russian authorities keep trying to turn the new generation of russians into obedient soldiers. In
addition to the well-known Yunarmy, a militarist youth organization that was founded by the
russia’s defense ministry, and special cadet classes, this year russian propaganda machine
will get to all the students.
Starting September, russian schools will introduce thirty-minute classes called “Talks on
important issues” on Mondays. Methodical recommendations for third and fourth graders
reveal that kids will be inspired to think that “happiness of the motherland is more important
than life”, and that to die for the motherland is “not scary at all” (sources:
www.kommersant.ru/doc/5536038, https://ug.ru/razgovory-o-vazhnom-temy-soderzhanie-
kak-postroena-programma-urokov/, https://www.go31.ru/news/3453440/scaste-rodiny-
doroze-zizni-kakim-poslovicam-budut-ucit-belgorodskih-skolnikov).
For the older students of 5-7 grades authorities prepared classes regarding “historical unity of
the russian people”. Probably, russian authorities are still concerned about potential
international confrontations within the country. Kids also have to explain sayings such as
“those who stand for the motherland are heroes”.
Recommendations also note a topic of the so-called “special military operation” [in Ukraine].
Kids will be taught the kremlin’s version about reasons to begin the “special military
operation”, in addition to the notion that “collective western military efforts increases the
amount of casualties of the operation”, blaming the West for civilian casualties and shifting
the responsibility for that from the russian army itself that tries to occupy Ukraine and shells
cities with millions of residents daily.
8-9 graders will start classes comparing the square of russia and the U.S. … and will also talk
about the aims of the war in Ukraine.
High school students will be taught that real patriots can defend their motherland with
firearms. Besides, every Monday will commence the learning week with raising the flag and
singing the anthem. This innovation met a lot of criticism over social media networks.
Raising additional levels of patriotism didn’t miss Dagestan, a problematic region for the
kremlin. Ministry of education of the republic issued a decree, published on its website at the
end of August, on creation of specialized “russian guard” classes at 14 general educational
facilities, done in close cooperation with the management of the federal service of the
national guard of the russian federation (source – https://www.mk.ru/social/2022/08/24/v-
rossii-budut-vyrashhivat-silovikov-shkoly-otkryvayut-klassy-rosgvardii.html).
To justify the minister’s order, the document indicates it is done by the head of Dagestan to
“further improve the military-patriotic education and professional military orientation of the
general educational facilities of the republic”. The offered education will cover 425 seventh-
grade students and, most likely, starting from the next year the amount of such classes will
increase.
As a reminder, Dagestan is one of the russia’s regions that tops the list of those killed in
combat in the war against Ukraine. Analytics say it is one of the reasons to conduct another
russian special operation within the republic as Dagestan is known as one of the most
rebellious regions – one can find numerous local social media posts criticizing the “special
military operation”. Back in 1999 it was a hot spot with weeks-long heavy military fighting
between the “Islamic peace brigade” and the russian regular army units.
It is very likely that russian authorities are hesitating but trying to secure themselves by
raising a new generation of loyal-to-regime soldiers in Dagestan, just like throughout the
whole country.
Oksana Kuzan