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In Syktyvkar, Teremok (literally "the little house") is one of many pre-schools across Russia that have set up "junior cadet" groups since the Kremlin launched its so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022. As in the "Rainbow" class, the children take part in "educational meetings." They participate in marching and military singing contests, gather for cadet assemblies and balls and regularly meet with military personnel. They learn how to protect themselves in the event of gunfire and to deliver a report with military precision. They also wear the red cadet beret. The target age group is children from 4 to 7 years old.
Focused on patriotism and basic military preparation, these programs began appearing in pre-schools as early as 2014, during Russia's annexation of Crimea. After the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the movement grew. According to figures from the independent Russian online media outlet Viorstka, at least 57 towns and cities in 26 regions of Russia have created such groups in schools, most of them after the war in Ukraine began.
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The program varies by institution. But the setting is always intended to be playful. Children may meet participants in the "special military operation," be introduced to shooting and hand-to-hand combat, try on gas masks and bulletproof vests, weave camouflage nets and take part in municipal events in parade uniforms. Teachers and school principals share their methods, with some even establishing partnerships with military universities. They claim to contribute to the "early training" of children.
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Gradually, common standards are already being established across Russia. According to accounts from educational staff on social media, a ritual has begun to take shape for the initiation ceremony: the national anthem resounds in the classroom; the Russian flag is raised; and, three times, the children shout "I swear!" as a sign of their loyalty to the flag and the nation.
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In some cities, these junior cadet groups are created with a view to incorporating them into military schools. In Syktyvkar, kindergarten No. 112 has set up a special group for future police officers. In the Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine, which in summer 2024 was partially occupied by Kyiv's forces, children in a pre-school are automatically placed in the "border guards" class of a neighboring school. This class is run by a veteran of the "special military operation."
In Kostomuksha, a small town in Karelia, a region bordering Finland, cadets have been integrated into the Ministry of Emergency Situations. A section was created there called "The Little Rescuers." In Saransk, 600 kilometers east of Moscow, children have been directly admitted by the cadets of the National Guard, an autonomous police structure under the direct authority of the presidential administration.
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In many cities, the programs are openly military. In Kursk, the youngest cadets learn the basics of close combat. In Samara, they take part in a camouflage net workshop. In Khabarovsk, a major city in Russia's Far East, children are perfecting their marching in step. In Karaidel, a small town in Bashkortostan in the center of Russia, children receive explanations on how to build military equipment. This presentation was followed by a small performance called "How Kolobok [a legendary character from a Russian folk tale] prepared to join the army."
"Children love to discover new things," explained Larissa Dermenji, creator of the "Cadet from Early Childhood" project in Pokatchi, in September 2024 on local television. Her pre-school, Skazka, was awarded the status of a regional innovation platform thanks to its unconventional methods of fostering love for the homeland. In uniform – red or blue, depending on the class – the children begin, since 2024, class with a ceremony to raise the Russian flag, which they hoist themselves in front of a mural depicting the Kremlin. They then learn both Russian history and current events, celebrating the "success" of the "reunification" of Crimea. "If the teacher captivates them and prepares the activity well, the children absorb everything like sponges," said Dermenji.
Yeah, and every morning I had to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
wait two to four seconds and sing…
“My country ‘tis of thee sweet land of Of thee I sing Land where my fathers died Land of the pilgrim's pride From every mountainside Let freedom ring”
Every morning before the class about American imperialism and military superiority even started. Hand on heart and if you didn’t you got sent to the principal office for punishment.
Yeah, America and Russia both suck for different reasons. Nice post.
Was this good? Did you also learn to handle a machine gun at the age of 4?
Putin himself declared, “Commanders don't win wars, teachers win wars." It's pretty clear what he aims at, and it has nothing to do with peace.
Maybe you can manage to watch a documentary about it: "Mr Nobody against Putin", follows Russian teacher Pavel Talankin's job in a school at Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains. While recording his students Talakin also documents the Putin administration movements to control public perception during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. (Mr. Talankin lives now in exile.)
Many Russian teachers don't want to do this, but they have to, Talankin says.
It must be a horror for Russian parents to send their children to such schools.
As an addition: The Russian "elite" - these are those who can afford the fee - is sending their children, of course, to private schools in Russia: or, if possible, to Western schools and university. Just fyi.
Was it good? You didn’t have a choice. You got punished if you didn’t, so that was bad. When I was a kid, corporal punishment was still a thing.
Did I learn how to use a machine gun at 4? No. Just bolt action rifles and .22 pistols at that age.
My teachers taught us that the evil Japanese decided to strike Pearl Harbor without warning, destroying a large chunk of the Pacific fleet. Almost none of that sentence is factually correct. The difference is you saying “most Russian teachers don’t want to do this” while American teachers already spread propaganda and lies because it’s already DEEPLY ingrained in the population already. Our teachers have a curriculum (also know as “orders”) to follow.
I guess I’m not understanding your reply. Most countries instill a sense of national pride. Learning about your nations history starts in school. There are plenty of reasons to be upset with Russia. Trying to say other countries don’t do this, is a ridiculous lie and l gave examples from the US to prove it.
And was it good now? Do you want this for children today?
I am confident that there are countries in 2025 where 4-year-olds don't learn how to shoot in kindergarten.
Again, I don’t have a choice. I vote, I pay taxes but right now someone who’s supposed to be leading our country is busy tweeting about comedians all night and enacting executive orders to put book burning back in American culture and God in the government. No I don’t want this for my kids.
Im also confident there are plenty of countries in 2025 that still have child armies, child suicide bombers, and child logistics lines for moving or hiding weapons and munitions. In Bosnia, the kids were making explosives after school like a fucking craft project.
I love my country but I will always fear my government. What they make people do (including children) can be pure evil.