Russia Unveils Textbook Reform to Foster Patriotism and Cultural Values in Education

Russia is gearing up to implement new textbooks for language and literature classes that focus on instilling «patriotism» and «spiritual and moral values» in students, as announced by the creators of these materials during a Federation Council meeting on Thursday.

Since the commencement of its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has intensified efforts to propagate its interpretation of history and global affairs within educational institutions. This has included the introduction of compulsory patriotic courses and modifications to history curricula to match the Kremlin’s wartime perspectives.

The Russian language textbook, which is nearing completion, aims to maintain «continuity» with subjects such as history, literature, and social studies, noted Yelena Yerokhina, head of the rhetoric and speech culture department at Moscow State Pedagogical University (MPGU), according to the exiled news outlet Agentsvo.

She emphasized that this initiative is not intended to produce «linguistic theorists,» but rather «literate citizens who prioritize the preservation and development of the Russian language.»

«Our educational approach to Russian is rooted in patriotism and national values,» Yerokhina stated.

Viktor Chertov, who leads the literature teaching methods department at MPGU and is at the forefront of creating the new literature textbook, explained that the concept is built upon «drawing from our traditions.»

«This certainly aligns with the directives outlined in the president’s decree. Our primary objective is to reinforce traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, and literature offers a wealth of material for that purpose,» Chertov remarked.

For the first time, the upcoming textbooks will include works by Alexander Pushkin at every grade level, alongside sections on World War II and a «Literary Map of Russia.»

These new educational materials form part of a wider reform initiative aimed at standardizing teaching resources across all subjects, as previously announced by Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov.

The initial standardized Russian language and literature textbooks for grades 10 and 11 are expected to be introduced in schools by September 1, 2027, with materials for elementary and middle school grades to follow in 2028.

Previously, Russia had introduced a single state-sanctioned history textbook, edited by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, which includes quotations from President Vladimir Putin and discusses various common Russian propaganda themes, including «U.S. pressure on Russia,» «Ukrainian Nazism,» the «return of historical lands,» and the «falsification of history.»