Starting September 1, Russian kindergartens will officially launch the “Conversations About Important Things” program — patriotic lessons for children as young as three. The Education Ministry says the initiative will teach “family, friendship, kindness, honesty, and love for the Motherland,” but in practice it marks the spread of state propaganda into preschool classrooms.
The program will begin in 100 kindergartens across Moscow, Chukotka, the Yamalo-Nenets region, Perm Krai, Amur, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vologda — as well as in the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov told RBC that teachers will be tasked with instilling “respect for Russia’s culture and history” and shaping “worthy citizens of the country.”
In reality, such lessons have already been held. In October 2024, Putin personally endorsed the idea of “conversations” with preschoolers. Soon after, teachers in several regions reported holding patriotic sessions that included war veterans, poems about the “special military operation,” and campaigns to collect gifts “for soldiers.” On Constitution Day, children were even given portraits of Putin to take home.
Source: Important Stories