertisements for state-sponsored creative forums like Tavrida.ART, Artmasters, and The Movement of the First — presented as platforms for “unleashing creative potential in our country.”

“The mission of our society is to preserve these cultural values and create new creative solutions that will serve the development of our country.” — final scripted line of the lesson.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-09-12T15:59:33+00:00

Action figures of “SVO heroes,” portraits of regional governors on school notebooks, military enlistment offices as career guidance centers, and drone lessons for second graders — the state continues turning schools and kindergartens into military staging grounds.

📌 War Figurines for Kindergartens

At the “Native Toy” competition, the winners were toy sets based on real participants in the war against Ukraine — including a military paramedic, an air defense operator, and the infamous “boy Alyosha.” Putin promised to launch mass production and distribute the toys to kindergartens across the country.

📌 Career Guidance in the Military Enlistment Office

In Moscow, 9th graders were invited to take a career aptitude test — at the local military recruitment center. Legal experts remind that minors under 17 have no legal obligations to military authorities. Any such coercion is illegal.

📌 Portraits on Notebooks and “Childhood in a Soldier’s Cap”

In Kursk Oblast, where gubernatorial elections took place this weekend, schoolchildren were used for election propaganda: they were given rulers and notebooks featuring acting governor Alexander Khinshtein’s portrait, along with a patriotic booklet titled “Childhood in a Soldier’s Cap.”

📌 Drones from Second Grade

In Sakhalin, authorities want to introduce drone operation classes starting in Grade 2. Children will be taught how to assemble drones from modules and control them using a phone or computer. Organizers say directly: “We need personnel. And we need them in large numbers.”

📌 Remote Learning Instead of a Road

In Irkutsk Oblast, children from the villages of Krasnaya Kavaleriya and Novokievsk never made it to school — school buses got stuck in mud after heavy rains. Students were switched to remote learning. Locals say the same thing happens every year.

Children Lost Their School

2025-09-12T15:42:54+00:00

In Noginsk, Moscow Oblast, local authorities opened a center to support participants of the war against Ukraine in the building of what used to be the largest primary school in the city. Two years ago, the school was “closed for renovations,” but the children were never allowed to return.

Instead, this week, Igor Sukhin, secretary of the local United Russia branch, held a grand opening of the new center. He announced that the building would also host “a large museum and educational complex for young people.”

“This initiative fully aligns with the course set by the President of Russia and continues our systematic work in this direction,” Sukhin said.

Meanwhile, local students now study in overcrowded classrooms, and parents are openly outraged, accusing the authorities of stealing the school:

“They stole the school from our children! They lied about the repairs, lied about submitting a renovation request. And all that time, they were selling off the former Chernomyrdin University building in the city center. And the kids? Just cast aside.”

Blurring WWII and the War in Ukraine

2025-09-11T15:24:23+00:00

At Settlement School No. 1 in Mordovia, a participant in the war against Ukraine, Junior Sergeant Andrei Shurygin, was invited to speak to students. For the occasion, he wore a military uniform from the World War II era and even donned unauthorized medals — “For Courage” and “For the Victory over Germany.”

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, authorities have consistently tried to associate soldiers of the “special military operation” with WWII veterans, drawing parallels between the war in Ukraine and the Great Patriotic War. However, this case marks a new level of deception — when actual medals and symbols from a completely different war are literally being used as “props” for the current conflict.

This is not only a cynical distortion of the legacy of real WWII heroes, but also a violation of Article 17.11 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses: “Unlawful Wearing of State Awards.”

«Take Your Children to the Polls»

2025-09-10T14:18:36+00:00

This week, gubernatorial elections are taking place in Perm Krai — and once again, authorities are using children for political propaganda. Dozens of schools and kindergartens hosted events under the unified slogan “I Choose Perm Krai.”

Children were taught about elections, ballots, and the role of the regional governor. High schoolers were introduced to campaign platforms of the candidates, and in some schools, teachers openly showed students portraits of the current governor, Dmitry Makhonin (example). Younger students and kindergartners took part in games like “Elections in the Glade” and “Forest Governor.”

To “reinforce their knowledge,” parents were instructed to take their children with them to polling stations between September 12–14. Teachers were asked to collect proof in the form of photos from voting locations and children’s drawings about the elections.

“The children have a small practical task — to attend real elections with their parents, see firsthand how voting works, and share their impressions in the form of a drawing.” — School No. 24, Perm

“Take a photo together so this important moment for the entire region is captured in memory and history.” — School No. 14, Perm

“This is very important for developing legal literacy. The teaching staff will be grateful for your support and participation in civic and legal education.” — School No. 133, Perm

“Come to the elections with your children! It will not only be your civic duty, but also a valuable educational experience for your children.” — Administration of Beryozovsky District

Russian court declares children's song “Cancel the War” as “Discrediting the Army”

2025-09-09T13:56:36+00:00

In Ussuriysk, schoolteacher Dina Anishchik was fined 30,000 rubles for a performance by her students at the “Wonderland” festival. The children sang the song “Dear, kind adults, cancel the war!” and held up signs reading “No to war!” in Russian, English, and Ukrainian, reports Verstka.

Police deemed the performance “a public act aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces,” and the court concluded that the children’s performance amounted to “a call to end the special military operation.”

The teacher denied any wrongdoing, stating that the performance had been approved by the event organizers and that the expert evaluation was conducted with violations.

🕊 The song “Cancel the War” was written by Tatiana Vetrova, a member of the Union of Writers of Russia, and has been performed for years at children’s competitions and concerts commemorating war anniversaries.

Promotion of MAX messenger and Solovyov’s speech

2025-09-08T13:39:13+00:00

This Monday, Russian schools held another session of “Conversations About Important Things” — this time on the topic “The Russian Language in the Digital Age.” Students were told that the Russian language is an integral part of the world’s cultural heritage and serves as the “foundation of the spiritual and historical unity of dozens of unique cultures and peoples.”

The main focus was on “digital sovereignty.” Students were shown a video that included a promotional integration for the state-backed MAX messenger app. In the clip, Russian literary greats — Chekhov, Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky — praise the app’s performance in a group chat.

“They say it even works in the theater parking lot,” wrote Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

The featured federal speaker for the lesson was propagandist and TV host Vladimir Solovyov, who answered students’ questions and said that “the great history of a great nation is always tied to its language.”

“Either a great language forms during the rise of a great nation, or God bestows His grace by giving us such a language — one that makes a people great just by speaking it,” said Solovyov.

He added that the world would be meaningless without Russia’s existence as a state:

“And if there is no Russia, then what’s the point of a world where Russia doesn’t exist?”

"Participants of the special military operation should teach in every school"

2025-09-08T12:57:44+00:00

During a meeting with students of Kuban State University, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated that participants of the war against Ukraine should be allowed to teach in schools — specifically, subjects "closest to them."

«We would like to see such a teacher in every school. Because all the guys participating in the Special Military Operation are heroic and patriotic. They made the decision to defend the country. That’s important for children», — said Volodin, comparing participants of the invasion to WWII veterans who once taught him military training and shop class.

In fact, war veterans have already become a regular part of school life. They lead “Lessons in Courage”, attend ceremonial events, and run classroom activities. Just in the first week of the school year, hundreds of schools hosted “heroes of the Special Military Operation.” Many ex-soldiers have been officially hired as teachers.

In many cases, these are not just any soldiers — they include former prisoners, even convicted murderers, who were recruited from penal colonies to fight in Ukraine. Now, these individuals — many of them carrying combat trauma, psychological issues, and PTSD — are being placed in classrooms with children.

📸 Photo from the "NeNorma" project archive: War participants in Russian schools, September 1–8, 2025.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-09-05T12:38:21+00:00

Propaganda from TV screens instead of textbooks, “approved songs” by Gazmanov and SHAMAN, Putin on top of a pyramid of TVs, drones in preschools, and an atmosphere of self-censorship in classrooms — the new academic year in Russia began with a fresh wave of militarization and ideological pressure on children.

📌 The Textbook That Feels Like State TV

The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) published a breakdown of the new unified history textbook for 11th grade and an investigation video into its authors — Vladimir Medinsky and MGIMO rector Anatoly Torkunov. The book reads more like a Kremlin broadcast: stories of “heroes of the Special Military Operation,” tales of biolabs, “Ukrainian neo-Nazism,” and an overwhelming presence of Putin.

📌 “Bit My Tongue”: The Culture of Self-Censorship

NeNorma spoke with three teachers from a prestigious St. Petersburg gymnasium. They described how the school has changed since the war began. One of the most striking effects is the loss of trust between students and teachers. “There are topics you just don’t talk about. So it's better not to open up at all,” said one educator.

📌 “Correct” Songs for Students

The Ministry of Education approved a list of 37 patriotic songs for use in civic education. Among the recommended artists: Oleg Gazmanov, Denis Maidanov, Sergey Trofimov, and SHAMAN. The selection was overseen by conductor Valery Gergiev and other regime-aligned cultural figures.

📌 Putin on a Pyramid of TVs

At School "Luch" in Belgorod, murals were repainted for September 1st. Where there were once cheerful images, there are now tanks crushing sunflowers and a pyramid of TV sets with Putin at the top. In the school lobby, staff also installed a life-size cutout of an armed soldier in front of a Russian flag.

📌 Drones From Preschool

Preschools in Perm have started teaching drone operation. Starting this year, every district must have at least one kindergarten with such a program. These announcements are often posted alongside recruitment ads for the Russian military’s contract service — aimed at parents.

“Conversations About Important Things” officially introduced in russian kindergartens

2025-09-03T11:37:51+00:00

As of September 1, the state-run propaganda program Conversations About Important Things has officially begun in Russian preschools. According to the Ministry of Education’s plan, it was initially scheduled to launch in 22 regions — but the sessions have already taken place in areas where no pilot rollout had been announced.

In many kindergartens, lessons followed a format identical to that used in schools: flag-raising ceremonies, PowerPoint presentations, and even a video address from Vladimir Putin. In Tobolsk, a participant of the war against Ukraine visited the children to speak about the war. In the Sverdlovsk region, preschoolers were shown a patriotic music video featuring Russian singers Grigory Leps, Alexander F. Sklyar, and Polina Gagarina.

Some preschools also used the official workbook Conversations About Important Things for Preschoolers. Its main character, a cartoon bear named Umka, introduces children to concepts like “Motherland, family, and traditions.” However, nearly every tenth page is devoted to military themes — showcasing armored vehicles, the Patriot military museum, Defender of the Fatherland Day, the St. George ribbon, and the Immortal Regiment campaign. The authors openly state that “the most important thing in life is to serve the Fatherland.”

“Each lesson focuses on a specific theme designed to foster civic, patriotic, and ethical values in the youngest citizens of our country,” reads the textbook’s introduction.

First Bells Now Rung by Participants in the War Against Ukraine

2025-09-02T15:21:45+00:00

This year, Russian schools altered one of the most recognizable traditions of Knowledge Day — the moment when a graduating student carries a first grader on their shoulders while ringing a bell to symbolize the start of the school year. Instead of 11th graders, the role was given to “SVO veterans.”

In Salekhard, the bell was rung by a participant in the war and the daughter of a soldier killed in action. In the Leningrad region, the honor went to a war veteran and head of the local Combat Brotherhood chapter, accompanied by his daughter Nika. In Khimki, the bell was rung by first-grader Ivan, whose father died in the war, together with the head of the local Veterans Association.

🎒 What was once a gentle symbol of childhood and new beginnings has been transformed into yet another tool of militarization.

Strangers Instead of Fathers

2025-09-01T15:14:54+00:00

For many first graders, September 1 was not only a holiday but also a reminder of the war in which they have already lost their closest loved ones. Instead of their deceased fathers, children were accompanied to school by their "comrades-in-arms."

The “To Be Nearby” campaign was organized by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation together with the Association of SVO Veterans. In more than 20 regions of Russia, first graders held hands with unfamiliar men — participants in the war.

📌 In the Moscow region, SVO veterans accompanied Ivan, Ksenia, Regina, and twins Valeria and Viktoria — children of fallen soldiers — to their first school assemblies.

“I gave Valeria and Viktoria new school backpacks filled with everything they need for school — from notebooks to pens,” wrote one of the participants.

📌 In the Samara region, the head of the regional Veterans Association, Denis Mikhaylin, walked first-grader Polina — the daughter of a fallen serviceman — to school.

📌 In Ryazan, the campaign took place in three schools — Nos. 60/61, 73, and 22. Children attended the ceremonies accompanied by their fathers’ fellow soldiers.

📌 In Tyumen, a boy named Alexey was accompanied by SVO participant and head of the local organization Derzhava, Oleg Yampolsky.

“On the way to school, Oleg Yampolsky and Alexey got to know each other. The boy spoke about his hobbies and his desire to do well in school,” Yampolsky wrote, referring to himself in the third person.

📌 In the Kursk region, veterans of the Association “became a source of support” for Sofia, Egor, and Kolya — children of fallen SVO participants — and accompanied them to their school ceremonies.

📌 In Bashkortostan, the Association of SVO Veterans held a similar campaign called “SVO(i) Children” — participants in the war traveled around the republic to deliver gifts to schoolchildren who had lost their fathers in the war against Ukraine.

This is far from a complete list. Similar events were held in many other regions. We continue to collect information.

“Heroes” of War, Priests, and Children With Rifles

2025-09-01T14:44:25+00:00

Today, schools across Russia held ceremonial assemblies for Knowledge Day, the official start of the school year. In line with recent “tradition,” participants in the war against Ukraine were invited to speak at thousands of schools — now a standard part of the official program. Dressed in military uniforms, these “honored guests” addressed students as role models.

Alongside soldiers, Orthodox priests also appeared at school events. They sprinkled children with “holy water,” handed out icons, and offered blessings for academic success.

“Congratulated schoolchildren and teachers on the start of the school year. We held a prayer service before lessons. It’s nice to see smiles on the faces of children and teachers after being sprinkled with holy water. Wished everyone God's help and handed out laminated icons,” wrote the administration of the Church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Belgorod region.

And there was no shortage of weapons. Members of the youth military organization Yunarmiya attended assemblies in uniform, carrying rifles. Across the country, students took part in flower-laying ceremonies at monuments and memorials dedicated to soldiers who died in war

Patriotism, “traditional values,” and digital sovereignty

2025-08-29T14:12:06+00:00

The Ministry of Education, together with the Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family, and Education, has released the official curriculum for the Conversations About Important Things program for the 2025–2026 academic year. The agenda includes 32 lessons — three fewer than last year — but the core content remains the same: patriotism, militarism, and traditional values.

📌 September: Students will be introduced to the concept of “digital sovereignty” — why the state needs it, and how it ties into “national security.”

📌 December, February, May: Lessons will focus on military-patriotic themes, with stories of “heroes from ancient times to the present,” emphasizing that heroism and courage are part of Russia’s cultural DNA.

📌 The final lesson of the year is titled “The Values That Unite Us” — identical in name and content to last year’s concluding class.

According to the official teaching guide, the teacher’s role is to instill a “value-based attitude toward the Motherland.” Repeating the same themes and wording throughout the year, the authors say, will encourage students to “consciously accept” these values.

❗️ The first lesson of the new cycle will be held this Monday, September 1, under the seemingly neutral title: “Why Does a Person Need to Learn?” However, even this topic contains embedded propaganda.

Teachers are instructed to foster pride in “the achievements of outstanding Russian citizens” and emphasize “the role of the state in the development and strengthening of the Russian education system.”

The class includes a video by the Movement of the First portraying service to the Motherland as the highest calling — complete with footage from the war zone in Ukraine. As supplementary material, students are recommended to watch an interview with Maria Zakharova about “traditional values as the foundation of the future world.”

Propaganda instead of knowledge

2025-08-26T12:19:00+00:00

Starting September 1, Russian schoolchildren will face major changes in their curriculum as the Ministry of Education shifts the focus from civic education and global perspectives to patriotism and ideological control. Some subjects are being cut or reduced, while others — more useful for “patriotic upbringing” — are being expanded.

📌 Civics Removed from Middle School

As of this school year, social studies (obshchestvoznanie) will be completely eliminated from grades 6 and 7. By 2026, it will also disappear from grade 8. This means that middle schoolers will no longer study human rights, legal basics, or social norms. The subject will remain only in high school — in a new, “patriotically-oriented” version.

📌 More History, More Ideology

The freed-up hours will be shifted to history. In grades 5–9, the number of history lessons will increase by almost 50%, from 340 to 476 hours. Students will learn from textbooks authored by Vladimir Medinsky and cover a new module called History of Our Region. The curriculum will include special units on the war against Ukraine, “heroes of the Special Military Operation (SVO),” and so-called “traditional values.”

📌 “Spiritual Culture” Replaces Foreign Language

From September 2026, the number of foreign language lessons in grades 5–7 will be reduced from three to two per week — officially to “optimize the academic load.” At the same time, a new subject called Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia will be introduced in those same grades. The course will focus on “the lives of outstanding Russian figures, including SVO heroes,” and aims to shape students’ worldview based on “traditional values.”

“Conversations about important things” to be officially introduced in Russian Kindergartens

2025-08-19T13:59:15+00:00

Starting September 1, Russian kindergartens will begin holding state-mandated propaganda lessons for children aged 3 to 7. The program is being rolled out in Moscow, Chukotka, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Perm Krai, Amur, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vologda regions — with plans to expand to 22 regions across Russia and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.

According to Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov, the goal is to “form the right understanding of key life values and ultimately raise worthy citizens of their country.”

“It is during preschool years that the foundation of a child’s personality, their values, and worldview is laid,” Kravtsov emphasized.

The idea to extend Conversations About Important Things to preschoolers was proposed by Vladimir Putin during a 2024 meeting with teachers.

Following this, kindergarten social media pages began posting reports of propaganda sessions involving young children. Early sessions have included talks about war and patriotism, and featured children dressed in military uniforms.

How War Is Forcing Out Top Students from Russia’s Leading Universities

2025-08-11T13:50:36+00:00

Institutions such as St. Petersburg State University, Moscow State University, HSE, MIPT, and major medical universities are seeing more seats go to beneficiaries of military quotas — at the direct expense of high-scoring applicants.

In medical schools, applicants scoring 161–192 are being accepted into pediatrics programs where the competitive threshold is 244.

In some programs, the general competition has all but disappeared. At Sechenov Medical University in 2024, only 2.5% of admitted students to “General Medicine” were regular applicants. At RUDN University’s Dentistry program this year, not a single budget-funded seat remained for non-quota students.

This is the result of a special quota introduced by Putin’s 2023 decree, which guarantees at least 10% of government-funded university seats in every field of study to participants in the war and their children.

In 2025 alone, 50,000 state-funded spots were reserved for these groups. In July, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education expanded the quota even further.

This preferential access extends not only to soldiers, but also to security officials and “citizens performing similar duties” on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories — along with their children. It is the only case in Russian higher education where a parent’s profession directly grants their child the right to privileged admission.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-07-31T10:50:54+00:00

Even in the July heat, Russian authorities pressed forward with their agenda — from military training in kindergartens to neurotesting teenagers for “patriotic leadership potential” and monitoring parents through state-run messengers.

📌 Mentor With Seven Criminal Convictions — In Ussuriysk, a war veteran with convictions for robbery, theft, and fraud is training children for the military game Zarnitsa. In March 2024, he was charged with hooliganism for reloading an assault rifle near a shopping mall.

📌 Patriotic Profiling via Brain Tests — The Rospatriotcenter launched a project using neuroprofiling to identify “leaders” and “anti-leaders” among youth aged 12–18. The goal: test 10,000 teenagers and send the 50 with the most “positively expressed profiles” to a patriotic seminar.

📌 Military Training in School Curriculum — Authorities in Sverdlovsk region launched a pilot program for basic military training in schools. Three schools will be equipped with gear for “military-patriotic games,” meetings with veterans, and the development of teaching materials.

📌 Drones for Preschoolers — Six kindergartens in Perm have opened UAV control centers. Officials say this fulfills a presidential order mandating drone competitions for children from age 7. In June, Perm hosted Russia’s first drone piloting competition for preschoolers.

📌 Total Control Over School Chats — Russia plans to move all parent and school group chats from WhatsApp to the state-owned messenger Max. Teachers have been ordered to install and register in the app by August 15. Authorities say this move will allow them to “finally block WhatsApp” in schools.

Russian Schoolchildren Massively Involved in Development and Production of Combat Drones

2025-07-29T13:52:28+00:00

Hundreds of thousands of Russian schoolchildren are being involved in the creation of military drones under the guise of educational programs. Children are being trained to program, operate, and assemble combat UAVs used in attacks on Ukraine, The Insider reports.

One key tool is the Berloga platform — a gamified program launched by Vladimir Putin after the war began. At first, children "protect energy honey from cyber bees." Later, they learn to operate quadcopters, program flight paths, and develop software. The main incentive? A 10-point bonus to their Unified State Exam (EGE) score — a powerful motivator that’s driven mass participation.

The next step in involving minors in military tech is through specialized competitions like Big Challenges, where students submit projects that are later adapted for military use. In 2024, for example, high schoolers were tasked with designing a super-heavy launch vehicle with a water-based launch system — a project with clear military potential.

While students are forbidden from explicitly acknowledging the military purpose of their work, both participants and instructors know the true goals:

“When we defended our project, we weren’t allowed to say it was for war, so we made up civilian applications. But we all knew the real purpose,” one student explains.

The director of the Center for Unmanned Systems at Samara University has openly stated that “talented kids must be identified while they’re still young and given the right direction.” Officials admit that children’s ideas are in demand by defense contractors and are “refined and implemented in practice.”

But the state isn’t just enlisting kids in development — it’s drawing them into production as well. At the Alabuga drone center, schoolchildren are invited to learn how to assemble and operate UAVs. They’re promised “adult-level” wages — up to 100,000 rubles a month.

“Why Alabuga? Because building strike drones that destroy the enemy is cool!” reads one of the program’s flyers.

Recruiting minors to develop and manufacture weapons is not only morally reprehensible — it’s a violation of international child protection laws and places children's lives at risk. By placing teens inside military-industrial facilities, the state effectively turns them into human targets.

For example, on July 1, a drone strike hit the Kupol defense plant in Izhevsk — a facility known for UAV production. The attack killed three people and injured 57 others, underscoring the very real danger of putting children in harm’s way.

Lessons in Stalinism

2025-07-23T12:42:58+00:00

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian schools have been methodically reintroducing the cult of Joseph Stalin. Children are taught that Stalin is not a “leader with blood on his hands,” but a great strategist, the inventor of school uniforms, and an inspiration for victory. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

📌 In Mytishchi, a United Russia deputy gave a lecture to high school students dedicated to Stalin’s July 3, 1941 radio address.

“This speech became a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and heroism of the entire Soviet people during the difficult years of the struggle for freedom and independence,” he told the students.

📌 In Smolensk, a school opened a Victory Day photo zone featuring a portrait of Stalin, inviting students and staff to take “vivid photos”. In Vologda region, a bust of Stalin was placed at a school entrance — right next to a monument to Lenin.

📌 In schools in Ryazan and Saratov regions, students were made to draw portraits of Stalin as part of the Victory Portrait: 1944 competition.

“The personality of J.V. Stalin and his actions during the Great Patriotic War had an enormous positive moral impact on the Soviet people, instilling confidence in ultimate victory,” declared the principal of a school in Novoye Baturino village.

📌 In Rostov region, School No. 11 in Gornyatsky held an event honoring “great Russians.” Among the political figures highlighted was Joseph Stalin — described as the man who “carried out industrialization and collectivization, which enabled victory in World War II”.

📌 In Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (Yugra), children are taught that in 1949, Stalin introduced “the best school uniform” made from expensive cashmere. He allegedly banned lace aprons so that girls “wouldn’t look like maids from Tsarist Russia or waitresses.”

📌 At a factory in Tatarstan where local schoolchildren help assemble Iranian drones after 9th grade, a large banner reads:

“Kurchatov, Korolev, and Stalin live in your DNA”.

This isn’t mere nostalgia — it’s a systematic effort to normalize the image of a dictator.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-07-18T11:44:27+00:00

In the first half of July, children were once again at the center of state militarization efforts: students were encouraged to postpone education for war, kindergartners learned about tank battles, the Russian language was officially declared an ideological tool, and a metropolitan priest blessed a children’s military camp.

📌 Playing War on an International Level — A 10-day militarist game called Heirs of Victory concluded at Patriot Park. Activities included assembling drones, shooting, navigating obstacle courses, and hybrid “phygital” battles — all designed to help schoolchildren from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus feel closer to the front lines. Naturally, the Russian team won.

📌 Go to War — Get a Study Extension — The State Duma passed a law extending the validity of university entrance exam scores (EGE) for school graduates who choose to delay their education in order to fight in the so-called “Special Military Operation”.

📌 Russian Language Becomes Ideology — Putin signed a decree on a new state language policy rooted in “spiritual values” and a fight against “harmful ideology”. Russian language and literature will now be taught using a single state-approved methodology and textbook series. The government will decide which books are “correct” and how language should be taught.

📌 Holy Water and Camouflage — In Udmurtia, Metropolitan Viktorin blessed the children’s military camp Razvedbat, where students are trained in self-defense and weapons handling. He sprinkled holy water on the tents, urged children to “be ready to defend the Motherland,” and posed for a photo with kids who were asked to make tough faces and show their fists.

📌 Tank Battles for Preschoolers — In kindergartens across Belgorod region, a special day was held to commemorate the Battle of Prokhorovka. Children learned about the battle, viewed photos of the battlefield, and were asked to draw war scenes. “They may not yet understand the horror,” wrote the educators, “but what matters is that they know they live in Russia — a Great Country.”

“The Kids Don’t Like It There”: Students Flee the ‘Armata’ Military-Patriotic Camp

2025-07-17T17:19:19+00:00

Another attempt to raise “future defenders” has flopped in Belgorod region. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov admitted at a regional government meeting that 80 schoolchildren have already left sessions at the Armata military-patriotic camp. Over 100 million rubles had been spent on creating and running the camp. According to Gladkov, the failure was due to a bureaucratic, checkbox approach to education and programming.

“Kids are bored, kids are miserable, kids don’t care. The lack of interest shows the process was poorly organized,” he said.

Just a month earlier, during the camp’s launch in May, Gladkov had confidently stated that “the kids will be thrilled” to attend. The plan was ambitious: from May 20 to July 26, the camp aimed to host 3,220 school and university students across 10 sessions.

“The kids wake up at 6 a.m., followed by morning exercises, drill training, tactical lessons — all the right things that will help shape our future defenders,” Gladkov had boasted at the time.

But things didn’t go as planned. In response to the mass dropout, the governor replaced those responsible for organizing the children’s summer programming. He also ordered a review of Warrior, the regional center for military-patriotic education, whose branches were recently set up in every municipality.

How Much Does It Cost to Teach a Child War in Russia?

2025-07-08T14:30:53+00:00

Even in summer, Russian children don’t get a break from militarization. Alongside state-run camps backed by the Ministry of Defense, dozens of commercial military-patriotic organizations operate across the country. Their promise: an “unforgettable” summer of drill training, hand-to-hand combat, drone piloting, and survival in the wild. The price? Tens of thousands of rubles — for preparing your child for war.

📍 Omsk and 17 other cities Children aged 8 to 17 are invited to dive into the “world of special forces” through a realistic military-tactical program, complete with strict discipline and a gadget-free environment. A 10-day session costs 29,000 rubles (~$360). Each child receives a souvenir “military ID.”

“We provide a model of masculine upbringing. Every child must go through this school of life, where they learn responsibility, discipline, willpower, and unity,” say camp organizers.

📍 Krasnodar, Moscow, and Tver regions Military-sport camps teach schoolchildren how to survive in forests, carry out forced marches, defend a base, and assist the “wounded.” The schedule also includes lectures from war veterans and stories about “Heroes of Russia.” Two weeks in such a camp will cost parents 66,000 rubles (~$840) or more.

“For the spiritual and moral growth of our cadets, the program is built around the life stories of those who dedicated themselves to serving the Motherland,” the camp’s description states.

📍 Moscow region For kids aged 10 to 13, one program offers a summer at a border outpost, where children train to become “professional border patrol officers,” learning basic tactics and military skills. The instructors are all professionals. A 14-day session costs 92,000 rubles (~$1,170).

Katyusha Salvos, Frontline Greetings, and War Songs

2025-06-30T14:58:15+00:00

On the night of June 28–29, St. Petersburg hosted Russia’s main graduation celebration — Scarlet Sails. This year, the event was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, with the central themes being “the power of unity” and “faith in victory.” The concert was opened by Governor Alexander Beglov, who emphasized that the president has already secured the graduates' future:

“Congratulations, heirs! Russia is home to brave, kind, and sincere people, ready to fight and win, just like our fathers and grandfathers did 80 years ago. Win together with Russia — Russia is a country of victories. Russia and our president Vladimir Putin have ensured your future. All roads are open to you.”

Video: https://t.me/nenorma_project/1413

The evening’s headliner was Nadezhda Kadysheva, who sang to the graduates about “accursed love.” Singer Zara, against the backdrop of an image of a soldier participating in the war against Ukraine, performed the song You Will Return, while former Agata Kristi member Vadim Samoylov sent greetings to the front:

“Out there, behind the ribbon, your fathers, uncles, and brothers are serving under difficult conditions so that we can continue living. We send our greetings beyond the ribbon, to the guys who are defending our Motherland. Guys, we respect you, we believe in you. We don’t leave our own behind in war!”

The event’s host, Dmitry Khrustalyov, reminded the graduates of the price of Victory and emphasized that “an unbroken spirit and the ability to fight — that is the main legacy of the victors.”

Before the appearance of the Rossiya brig under scarlet sails, graduates were shown a theatrical military performance: on stage, to the song Dark Is the Night, soldiers appeared loading cannons, and participants of the “special military operation” were shown watching the concert live from the battlefield.

Video: https://t.me/nenorma_project/1413

The symbol of the evening was a salvo of 200 shells fired from five Katyusha rocket launchers on the Troitsky Bridge.

Video: https://t.me/nenorma_project/1413

School’s Out, Militarization Isn’t

2025-06-27T14:14:02+00:00

Even as children head off for summer break, Russia’s state-driven militarization of youth continues — now embedded into summer camps across the country. In 2025, a unified educational program for children’s camps officially came into effect, mandated by the Ministry of Education. Its stated goal is to “preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” and it applies to all children’s institutions — including private camps. In practice, this means no camp can avoid organizing “patriotic activities.”

This summer, four major federal military-patriotic organizations are running youth programs across Russia:

📌 “Yunarmiya Academy” — A military-patriotic camp for kids aged 12–16, run by the Yunarmiya movement under the Ministry of Defense. The program includes physical training, patriotic education, and lessons in naval and aviation-related disciplines through specialized streams: Yunarmiya, Yunavia, and Yunflot.

📌 “Time of Young Heroes” — Summer sessions hosted by the VOIN military training center. Camps will open in 20 regions, enrolling nearly 13,000 teenagers aged 14–18. The “highlight” of this year’s program is a sniper course, developed in collaboration with the Russian Federation of Combat Sniping.

📌 “Land of Heroes” — A network of military-historical camps created by the Russian Military-Historical Society. The 14-day program for ages 12–17 includes unarmed self-defense, firearms training, and knife-throwing. According to organizers, “experienced instructors will teach children to overcome fear and doubt.”

📌 “Avangard” Military-Sports Sessions — Russia’s largest chain of military-patriotic centers, supported by the Ministry of Defense and DOSAAF. Known for organizing five-day training camps for high schoolers, Avangard centers are now expanding into summer programming across dozens of regions.

What’s Left of Education in Belgorod Region in the Fourth Year of War

2025-06-19T14:00:12+00:00

In Russia’s border regions, where air raid sirens, destroyed homes, and civilian deaths have become part of daily life, schools are increasingly losing their original purpose — and turning into showcases of militarization. Teachers from Belgorod told The Insider how they are forced to work under constant shelling, amid state propaganda and mounting administrative pressure.

“Education in Russia — and especially in Belgorod — is a black hole. It’s horrifying, and I’m afraid to imagine what comes next,” says one teacher.

Military symbolism is everywhere: displays of bullet casings, portraits of the fallen, and “Hero Desks” fill the school halls. Children are made to collect care packages for soldiers. Teachers, in turn, are pressured to donate money out of their own salaries. Some educators comply willingly, aligning themselves with the state’s political narrative.

“They even encourage us to go to the enlistment office — saying that’s where you’ll truly prove yourself,” shares a teacher from a Belgorod gymnasium.

But behind the patriotic facade lie silence, fear, and burnout. Teachers describe emotional isolation, deteriorating communication, and a sense of collective numbness.

“There’s learned helplessness,” says another teacher. “And that’s not just what the educators feel — that’s what the kids will one day remember as their childhood.”

Education, teachers say, has been pushed to the background. Meanwhile, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov boasts that the region is the first in Russia to open Warrior military-patriotic centers in every municipality:

“Patriotic upbringing of our children is one of our top priorities. We’re doing everything to create an environment where their eyes light up.”

Seven-Year-Old Pilots

2025-06-17T13:44:43+00:00

Starting in 2026, Russia will launch a nationwide drone piloting championship for children and youth, following a directive from President Vladimir Putin. The competition, titled Pilots of the Future, will be organized by the pro-Kremlin youth movement Movement of the First and the Russian Drone Racing Federation.

📌 Minimum age lowered to 7 — The current minimum age of 10 will be reduced to 7 years old. The Ministry of Sports and the Drone Racing Federation are tasked with amending regulations to allow younger schoolchildren not only to compete in drone races but also to earn official sports rankings in the field.

📌 State-funded competition — The championship will be funded directly from the federal budget, with the government now required to allocate funds for its organization every year.

📌 More than just races — Pilots of the Future will also include educational components. Technical workshops and learning activities will be integrated into the tournament’s schedule.

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, drones have become one of Russia’s primary weapons. Drone piloting is already part of the official school curriculum under the “Technology” subject, and a textbook for 8th–9th graders on UAVs was recently added to the federal list. Now, training will begin as early as age 7.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-06-06T13:34:06+00:00

The first week of June brought Russian children face-to-face with mercenaries, war-themed school supplies, violence at a “patriotic center,” and news of a planned presidential address to first graders.

📌 Putin in the Primer — New Primers for first graders may soon include a personal message from Vladimir Putin. The tricolor-themed textbook concept was presented by presidential adviser Yelena Yampolskaya, who said that “pride in a personal message from the head of state” would make the beginning of school “even more ceremonial” for children.

📌 Wagner Group in Kindergarten — In Samara region, Wagner fighters attended a kindergarten graduation ceremony at Sosenka preschool. They thanked the children for their humanitarian aid and gifted them patches bearing the Wagner Group emblem.

📌 Notebooks Featuring War Participants — In Zabaykalsky Krai, the Defenders of the Fatherland foundation released a series of school notebooks featuring portraits and biographies of soldiers who participated in the war. These notebooks will be used in Conversations About Important Things and “Lessons in Courage.” They are not yet available for retail sale.

📌 Patriotic Education = Child Abuse — In Novosibirsk region, a criminal case was opened against Danila Shargan, head of a local “patriotic center” and war participant, on charges of systematically beating children under his care. Despite the charges, Shargan continues to work with minors and was recently publicly thanked by a local school.

Russian Schools to Cut Core Subjects for New “Spiritual and Moral Culture” Class

2025-06-05T16:38:46+00:00

Starting September 1, 2026, Russian schools will introduce a new mandatory subject: Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia. The course, to be taught by history teachers in grades 5 through 7, will be added by reducing the number of hours allocated to other subjects, according to a government announcement.

The curriculum is being developed by the Moscow State Pedagogical University in collaboration with the Russian Orthodox Church. Among those involved is Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov of Simferopol and Crimea, often referred to as “Putin’s spiritual advisor.”

“This will be one of the key worldview-shaping courses,” said university rector Alexey Lubkov.

According to Lubkov, the course will focus on the spiritual and moral values of Russian civilization, taught through stories of historical figures, their biographies, and heroic deeds.

An earlier subject — Fundamentals of Spiritual and Moral Culture of the Peoples of Russia — was slated for cancellation in 2025, to be merged into a regional history class. But the plan was blocked by Patriarch Kirill himself. Instead of being cut, the course was expanded and made mandatory for all students.

Soldier’s Porridge, Oat Drink, and Leaf Tea

2025-06-03T16:29:30+00:00

In dozens of schools across Russia, the pro-government youth group Movement of the First held lessons titled Wartime Recipes. Students were taught how, during the war years, people baked flatbreads without flour, drank oat infusions instead of milk, and dried apples when fresh food was scarce.

“Despite the shortages, the nutritional value of food remained important — both front-line soldiers and workers in the rear had to receive enough calories to fight and support the army,” organizers emphasized.

Some of the recipes were recreated in class. Schoolchildren prepared soldier’s porridge, oat drinks, and currant leaf tea based on wartime and blockade-era recipes. In some schools, students were dressed in military uniforms to “enhance immersion.”

“These wartime recipes helped children better understand how people ate during the war, using only what was available,” educators in Voronezh region stated.

At the end of the lesson, children were asked to reflect and answer the question: “What would you do if you didn’t have your usual food?”

Militarization Calendar

2025-06-02T16:12:54+00:00

June 1 marks International Children’s Day — and the start of summer break. To mark the occasion, we've compiled a Militarization Calendar tracking military and quasi-military holidays “celebrated” in Russian schools, vocational colleges, and kindergartens. These dates were used as pretexts for class sessions, film screenings, museum trips, rallies, concerts, and other extracurricular events outside the standard curriculum.

In just nine academic months, students were subjected to at least 70 such occasions — from Military Intelligence Day to the anniversary of the “Liberation of Mariupol,” from OMON Day to the Stand on the Ugra River. These militarized dates have become routine. In some months, children were forced to “celebrate” 10 to 13 military-related events — nearly one every other day.

Beyond nationwide dates, schools also observe regional military commemorations. For example: In Chuvashia, October 28 is Remembrance Day for Builders of the Sura and Kazan Defense Lines. In Samara region, May 18 is Samara Banner Day. In Kaluga region, January 18 marks the Liberation of Dzerzhinsky District from Nazi Invaders.

Even peaceful, civilian-themed commemorative days are being militarized:

On February 8, Russian Science Day, schools held a dictation titled Science for Victory about Soviet wartime discoveries. On December 5, Volunteer Day, children were forced to weave camouflage nets. On January 13, Russian Press Day turned into Military Correspondent Day.

This is what a school year looks like in a country where children are taught how to fight before they’re taught to read or write.

We’d like to remind everyone: a child has the right not to be a soldier.

“Who Is the Author of Life?”

2025-05-30T13:56:53+00:00

Russian schools have begun holding anti-abortion lessons based on a teaching manual from the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Foundation. Disguised as biology classes, these sessions emphasize the idea that life begins at conception. During the lesson, students are shown videos, handed plastic fetal models at different stages of development, and asked, “Who is the author of life?”

Though officially targeted at high schoolers, organizers say the topic can be introduced to younger children as well. At the end of the lesson, students are invited to complete reflective prompts like “I was surprised that...” and “I felt that...”

Teachers are offered a payment of 1,500 rubles for conducting such classes. To receive the money, they must record parts of the lesson, collect filled-out questionnaires from students, and register as self-employed.

The main sponsor behind the initiative is the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Foundation, which collaborates with the ultra-conservative “Sorok Sorokov” movement. The foundation openly states: “Our goal is to get inside schoolchildren’s heads.” It is already working with school administrations and pressuring the Ministry of Education to promote its materials.

According to Verstka, these lessons have already taken place in dozens of schools, colleges, and even a juvenile detention facility across Moscow, Leningrad, Saratov, Krasnoyarsk, and Kemerovo regions, as well as in Stavropol and Krasnodar territories, Mordovia, and the annexed territory of Crimea.

Drone Textbook Officially Introduced in Russian Schools

2025-05-28T13:42:47+00:00

Russian schools now officially have their first textbook on drone operation, introduced as part of the “Technology” subject. Titled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the textbook for 8th and 9th graders was published in September last year by the state-owned publisher Prosveshchenie in collaboration with the Geoscan group of companies. On May 26, it was added to the federal list of approved textbooks.

The textbook Unmanned Aerial Vehicles consists of six chapters:

Introduction to Unmanned Aviation

Classification and Design of UAVs

Electronic Components of Drones

Basics of Manual Piloting

Programming Autonomous Flights

Trends and Careers in the World of UAVs

Training students to operate drones has become a key priority in Russia’s increasingly militarized education system. This is no coincidence: drones are one of the main types of weaponry used in the war against Ukraine.

According to The Economist, Russia was producing around 300 drones per month in 2024 — now that figure has risen to nearly 300 every three days. Documents obtained by Ukrainian intelligence reveal that Moscow’s goal is to ramp up production to 500 drones per day.

Last bell in Russia 2025

2025-05-27T13:29:17+00:00

As the academic year came to a close, Russian schools turned traditional graduation ceremonies into celebrations of war, military pride, and patriotic indoctrination. Here's a roundup of just some of the events that took place in May 2025:

📌 A Surprise in a Balaclava – In Tatarstan, a student was awarded a medal “for supporting the Special Military Operation (SVO)” during the end-of-year ceremony. The main “gift” was the surprise appearance of his father — a soldier fighting in Ukraine — who walked on stage in full military gear with his face completely covered by a balaclava.

📌 A Medal for Dad at War – In Buryatia, a schoolgirl received a “My Dad Is a Hero” medal from a local official. Her father is also participating in the war against Ukraine. The medal was awarded during a school ceremony, with applause from staff and local authorities.

📌 Dancing in Uniforms – In Orenburg, Kemerovo region, and Tuva, children dressed in military-style uniforms performed war-themed dances, drills, and songs during graduation concerts.

📌 First Aid Kits Instead of Flowers – In Voronezh region, students took part in an action called “A First Aid Kit Instead of a Bouquet.” Instead of giving flowers to teachers, graduates bought tactical medical kits to send to the front. Younger pupils were made to craft Cheburashka dolls for soldiers.

📌 Prom Dresses and Paramilitaries – In Tula region, a woman in military uniform from the Don Cossack Volunteer Corps visited the graduation ceremony. She taught female graduates in evening gowns how to mimic the mercenary salute. The students then sent care packages to the front.

📌 “God Is With Us” — and a Gun – In Krasnodar region, armed Cossacks from a volunteer corps congratulated graduates while standing in front of children's drawings. “We are Russians. God is with us. Victory will be ours,” they declared, calling themselves protectors of the students’ safety.

📌 A Lesson on War Instead of a Party – In Chuvashia, after the graduation ceremony, students attended a “lesson in courage” featuring a soldier who spoke about “fighting neo-Nazism” and the heroism of his comrades. School officials claimed the event would “leave a lasting impression.”

📌 Mourning at the Ceremony – In Kemerovo region and Astrakhan, graduation events began with a minute of silence and flower-laying ceremonies in honor of soldiers killed in Ukraine. Schools described these rites as “a new tradition.”

📌 Hero Desks on Graduation Day – In Krasnodar region, three “Hero Desks” were unveiled during the graduation ceremony, dedicated to former students who died in the war. Mothers of the fallen were given the honor of cutting the ribbon. “We chose to immortalize their names at the Last Bell, because there are no ‘former’ students,” school staff said.

📌 SVO Guests at Graduation – Hundreds of soldiers involved in the war were invited to school graduation events across the country. In Ulyanovsk region, one soldier couldn’t attend in person — instead, he sent a video greeting recorded directly from the battlefield.

These events reflect a disturbing normalization of war and militarism in Russian educational spaces — with children at the center of the performance.

Preschoolers Awarded Medals for Participating in Children’s Military Parade

2025-05-26T12:39:50+00:00

At the Lesnaya Skazka kindergarten in the town of Luga, Leningrad region, a medal ceremony was held for children who took part in the May 9 “Victory Parade”. The young kids were once again dressed in military uniforms and marched through the playground. The medals were handed out by a participant in the war against Ukraine.

“Our preschoolers are the future support and defense of our armed forces,” he said in his speech.

The award ceremony was timed to coincide with the end-of-year assembly, according to the kindergarten’s social media. The post also gave special mention to the “commander” and the “driver.”

📌 Throughout May, hundreds of “school,” “toddler,” and “preschool” military parades were held across Russia. This year, the campaign reached an unprecedented scale.

Chronicles of Indoctrination

2025-05-25T12:22:17+00:00

It seems schools decided to go all-in before summer break: across the country, children marched, recited prayers, listened to soldiers, and even arranged desks in memory of the dead:

📌 Exams with God. The main phase of Russia’s Unified State Exam (EGE) has begun. To “support” graduating students, mass prayer services are being held across the country. Students are urged to attend church, while parents submit their children's names for prayers online — with churches charging around 100 rubles per prayer.

📌 Schools as election tools. Schools are increasingly being used to falsify votes. In Saratov, children were forced to bring their phones so that “volunteers” could use them to vote in a local beautification poll. In Chuvashia, teachers demanded that parents report — by full name — on their participation in the United Russia primaries via school chat groups.

📌 Final “Important Conversations.” Russian schools held the last Conversations About Important Things lesson of the academic year. It focused on “the values that unite us”: heroism, patriotism, and service to the Fatherland. Students were shown an episode of Simonyan’s propaganda show, while the idea of “freedom” was only mentioned in the context of public health insurance.

📌 Battlefield school trips. High school students across the country were taken to military training camps simulating real combat. In Kaliningrad, for instance, teenagers had to “break through enemy lines in the rear, rescue a hostage, and evacuate to a safe zone.”

📌 One desk — six dead soldiers. Schools continue to ceremonially unveil so-called “Hero Desks.” In the Rostov region, one such desk was dedicated to six alumni who died in Ukraine.

Russian Schools Commemorate «Mariupol Liberation Day»

2025-05-21T17:49:44+00:00

This week, schools, colleges, and universities across Russia held ceremonial events marking the third anniversary of the so-called “liberation of Mariupol.” In reality, the date marks the day the city came fully under Russian military control after nearly three months of siege, destruction, and the deaths of thousands of civilians.

In the regions of Tatarstan, Ryazan, and Rostov, schoolchildren and students watched patriotic videos and listened to stories from combat veterans and members of the pro-Kremlin youth group Molodaya Gvardiya about the “liberation of the city from Nazi occupiers,” claiming it had been “under the occupation of the Kyiv regime since 2014.”

“I may have gone too far when I spoke about the cruelty of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Ukrainian Nazis, but young people need to know the truth, so they don’t wear the ‘rose-colored glasses’ pushed by anti-Russian propaganda,” said combat veteran Natalya Topal after the event.

In Saint Petersburg, schoolchildren participated in a “round table” discussion about Mariupol as a sister city, where the focus was on praising the “high pace and scale of reconstruction efforts.” In Adygea, children observed a minute of silence to honor the Russian soldiers who “liberated the city.”

“Mariupol, including its outskirts, is now better than it was before the fighting began. Builders have fully renovated even buildings that suffered only minor damage. The city center now looks like a typical modern city,” states a propaganda video produced by Molodaya Gvardiya.

In the Russian education system, Mariupol is not just a city. It has become a new ideological myth, presented to schoolchildren as a symbol of “victory” and “pride in the country and its history.”

Simonyan, Putin, and the 17 Traditional Values

2025-05-20T14:25:30+00:00

The last propaganda lesson of the school year under the Conversations About Important Things program has taken place in Russian schools. It focused on “the values that unite us.” Over the 2024–2025 academic year, students attended 34 such sessions — almost all centered around themes like “love for the Motherland,” “heroic ancestors,” and war. The final lesson was no exception.

At the heart of the class was a 40-minute episode of propagandist Margarita Simonyan’s show Just as Expected, in which she recounts the course of the Great Patriotic War using archival footage, film excerpts, and emotional rhetoric about “heroism.”

Students were asked to reflect on “what it means to be a patriot,” list “values associated with patriotism,” recall national heroes, and “realize the spiritual superiority over the material.”

According to the lesson script, the teacher was expected to list values such as: “The unity of the peoples of Russia in resisting the enemy, creative labor, mutual assistance, mutual respect, and the collectivism of the home front workers...”

The lesson authors claim that Russia upholds “17 traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” including Patriotism, Service to the Fatherland, Strong Family, Creative Labor, Collectivism, and Historical Memory, among others (as shown in the visual materials).

As for the topic of freedom — it was only briefly touched upon in the context of free healthcare.

As is tradition, the lesson ended with a quote from President Putin.

War From the Cradle: A Military ABC Released in Barnaul

2025-05-19T12:04:31+00:00

On May 15, the Altai Regional Children’s Library hosted the presentation of the Military ABC, a book designed for children aged 7–8. Each letter is linked to a real military object — for example, «В» stands for винтовка (rifle), «Г» for граната (grenade), and «K» for котелок (mess tin). The book also includes a narrative: a father tells his son Seryozha about the heroic deeds of his grandfather during the Great Patriotic War.

“War is one of the most difficult topics to discuss. Many parents don’t know at what age they should start talking about it with their children. From the cradle,” claims the regional history museum, which initiated the project.

When selecting the words, the authors based their choices on items from the museum’s collection so that children could later see them in person. QR codes were added to the publication, linking to virtual models and video materials.

“We believe it’s important to talk about this from the earliest age, when a child is just learning to read. And our alphabet book can help with that,” said Natalia Vakalova, director of the Altai Regional History Museum.

❗️This is not the first militarized alphabet: in 2023, a similar ABC titled The Alphabet of Important Things was introduced in schools in the Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions. Instead of “watermelon,” “butterfly,” or “bicycle,” first graders were offered entries such as:

A — ARMY: “Defenders of the country and our pride.”

B — GOD: “We are Russians! God is with us.”

P — PRESIDENT: “Protects and develops the country.”

Z-Catastrophe in Schools: How Children Are Made Supporters of Putin and War

2024-10-16T11:01:02+00:00

Journalist Dmitry Kolezev released an excellent video on how military propaganda is increasingly infiltrating secondary education, while the authorities implement systemic measures to subjugate children, indoctrinate them, and prepare them for future wars.

"Hero of the Special Military Operation" and former convict-mercenaries, education advisors (essentially full-time propagandists), new textbooks and subjects, Conversations About Important Things, patriotic holidays and events, Yunarmiya and The Movement of the First, hero desks and memorial plaques for those killed in the war—this is far from a complete list of propaganda elements in Russian schools.

However, school propaganda can be resisted. There are ways to fight it, and the most radical and effective of them are far more accessible than they might seem at first glance. Homeschooling is one of the most effective solutions. We recommend subscribing to the chat of our friends, Smart Changes, where participants share experiences, useful materials, and tips on organizing family education.

The video features one of our project’s authors, Dmitry Tsibiryov, and modern educator Dima Zitzer—founder of the Institute of Informal Education and author of the program "Love, Not Educate."

Children on their knees congratulated Putin on his birthday

2024-10-08T11:27:13+00:00

Second-graders from the Gubkinsky Primary School were made to kneel in the shape of the letters "P," "U," "T," "I," "N." Nadezhda Meshcheryakova, a teacher and secretary of a local United Russia party branch, knelt in the letter "U."

Today, in dozens of schools and kindergartens, children are forced to congratulate Putin on his birthday. In addition to the “standard” video greetings with portraits of Putin, children were given information hours and conversations about important on the topic “The Great Man of Russia.” At the end of the event, the children were forced to take a test “that demonstrated their knowledge of the president.”

At the State Budgetary Educational Institution “Mangush School No. 2” stands with Putin’s quotes were created. High school girls from Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School No. 2 Art. Grigoropolisskaya danced as a congratulation to Stas More’s song “Be the first!” At the municipal budgetary educational institution "Bolsheleushinskaya secondary school" the action "We are together" was held - schoolchildren cut and dried lemons for participants in the war against Ukraine.

Of course, this is only a small part of the events organized in honor of Putin's birthday.

Research on Military Propaganda in Schools of Chuvashia

2024-09-02T11:37:19+00:00

Joint Work of the Projects «Ne Norma» and «Serditaya Chuvashia»

The state does not protect children from war. On the contrary, schools actively involve students in it.

Introduction

Long before February 24, 2022, schools had turned into a megaphone for the ideology of the Russian state, and with the onset of the "Special Military Operation" (SMO), official accounts of educational institutions on social media have published an unacceptable amount of content aimed at supporting military actions and shaping corresponding views among students.

This material demonstrates the extent of military propaganda in the social media of schools in the Chuvash Republic and highlights the activities conducted in support of the war and aimed at developing combat skills among children.

Currently, there are 382 educational institutions of primary and general education in Chuvashia. According to a report from the Ministry of Education of the Chuvash Republic, in October 2021, there were 410 schools operating in the region. This means that over the past three years, their number has decreased by 28, or 7%.

All 382 schools have pages on "VKontakte," confirmed as "State Organization" through the State Services portal. At the time of the full-scale invasion, no more than 260 schools had pages. However, by the end of 2022, all schools in Chuvashia had established pages. Pages for 106 schools appeared between September and December 2022.

We collected all posts from all school pages starting from February 24, 2022, to May 31, 2024. We obtained 407,054 posts from 382 groups on "VKontakte." Using regular expressions and keywords, we identified posts of a militaristic nature. In particular, mentions of military-patriotic events, congratulations on military holidays, meetings with military personnel, training in combat skills, and more. We systematized them and counted them. Here’s what we found.

1. How Much War is in Schools?

MBOU «Kalaykasinskaya Secondary School named after A.G. Nikolaev»

Militaristic indoctrination constitutes a significant portion of all school publications. Over two and a half academic years, at least 66,252 posts on military topics have been published on the pages of schools in Chuvashia. This amounts to almost 15% of all publications, or one in every 6-7 posts. Among them, at least 8,495 were dedicated to the war in Ukraine (or the "SMO," as the Russian authorities call the invasion).

The word "war" is mentioned in 29,655 posts — an average of one in every 14 school publications. All 100% of schools wrote about the war, as well as about "patriotism" — 21,549 posts and about "Motherland" — 16,853 posts. Topics like "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine" or "neo-Nazis and neo-fascists" were mentioned at least once by 122 schools, or nearly a third of all schools.

The so-called "Conversations about Important Topics" accounted for more than 18,794 posts. All 382 schools wrote about these topics, as well as about "Lessons of Courage" — 4,845 posts.

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2. What War Exists in Schools

MBOU «Staroaybesinskaya Secondary School» of the Alatyr District

MBOU «Secondary School №6» in the city of Shumerlya

MBOU «Secondary School №23» in the city of Cheboksary

MBOU «Chuteevskaya Secondary School»

MBOU «Kalaykasinskaya Secondary School named after A.G. Nikolaev»

MBOU «Ilyinskaya Secondary School» of the Morgaushi District

MAOU «Secondary School №1» in the city of Cheboksary

MBOU «Secondary School №55» in the city of Cheboksary

MBOU «Secondary School №6» in the city of Kanash

The largest number of publications in schools of Chuvashia is dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War — 34,265 posts, or an average of one in every 12 school posts. Among them, 10,278 posts commemorated Victory Day.

Another 13,549 posts were dedicated to various other militaristic "Days." We counted 27 such "Days." For example, these include the Day of Heroes of the Fatherland, Day of Remembrance for Victims of Fascism, Day of Military Glory, Birthday of Zinaida Kosmodemyanskaya, the Day of the Borodino Battle, and so on.

In addition, since February 24, 2022, at least 21,210 posts have been published in Chuvash schools dedicated to events of another militaristic nature. We identified 20 of the most extensive categories among them.

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3. How Schools Prepare Children for War

MAOU «Secondary School №1» in the city of Cheboksary

The formation of direct combat skills among children has become an integral part of the educational process. Almost all schools in Chuvashia—379 out of 382—published posts about such activities on their pages. In total, there are 5,277 posts.

Three hundred seventy-six schools mentioned "Yunarmiya" (the Youth Army) and events organized by this organization in 4,284 posts. "The Movement of the First" was referenced by 372 schools in 2,058 posts.

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4. Living and Fallen Soldiers in Schools

MBOU «Bichurga-Baishevskaya Secondary School»

A common form of militaristic activities in schools is the unveiling of memorial plaques and desks dedicated to fallen soldiers. Such ceremonies have taken place in at least 174 schools. There were 116 posts about the installation of "Memorial Plaques" and 262 about "Heroes' Desks."

Meetings between children and living participants of the war in Ukraine occurred in at least 302 schools, or 80%. Their visits were mentioned in no fewer than 874 publications.

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5. School Social Media as a Platform for Authorities

MBOU «Secondary School №3» in the city of Cheboksary

The pages of educational institutions on "VKontakte" often serve as a platform for advertising government projects and conveying the positions of the authorities.

For example, at least 290 schools, or 78%, congratulated Vladimir Putin on his birthday in 2023. Among them, 228 schools published posts with identical content about "Vladimir Putin's Favorite Teacher, Vera Gurevich." In the previous year, there were virtually no congratulations—no more than 10 posts.

Schools also actively promote the so-called educational profile "Sferum" on VK Messenger. An identical promotional post was published by 338 schools, or 89%.

In the lead-up to the elections, 326 schools, or 87%, published identical promotional posts about electronic voting. These posts describe how a "Chuvash resident, Maxim Chernov, decided to exercise his right using an alternative method of voting."

Political preference in schools is clearly on the side of "United Russia." This party was mentioned in 690 publications by 250 schools. In contrast, "Fair Russia" was mentioned only 12 times in 8 schools, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) in 5 publications across 5 schools, and "New People" and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) had minimal mentions, with 2-3 posts.

We also counted reposts from other public pages made by schools on their own pages, totaling 78,623.

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6. National Identity in Schools

MBOU «Selyadrinskaya Secondary School»

In the overwhelming majority of cases, pages are maintained in Russian. Only 7 schools use the Chuvash language alongside it in their public descriptions. However, one school, the Srednetatmyshskaya Secondary School, has its description solely in Chuvash.

Almost all schools — at least 370 — used the Chuvash language in their publications. There are no fewer than 6,795 posts that include the Chuvash language.

The Chuvash language is often used when writing about the Day of the Chuvash Language, with at least 1,020 publications from 286 schools. At least 360 schools dedicated 2,150 posts to the educator Ivan Yakovlev, where the Chuvash language is also frequently used.

There were at least 702 posts about the so-called flash mob "Chuvash Defenders," where children were invited to "draw a defender of the Motherland," involving 178 schools.

In the regional project highlighting teachers from Chuvashia who participated in the Great Patriotic War (WWII), at least 83 schools contributed a total of 4,398 posts.

Significant attention was given to the local military-historical event of the construction of the Sursky and Kazan defensive lines during WWII. There were 2,680 posts on this topic across 376 schools.

Conclusions

«Liceum №44» in the city of Cheboksary

We are convinced that social media serves as a clear projection of what is happening in schools. This is especially true for extracurricular activities and the general narrative instilled in students. It is easy to notice that even ordinary school activities, such as drawing, writing, charity work, making crafts, and celebrating holidays—including national ones—are actively taking on a militaristic character.

The overwhelming majority of the figures presented in this material are minimal estimates. Some schools made errors in their publications; for example, they wrote "медецинская" instead of "медицинская," or "дрон рестлинг" instead of "дрон рейсинг." Therefore, some posts may not have made it into our sample.

Despite this, it is clear that a significant portion of all school publications — one in every six — has a militaristic nature. We assume that a similar proportion can be applied to the overall educational process. It can be confidently stated that the modern Russian school has become one of the key tools for war propaganda.

It is important to note that the number of militaristic events is increasing year by year. There is also a noticeable shift in focus from activities supporting the war (poems, drawings) to activities directly participating in the war: acquiring combat skills, providing humanitarian aid to soldiers, and creating materials to support combat operations. In particular, the symbols "Z" and "V" were actively used in the first months after the full-scale invasion but saw little increase in the following two academic years. This contrasts with events like weaving camouflage nets, which have seen a growth rate second only to acquiring medical assistance and drone operation skills.

The popularization of the war is also actively conducted through face-to-face meetings with participants in the war against Ukraine. On average, four out of five schools held such events. Meanwhile, meetings with representatives of other professions are virtually absent, with exceptions possibly being traffic police inspectors, emergency responders, and juvenile affairs police.

The highest number of militaristic publications occurs in February (the anniversary of the full-scale invasion) and May (Victory Day). Comparing two complete academic years, the number of militaristic publications in each month of 2023-2024 exceeds the corresponding months of the previous academic year. The exception is January, February, and March 2024, which we associate with the presidential election campaign, during which election propaganda in school social media displaced war propaganda.

War is war, but elections are on schedule.

Support the "Ne Norma" project through the links below and "Serditaya Chuvashia" on Patreon and Boosty.

Video version of the research

Children are making military gear for the front

2024-06-26T13:23:31+00:00

Unfortunately, we have already become accustomed to the fact that children are forced to make protective equipment for the front - camouflage nets and trench candles. But Russian educational institutions have gone further - now schoolchildren are making military equipment for killing other people.

The director of the Gurevsky Education Center in the Tula Region, Tatyana Konovalova, forced schoolchildren to make devices for quickly charging Kalashnikov assault rifles on 3D printers.

Computer science, technology and life safety teacher Konstantin Shcherbakov developed a model of the device, and Deputy Chairman of the Tula Regional Duma Alexander Balberov bought special plastic for printing.

"Soon, all manufactured "chargers" will be sent to the SVO zone to help our soldiers," school director Tatyana Konovalova happily boasts.

In the Rostov Region, Young Army members are making equipment for war. During the summer holidays, children, in addition to “charging”, make “all kinds of drops for various drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, tails and FABs, crosses for F-1 grenades and much more.”

"Schools are looking for soldiers for Putin's war." Propaganda and children

2024-06-17T15:01:00+00:00

«Radio Liberty» has published an excellent article about the state of the Russian education system and the indoctrination of children in schools and kindergartens.

Teachers began to be used as a propaganda tool long before the war against Ukraine. They were forced to falsify elections and agitate to vote for candidates from United Russia. After the start of a full-scale invasion in February 2024, the entire education system turned into a state machine of military propaganda.

“The authorities are imposing war on children and advertising military service to high school students as a new social elevator”

In the article, one of the authors of our project, Dmitry Tsibirev, told how propaganda events in Russian schools have changed.

“We are seeing a trend now. Last school year, the authorities began preparing children for military service <...> Now the main focus is the moral and practical preparation of high school students for participation in military operations,” Tsibirev explains.

Today, the Russian education system actively uses propaganda and militarization methods to form in children and adolescents the perception of military service as an integral part of their lives.

“What upsets me most is that the Russian government is trying to make a holiday out of a tragedy in the eyes of children,” Dmitry summed up.

Read the full article: https://www.svoboda.org/a/v-shkolah-ischut-soldat-dlya-putinskoy-voyny-propaganda-i-deti/32994058.html

Russia Day in Educational Institutions

2024-06-12T16:12:40+00:00

Despite the summer holidays, children continue to be involved in military propaganda. "Patriotic" events are held in school camps, kindergartens, and extracurricular institutions. Russia Day was no exception.

In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the first patriotic camp opened. Children aged 14 to 17 from all over Yamal are being taught military training. Participants are promised extra points for university admission.

In Ivanovo Oblast, children with a box resembling a ballot box were sent to the central square to collect money and humanitarian aid for "the guys in the special operation zone."

In Novosibirsk Oblast, a concert was held on the grounds of the "Music and Aesthetic Center." Schoolchildren in balaclavas waved rifles from the stage and lit flares.

"The future of the state is shaped by the younger generation, which adopts the glorious traditions of its people!" wrote the aesthetic center on social media.

In Bashkortostan, children were arranged to spell out the word "Russia" with their bodies, as reported by the "Idel.Realii" channel.

In Penza Oblast, at a school camp, children were divided into teams and made to assemble the proverb: "A Russian is one who loves and serves Russia."

In Krasnodar Krai, youth army members (Yunarmiya) were dressed in t-shirts with the portrait of a soldier who died in Ukraine.

The usual "activities" for children were also present: assembling and disassembling rifles in Kemerovo Oblast, unveiling a memorial plaque for a soldier who died in Ukraine in Dagestan, writing letters to soldiers in Tomsk Oblast, weaving camouflage nets in Buryatia, and operating drones in Altai Krai.

"Yunarmiya" — 8 Years of War Propaganda

2024-05-29T07:00:16+00:00

On May 28, 2016, the military-patriotic movement "Yunarmiya" was established, proposed for revival by former Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Today, 1.5 million children have joined this paramilitary organization, with regional headquarters opened across the country.

The "Yunarmiya" website states that "the movement's activities are aimed at instilling kindness, empathy, conscientiousness, loyalty, dignity, and love for one’s homeland in its members."

However, most of the time, schoolchildren are taught how to shoot weapons, operate drones, engage in hand-to-hand combat, and provide first aid—skills necessary for the military in wartime.

As of 2023, more than a thousand graduates of "Yunarmiya" have become participants in the Special Military Operation (SMO). The movement even has its own "Alley of Memory" dedicated to the fallen Yunarmeytsy in the war in Ukraine.

The "Yunarmiya" units are required to participate in propaganda activities supporting the war: making trench candles, weaving camouflage nets, collecting humanitarian aid, visiting the wounded in hospitals, and gathering wild garlic to send to the combat zone.

The website states that anyone aged 8 to 18 can join "Yunarmiya." However, preschoolers are also drawn into this militaristic organization. Yunarmeytsy regularly visit kindergartens, where they talk about the movement, show weapons, conduct drill training, and demonstrate basic first aid skills.

"All children are the future defenders of our homeland," Yunarmeytsy explain to the kids at the "Teremok" kindergarten.

In dozens of regions, "Yunarmiya" units are being established in preschool institutions: Krasnodar Krai, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Tuva Republic, Voronezh Oblast, Rostov Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Penza Oblast, Tomsk Oblast, Amur Oblast, Zabaikalsky Krai, and others.

Joining "Yunarmiya" is voluntary; however, there have been cases where the children of military personnel were pressured to join the movement. Students are also promised benefits and extra points when applying to universities.

Kindergarten children were made to crawl in the snow with rifles

2024-02-09T09:37:37+00:00

In Pervouralsk, a military sports game called 'Zarnichka' was held for the children of three kindergartens, No. 8, No. 9, and No. 14. The children competed in crawling through the snow with rifles, took part in a quiz dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day, and assembled military-themed puzzles.

The organizers believe that such an «event is a great opportunity to have fun, show their abilities, and acquire useful skills.»

Children were forced to play the «Siege of Leningrad»

2024-01-25T16:02:41+00:00

In the Altai Territory, in the children's library, fifth-graders from a local school were given a military-themed game «We Know and Remember This». First, the children were told about the history of besieged Leningrad, and then interactive competitions were organized for the children, dedicated to the events of the besieged city.

The children were divided into two teams: «Katyusha» and «Victory». During the game, schoolchildren competed to see who could best share a piece of bread and buy goods needed for the winter in a besieged city. Library staff emphasized that “all the tasks completely coincided with the historical truth,” which allowed the children to “plunge into the events of the war years.”

The siege of Leningrad lasted more than two years. 16,747 civilians were killed in shelling and bombing, and 632,253 died from starvation. Is this really a reason to play?

Children were taught methods of protection against drones

2024-01-18T15:52:46+00:00

In a school in the village of Kuban, an elementary school lesson on courage titled «Children about War» was conducted. The invited military guest spoke about the war in Ukraine and demonstrated how to act during a drone attack, emphasizing, "Don't forget to take off your shoes."

"The kids learned what to do in such situations and how to behave to save their lives,"— stated in the social media of the cultural and leisure center that organized the event.

Students from Nizhny Novgorod are being taught how to surrender as prisoners of war

2024-01-16T15:46:28+00:00

In Nizhny Novgorod, 42 students underwent basic military training at the «Avangard» Center for Patriotic Education from September to December 2023.

In photos published by Deputy Director Andrey Nesterenko from the "urban building assault tactics" training, a group of students is seen lying on the floor in military uniforms with their eyes blindfolded. Taped eyes are a common practice in handling prisoners of war. It appears that the young people were practicing surrendering.

The training was part of the initial military preparation course «Ratnoe Delo 2.0». The youth movement «Chkalov» and the «Avangard» center received a grant of 700,000 rubles from «Rosmolodezh» to purchase equipment for the events.

Militarization of Russian children in numbers

2023-12-29T13:26:05+00:00

The modern Russian state considers children its property. It doesn't just interfere in their education and upbringing but literally recruits schoolchildren into the army. The Russian education system aims to instill in children the perception that serving in the Russian Armed Forces and participating in combat actions are the only correct ways to show love for their homeland.

And this is not just isolated cases of militarization in individual schools. The Russian state invests tens of billions of rubles in "patriotic" education, organizes centers for military training of teenagers, and involves children in upbringing led by war participants without any pedagogical education.

A man who returned from the war was invited to meet with the children

2023-12-22T13:02:47+00:00

For seventh graders from the Rostov region, librarians from the Kagalnitskaya Central City Library conducted a lesson titled «Their courage will remain for centuries».

At the event, they invited a man who returned from the war so that the children could "receive information from a primary source - a direct participant of the Special Military Operation, so that they would know about the events happening in Ukraine."

In addition to stories "about life in the conditions of the special operation, the armament of our soldiers, and the conduct of combat operations," the students were required to read poems by a military volunteer who has been supporting the occupation of Ukraine since 2014.

The «Night Wolves» bikers are teaching children patriotism.

2023-12-21T12:38:27+00:00

It seems like the «Night Wolves» bikers have taken up the task of instilling "love for the Motherland and pride in their country" in children. They recently conducted «Lessons of Courage» at two schools in the city of Dzerzhinsky.

In early December, these motorcycle enthusiasts visited Lyceum No. 3 to impart "universal human values and the truth about the Great Patriotic War to the younger generation." During the event, they also collected humanitarian aid for war participants from the lyceum students.

A few days ago, the bikers visited Gymnasium No. 5 and interacted with seventh-grade students. The students learned about the peculiarities of the country's economy, discussed the reasons behind wars, and understood the importance of supporting soldiers on the front lines.

The child in a wheelchair is weaving camouflage nets for war

2023-12-20T12:24:04+00:00

The «Republican Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adolescents with Disabilities» in Udmurtia is forcing children with disabilities to weave camouflage nets for the war.

"Our center has been weaving camouflage nets for several months now. And in this session, we have two more very hardworking helpers who love the MOTHERLAND," the center proudly states.

Children with disabilities weave the nets, and the center's staff then send them to the front as "gifts from Santa Claus."

Schoolchildren were forced to participate in the funeral

2023-12-11T12:11:06+00:00

The Young Army members from a school in the Nizhny Novgorod region were taken out of classes and sent to a neighboring city for the funeral of a man who died in the war in Ukraine.

Children were lined up in formation next to the coffin of an unknown deceased person and called it an "honorary guard." From memorial plaques to funerals. Will children be attracted to grave digging starting tomorrow?

At the school where the girl committed the shooting, master classes on assembling and disassembling a machine gun were recently held

2023-12-07T12:03:59+00:00

A terrible tragedy occurred in Bryansk. The girl opened fire on her classmates and then committed suicide. Shootings in educational institutions occur with terrifying frequency. Over the past five years, 12 cases have occurred, five of which resulted in the death of schoolchildren and students. But what is most frightening is the lack of response from the education system.

Moreover, educational institutions in Russia are increasingly filled with weapons. It has already become common to conduct lessons on assembling and disassembling the machine. Schoolchildren are taught to shoot from various types of firearms literally from elementary school. Courage lessons, where children are introduced to military equipment, are even conducted at home. And men who returned from the war practice combat skills with schoolchildren.

“Weapons are not a source of increased danger, but your friend and a working tool” — military instructors walk around educational institutions with such posters.

Schools and kindergartens are literally filled with war, weapons and violence. Instead of teaching kindness and peaceful conflict resolution, aggressive and militarized behavior patterns are imposed on children. Guns are increasingly associated with problem solving and control.

The State Duma banned students from using smartphones in schools

2023-12-06T11:45:15+00:00

Today, in its final reading, the State Duma passed amendments to the education law prohibiting schoolchildren in Russia from using smartphones during lessons, except in emergencies.

Now, according to the law, children will not be able to film, for example, such videos:

👁‍🗨 In Vladivostok, a physical education teacher beat a schoolboy during a technology class. He struck the child several times and then attempted to strangle him.

👁‍🗨 In Tuva, an elderly teacher attacked two schoolchildren during a lesson. She punched one student on the back, head, and face, while twisting the ear of another boy.

👁‍🗨 In Nizhny Tagil, a teacher of Basics of Safety attacked children. He slapped one child in the face with his palm and struck another with a stick on the legs.

👁‍🗨 In the Perm Krai, a teacher called a schoolboy a traitor and a bastard because he was late to an event dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day.

👁‍🗨 In a Moscow school, the head of the cadet class beat a student during a financial literacy lesson because he did not like the boy's hairstyle.

👁‍🗨 Due to her appearance, a schoolgirl from Dmitrov, near Moscow, suffered. During a lesson, a Russian literature teacher hit the student because of her hairstyle.

👁‍🗨 In the Krasnodar region, the deputy director for educational work beat two schoolchildren with a belt in front of the entire class.

👁‍🗨 In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a primary school teacher attacked a 9-year-old boy. She struck him several times for interfering with her lesson.

👁‍🗨 In the Ryazan region, a mathematics teacher beat a seventh-grader. Later it turned out that she was twice involved in a criminal case for beating her own children.

👁‍🗨 In the Nizhny Novgorod region, a mathematics teacher also beat a seventh-grader, but this time during recess. The boy fell to the floor from the blow, and the teacher shouted at him: “To the director, you little bitch!”

A three-year-old girl was dressed in a military uniform and forced to sing for wounded soldiers

2023-12-05T11:18:35+00:00

Coordinator of the LDPR Znamensk branch Ruziya Kairgalieva came to the hospital to visit men wounded in the war in Ukraine. She brought with her the “little LDPR activist” Sophia Syusina to hold a mini-concert. They took off the girl’s jacket, leaving her in the cold only in a military shirt, and forced her to sing “Katyusha” for unknown men.

“Patriotic education of children and youth is an important task, which the LDPR copes with excellently!” — members of the LDPR party boast on social networks.

The children were forced to play in a military hospital

2023-12-04T09:42:44+00:00

Fifth-graders from Sosnovy Bor in the Moscow region were brought to the "Vybor" youth center for a "Courage" lesson. During the lesson, the children were shown the video "Vstanem," given a tour of the "Glory" room, and shown items brought from battle sites of the Great Patriotic War.

Next, the children were dressed in medical uniforms and taken to a room where an installation of the Kolomna Military Hospital was set up. The schoolchildren were greeted by bloodied mannequins simulating surgeons at work, amputated limbs, a model of a wounded person with shrapnel in their chest, and various items extracted from soldiers' bodies collected by surgeon N.K. Mitropolsky during 1941-1945.

"Visiting the interactive exhibit left a huge impression," said a specialist from the youth center.

At the festival, students were shooting at targets featuring photos of Zelensky, Biden, and Stoltenberg

2023-12-03T10:45:11+00:00

In Tomsk Communal and Construction College, Wagner mercenaries, the Russian National Guard, and Cossacks organized the festival «Peaceful Warrior of Russia». The event featured an exhibition of weapons, master classes on saber fencing and rifle assembly-disassembly. In the shooting range, targets with photos of Zelensky, Biden, and Stoltenberg were placed.

"The goals of the festival: to instill in the younger generation concepts of patriotism, love for the Motherland, and Homeland."

"Weapons are not a source of increased danger, but your friend and a working tool"

2023-11-28T10:27:44+00:00

Instructors from the «VOIN» (Warrior) center came to a school in Kalmykia with such a poster. They conducted firearms training sessions for students in grades 8-11. The school staff expressed great satisfaction with the sessions, as they believed that the knowledge and skills taught could be useful not only in extreme situations but also in everyday life.

We've covered the «VOIN» (Warrior) center before. Currently, there are 11 branches operating in Russia that focus on military training for teenagers aged 14 to 18.

Fourth graders were taught to shoot from a Makarov pistol

2023-11-27T10:17:41+00:00

In Gymnasium No. 4 of Veliky Novgorod, elementary school students were given practical training in firearms handling. The children were taught to shoot from a Makarov pistol. Initially, the students "refreshed their memory on the rules of handling weapons," and then "proceeded to practical shooting."

The session was conducted by Alexey Ivanov, the head of the Veliky Novgorod branch of the organization "Combat Brotherhood," who is also a specialist in pre-conscription training. The school director, Elena Matveeva, serves as the deputy chairperson of the Novgorod City Duma.

A «Lesson of Courage» was held at home for the child

2023-11-24T09:51:42+00:00

At the Epifan School in the Tula region, a «Lesson of Courage» was conducted at home for a home-schooled student. The student was introduced to military equipment and first aid skills.

Home schooling is a form of education where, due to illness, a child cannot attend a school. At designated times, teachers visit the hospital or the student's home to provide individual lessons.

Military propaganda reaches children even at home.

A trench was dug for play in a kindergarten

2023-11-15T09:58:47+00:00

In the city of Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai, the district administration organized a patriotic game called "Zarnichka-2023" among preschool children.

In the kindergarten yard, a hole was dug on the lawn that strongly resembled a grave, called it a trench, and made 84 kindergarten children play in it.

The head of the administration, Vladimir Zaburaev, and the kindergarten teachers happily watched the children playing at killing each other. The event program also included the standard assembly/disassembly of machine guns and writing letters to the military at the front.

«ABCs of the Important»: Propaganda for children

2023-11-09T11:32:14+00:00

In the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, new textbooks called the "ABCs of the Important" have been introduced in schools. Instead of the usual "A - apple," "B - ball," children are now encouraged to learn letters with «patriotic» examples:

A - ARMY «Defenders of the country and our pride».

G - GOD «We are Russians! God is with us».

V - VETERAN «A person who brought Victory and peace to our country».

P - PRESIDENT «Protects and develops the country».

Approximately 2,000 copies have already been delivered to the region, and they will soon be available in all educational institutions in the area.

The Magadan Oblast is also not far behind. The region has received copies of this patriotic propaganda publication. Deputy Minister of Education Irina Gornostaeva even conducted the first lesson for third-graders, stating, "We, adults, some kids' moms and dads, tried to present you the familiar letters in this ABC, but only with words that, in our opinion, reflect love for the homeland.

New «Pioneer Movement» or How the State wants to «Reach Every Child»

2023-10-19T11:49:07+00:00

In Russia, the «Movement of the Firsts», a Russian children and youth movement, has been in existence for two years. On July 14, 2022, Putin signed a decree to create this movement. Currently, the movement has 30,000 units with over a million children as members, and this year they plan to attract an additional 7 million people.

«There are a total of 18 million schoolchildren in Russia, and if we include students in secondary vocational education, there are potentially about 20 million young people. The ideal situation is that within 3-5 years, all children aged 6 to 18 become members of the movement» Grigory Gurov, the Chairman of the Board

Details about the movement, which is intended to encompass all schoolchildren in Russia, have been covered in an article by «Verstka.Media» titled «Dostich' kazhdogo rebёnka» (Reaching Every Child). The author, Ekaterina Krasotkina, spoke with schoolchildren, teachers, and employees of regional branches of the «Movement of the Firsts» to understand how the organization operates from within. You can read the article here.

It is concerning to witness how children are being deceived, and alongside seemingly harmless activities like ecological forums or museum visits, they are exposed to military propaganda and pseudo-patriotism.

On Father's Day, children write letters to soldiers at the front and create greeting cards. «Movement of the Firsts» activists make camouflage nets and helmet covers. They organize «Lessons of Courage» for schoolchildren, inviting men who have returned from war.

Children are practically coerced into joining this pro-government movement. Participants may be eligible for government-funded spots in Russian universities or additional points during university admissions, and they can also visit other regions for free. In essence, the state is effectively buying the loyalty of children, and they aim to attract everyone.

Students are being prepared for war

2023-10-09T11:20:49+00:00

In Russia, military centers known as «VOIN» (Warrior) have begun to open, specializing in preparing teenagers for military service. Currently, such centers operate in 11 regions of Russia and one in the occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast. The leadership of these centers plans to open branches in all regions of Russia. Each branch will eventually have its own military specialization based on the most demanded skills during the war. For example, in Yakutia, children are already being trained as snipers.

Over the summer, these military centers provided training in military and practical skills to over 9,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17. Training initially took place in children's summer camps, but now it occurs on their own training grounds. Schoolchildren are trained in various areas, including engineering, tactical training, communication organization, piloting drones, and tactical medicine.

The initiators of this military training for children are Sergey Kirienko, the first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, and Yuri Trutnev, the presidential envoy to the Russian Far East.