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Schoolboy Ivan with veterans and Youth Army cadets at an event in a school in Istra near Moscow
| Photo Credit: AFP
On a small stage in a school outside Moscow, a masked soldier presented Ivan with an Army flag, a thank-you gift signed by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine to the seven-year-old who has sent dozens of letters and gifts to them.
Encouraged by his mother, young Ivan has offered words of support and praise for those taking part in what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation.” Such events have become common as the Kremlin rallies its youngest citizens to support the initiative and embeds its narratives on the conflict into the curriculum.
Thousands like Ivan learn from new history books that justify the Ukraine operation as the latest in a string of successful Russian and Soviet campaigns to defend the motherland.
Instilling patriotism in the classroom is just one strand of President Vladimir Putin’s wider attempt to elevate the status of the military and champion soldiers and veterans as the country’s new elite.
Russian children are also being encouraged to join pro-military youth movements, a throwback to the days of the USSR.
Ivan’s school in Istra has set up a small museum displaying objects that belonged to Soviet soldiers in the Second World War alongside some from those now fighting in Ukraine.
Around 20 of the 300 pupilshave joined a group called the “Youth Army” — which says it has 1.7 million members nationwide.
The Youth Army’s agenda covers everything from sports competitions to how to handle a Kalashnikov rifle.
The Kremlin launched its drive to bring its messages on the Ukraine conflict into schools in 2022, with a programme of special lessons, called “Important Conversations.”
Those efforts have become more systematic as the fighting moves towards its fourth year.
Published – February 18, 2025 10:37 am IST
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Moscow turns to its schools, teaching children to revere Army amid war
