From birth to death. What Russia promises Crimeans
The militarization and education of children in the spirit of the “Russian world” in Crimea has reached an extremely wide scale. On the Crimean peninsula, children are involved in the simulation of military operations, learning how to shoot a machine gun and how to control a drone. Pseudo-official structures have been created from children - the so-called “children's administration”, whose members are trained in the style of Russian management policy, which is characterized by chauvinism and violent methods. Many political children's structures have been created, such as the “Movement of the First” and “Nevolyshka”, in which children are taught to fight and hate. There are frequent cases when children at the age of 14 know nothing but how to shoot a machine gun.
However, militarization covers not only children from eight to 18 years old, but also the youngest and adult Crimeans throughout their lives. For example, the parliamentary newspaper of the annexed Crimea promotes the experience of educational work in the spirit of racism already when the child tries to read by syllables, that is, in fact, at the age of four or five.
Thus, student Yaroslav Sibilev recalls how, as a six-year-old child, he had just learned to read not "ma-ma mi-la ra-mu", but the holy "ro-di-na", how his grandfather told him about the Soviet film "They Fought for the Motherland" and "discovered a much greater meaning of this word". The boy carried that meaning throughout his life, but today no one asked him the question: if in that film Soviet soldiers really fought for their homeland, why are Russian soldiers dying today in someone else's? No one told him about the difference between fascists in World War II and "defenders of their homeland" in Russia's war against Ukraine.
"He wanted the former greatness to return to Russia again, so that peace and understanding reign in the prosperous country that forever broke the world hydra of fascism," writes the Crimean newspaper.
At that time, they did not tell Sibilev what the real size of the country was, nor did they explain that not only Russia (and actually the USSR - the author) defeated the "hydra of fascism", but dozens of countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. And the young Crimean, intoxicated with lies, will fight against the "windmill", obeying false instructions.
But the Crimean pseudo-patriotic practice does not intend to indulge a person throughout life. Recently, 99-year-old residents of Crimea, Mikola Starkov and Taisia Chepelova, who were born in 1926, were subjected to Russian political processing. They lived a long, meaningful and, probably, glorious life, but the newspaper, without asking them, claims that "the main event in their lives is the Great Victory in May 1945", although these years for them, as in every war, were full of wandering and suffering.
Mikola turned 18 in 1944 and was immediately drafted into the army. He fought in the railway regiment until 1946. For combat honors, he was awarded the "For Courage" and "For Victory over Germany" medals. Taisia Čepelova was taken to the front at the age of 17. She served as a fire controller. She was awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree and "For Courage" of the 2nd degree, medals and the badge "Excellent in Combat and Political Training".
Contemporaries awarded the veterans of that war with another jubilee medal and gave as an example to the new generation of Crimeans precisely their wartime period of life, not work, hiding the fact that then and now Russian soldiers fought in various wars, then - in liberation, and now - in aggressive, invasion and illegal.
It is not for nothing that the head of the Russian parliament of Crimea, Volodymyr Konstantinov, in all cases emphasizes that he solves problems "only by joint forces", "only together with all Crimeans". Everywhere he tries with his war policy to achieve obedience and unity of Crimeans, calls on them to be ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the mythical, foreign to many, "Russian idea", calls to "build the Crimea of his dreams".
The Crimean authorities have long begun practical training of young people for participation in military operations. In particular, the Russian military has noticed that children who can achieve success in computer shooters are the ones who best understand the technique of controlling drones and are already training drone pilots. At a recent press conference in Simferopol, it was noted: “Crimea is one of eight subjects of Russia where the “Classic Victory” project is being implemented. Children-heroes”. Last year, the youth movement “Movement of the Firsts” united 30,000 Crimeans, this year - more than 60,000. Mentors help boys find their way in life. High school students, having received an occupation, can immediately get a job. Children are told “how to become a volunteer”, “where to apply”. They are given contacts and notes: everyone interested can become military volunteers”.
In the annexed Crimea, the involvement of children in politics, in specific political, completely “adult” processes has reached large proportions. All participants in the so-called "youth parliament" have been filled with slogans like "it is a great honor to be a participant in the Crimean political process" "from a young age". The first meeting of the "youth parliament" was held in February 2025. It was welcomed by the head of the "adult" Russian parliament, Volodymyr Konstantinov. He called on young people to be proud of everything that has actually become a page of shame for real deputies - the so-called referendum, the return of the Crimean peninsula to Russia, cooperation with the country that occupied it.
All these activities are still being investigated by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and will receive their assessments from the point of view of international law.
The preparation of the "youth parliament" lasted a whole year. As a result, a team of 55 people aged 18 to 35 was formed. Again, the emphasis is not on "deputy" qualities, but on "merits". Especially since it includes Sergei Kamenev, a participant in the war of Russia against Ukraine, as well as the Russian cycling champion Alexander Rozhdestvensky, leaders of student and youth organizations, deputies of village and city councils and working youth. Anastasia Zameta was elected as the head, Sergei Kamenev as the deputy, and Maria Yudina as the responsible secretary (although there is no such position in the Crimean parliament - the author). Then the "parliament" dispersed from house to house - it is believed that in this way they "form committees". Like real deputies, the elected youth are probably not in a hurry to get to work...
But in Crimea, it is not only Crimean youth that are involved in politics and war. Much of the propaganda is directed at foreign students studying in Crimea. The parliamentary newspaper is delighted that “foreign students of the Medical Institute of the Crimean Federal University (created on the basis of the Ukrainian Tavri National University – author) spent the winter “in Russian” and met the spring.
But the efforts of Bulgarian youth in Crimea were aimed at helping the participants in the war against Ukraine. Bulgarians in Crimea were mobilized to emphasize “the unity of fraternal peoples, to pay tribute to Russian soldiers”. To do this, activists of the Regional Bulgarian NCA tried to prepare a treat for participants in the “special military operation” on the basis of the Crimean College of Public Catering (“SVO” or “special military operation” in Russia is called a full-scale war against Ukraine – ed. author).
Alexey Zinchenko, head of the State Committee for Youth Policy, coordinates work with youth in Crimea. In 2014, he joined the ranks of the Young Guard of United Russia organization. The official states: "Our key task is to reach as many active and caring people as possible, involve them in a common cause, tell them about new opportunities. Youth policy should reach every city and village. In the short term - work not only in Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Feodosia, Yalta, Kerch, but also in the most remote areas, where the same caring, active, wonderful Crimean youth live".
Such a situation has been created in Crimea that if you are not interested in politics and war, then you will definitely be interested in politics and war, and this is difficult, if at all possible, to avoid. Propaganda, as we see, covers the entire life of Crimeans - from birth to death. Young and active "politicians and political scientists", military, beardless, as well as veterans, are brought up in such a way that they do not see the difference between the goals of World War II and the current imperialist and aggressive war of Russia, so that they do not distinguish who are real fascists and who Moscow calls Nazis only to justify aggression. Between the youth of Crimea and the truth hangs the iron curtain of Russian propaganda, which does not allow them to see and understand today's reality, and therefore to make the right choice.