Russia Expands Patriotic Education to Preschools Amid Controversy

At least 100 preschools throughout Russia and in the occupied territories of Ukraine will commence a pilot program for state-supported «patriotic lessons» this autumn, as announced by the Education Ministry on Tuesday. This initiative is an expansion of a program approved by President Vladimir Putin.

The courses, referred to as «Important Conversations,» were initially rolled out in high schools in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Last year, Putin advocated for these lessons to be made available to preschool children, aiming to cultivate patriotic values from an early age.

According to the ministry, the classes designed for children aged 3 to 7 will take place from September to November across 19 regions in Russia, as well as in the partially occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

The curriculum will focus on teaching children «respect for Russian culture and history, love for the Motherland,» alongside instilling family values and characteristics such as kindness and honesty, as stated by the ministry.

Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov remarked that the newly developed «age-appropriate» materials would assist children in forming «correct ideas about important life values» and maturing into «responsible citizens.»

Critics have condemned these lessons as a form of political indoctrination. In some preschools that previously trialed the program, children were seen wearing military uniforms, playing with toy weapons, and having bandages applied to imitate injuries from battle.

The city of Vologda, located in northwestern Russia, had already implemented these lessons for preschoolers in January.