In summer 2024 around 250 Russian children traveled there North Korea for a 10-day children's camp. The event, conceived as cultural diplomacy, was the results of a brand new youth exchange launched in 2022 through which Russian youth participate compete without cost trips abroad. To win a spot, children must write an essay on certainly one of three topics: Russia's role in a multipolar world; children's interest in North Korean culture; or the story they wish to tell North Korean children about Russia.
The program starts as follows Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have grow to be closer. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow needed to strengthen its ties with anti-Western allies, not least to expand its marketplace for ammunition supplies.
But the North Korea trip is just certainly one of countless recent state-sponsored efforts to advertise nationalism amongst Russian youth under President Vladimir Putin. The Russian state is increasingly attempting to instill in children values comparable to patriotism and loyalty through educational initiatives and the creation of recent youth organizations.
Russia reportedly plans to spend money greater than $500 million in 2024 alone to so-called “Patriot projects”. Much of this effort is targeted on two areas: the creation of Russian nationalist youth groups and the politicization of the country's schools – each of which have grow to be an increasing priority because the start of the war in Ukraine.
The rise of Russian youth organizations
North Korea's cultural exchange program was initiated by a Russian youth organization called ” the movement of the first. The organization was founded at Putin's behest in 2022, months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is modeled on the Young pioneers – a youth organization of Stalinist ideology through the Soviet era.
Putin has boasted that the organization is a “huge army” and frequently praises his activities, which include every part from more traditional civic activities like planting trees to explicitly ideological goals. For example, children write letters to soldiers who were deployed within the invasion of Ukraine.
The Movement of the First is just the youngest organization of its kind. Another youth group that Volunteers of Victorywas founded by the Russian state in 2015 and has the same connection to Ukraine, having been launched shortly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The organization's mission is to preserve the Russian version of history and past and current victories counts 650,000 members in 89 regional branches. Members of the Volunteers of Victory are mostly teenagers who take part in a wide range of activities starting from meeting with war veterans and recording and documenting their stories to cleansing military cemeteries and war memorials. The aim is to create widespread awareness of the heroic deeds of the Soviet and Russian armies and to advertise Russia as a military superpower.
Although these two groups have their origins in Russia's Ukraine policy, they represent only a selected branch of a much larger ideological tree. Among Russia's largest youth organizations is the The youth armywhich is greater than claimed 1.6 million members. It was founded in 2016 under Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with the aim of coaching children for future careers within the uniformed military.
The organization tries to encourage young people to hitch by promoting self-expression and social belonging within the military. Members are trained in ideological topics comparable to nationalism and given practical exercises comparable to handling weapons.
The Politicization of Russian Education
In addition to promoting pro-Kremlin ideology through youth organizations, Russia has increasingly made efforts to accomplish that politicize all areas of education – out of Kindergartens and first schools To Colleges and universities.
In 2023, all schools in Russia and Russian-occupied territories might be introduced latest compulsory school books that teach versions of history and culture created and approved by the Kremlin. The books paint a transparent picture of the glories of Russian nationalism against a hostile world, replete with a glorification of the Soviet system, a rehabilitation of the crimes of Stalinism, and the omission of past state-sanctioned genocides, purges, pogroms, and compelled labor camps.
As of September 2022, Russian schools across the country began conducting “Conversations that matter” – ideologically heavy lessons aimed toward instilling patriotism.
In 2023, officials within the Far Eastern regions of Russia developed one other general patriotic curriculum project: “The ABC of important things“. The alphabet, which includes words such as “army,” “faith,” “honor,” “fatherland,” “homeland,” and “traditions,” is already taught in lots of kindergartens and elementary schools.
In schools across Russia, teachers are developing age-appropriate strategies under pressure from the state To connect children and young individuals with the Russian soldiers Fighting in Ukraine. The youngest children are given easy tasks, e.g. Such as drawing and coloring pictures of the letter “Z” on the ribbon or lining up in formations to form the form of that letter. The letter “Z” became an emblem of war and has grow to be a sort of badge for many who support the war. Older children Write letters to soldiers They serve in Ukraine, especially soldiers from their cities or regions, and put together aid packages.
And schools at the moment are being equipped with desks with pictures and biographies Details of distinguished soldiersa living reminder of the proud history of Russian military heroism to which young persons are invited. In memory of graduates who fought and died in Ukraine, Schools have installed “hero desks.”.”
The normalization of “Ruschism”
In the long term, educational and youth groups in Putin's Russia aim to determine a deep and enduring sense of patriotism and respect for the military, instill a pro-government view of history and memory, while protecting youth from opposing worldviews.
Of course, Putin is just not alone in attempting to use youth education and organizations to instill stridently nationalist values. History is filled with rulers, especially autocratic rulers, who did the identical. Mussolini's Italy prioritized youth organizations just like the National Balilla OperaAnd Sons of the Wolfor children of the she-wolf. These inspired similar efforts in Hitler's Germany the National Political Educational Institutions And Hitler Youthor Hitler Youth.
Today's Russia under Putin pursues its own nationalistic and patriotic goals in a way that’s attuned to today's geopolitical realities and the circumstances of Russian history and society. In fact, some scholars have defined Putin's authoritarian approach as a uniquely Russian brand of fascism or “Ruschism.”
As the term suggests, Putin's approach draws on the authoritarianism of the past, including the Soviet era, and offers something specific to today's Russia. As a Kremlin official proposed in 2023Putin's Russia is waging a holistic war on three fronts: a territorial battlefield in Ukraine, an economic one against the West, and an information war. On this latter front, Putin is trying to the longer term by ensuring that his brand of authoritarianism is passed on to a younger generation of Russians.
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