Russian Preschoolers to Study Occupied Ukrainian Territories

Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveyev proposed restoring the Soviet-era names “Octobrists,” “Pioneers,” and “Komsomol” as authorities push “patriotic education” during the war against Ukraine. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied This pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned agency Sputnik shows Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (C) posing for pictures with children in the Red Square on the National Unity Day in Moscow on November 4, 2023. (Photo by Gavriil GRIGOROV / POOL / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Preschoolers across Russia will begin state-backed patriotic lessons known as “Kind Games” later this year, a senior Education Ministry official said on Wednesday. The Education Ministry began piloting the preschool lessons last year across 19 Russian regions and in parts of occupied Ukraine. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . In some preschools that tested the program, children were photographed dressed in military uniforms, carrying toy weapons, and wrapped in bandages to simulate battlefield wounds. As part of the lessons, children aged 3 to 5 will be shown a map of Russia including occupied Ukrainian regions and taught the importance of “protecting our motherland,” according to the exiled news outlet Agentstvo. Russia’s Deputy Education Minister Olga Koludarova said “Kind Games” would be introduced in all preschool classrooms across the country starting on Sept. 1. Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveyev has also proposed restoring the Soviet-era names “Octobrists,” “Pioneers,” and “Komsomol,” reviving terminology closely associated with communist youth movements. Matveyev made the remarks during a parliamentary discussion on Thursday, suggesting that the historic labels, once used for children’s and youth organizations in the USSR, could be reintroduced in modern Russia. The terms refer to a tiered system of Soviet youth groups: “Little Octobrists” for younger children, “Young Pioneers” for school-age youth, and “Komsomol” for older teenagers and young adults. In the Soviet Union, these organizations played a central role in ideological education in schools. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Turns to Domestic Resources for Winter Prep as EU Funds Stay Blocked – Zelensky President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing for the upcoming winter using domestic resources as European funding remains blocked amid continued Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Like many totalitarian regimes, the Soviet Union sought to shape the minds of children at an early and formative stage. These youth groups acted as a conveyor belt for grooming young people into loyal Communist Party members. The Little Octobrists generally included children aged 7 to 9 and served as the starting level of Soviet youth indoctrination. The Young Pioneers, usually aged 10 to 14, resembled scouts in structure but were heavily politicized. Members wore red ties and white shirts, attended state-run summer camps, and took part in activities framed as “socialist labor,” such as collecting scrap metal. Komsomol, short for the Communist Youth League, covered older youths aged roughly 14 to 28 and served as a much more overtly political institution. Membership was often essential for those seeking access to higher education, desirable jobs, or careers in government. Matveyev’s proposal comes amid broader efforts by Russian authorities to promote “patriotic education” as the country wages its fifth year of full-scale aggression against neighboring Ukraine. Sevinj Osmanqizi is a journalist covering US foreign policy, security, and geopolitics, with a focus on the broader post-Soviet space. She reports on Washington’s decision-making and its implications for Ukraine and regional stability.