The Kremlin is preparing for a protracted war - experts on the spread of Russian ideology in Crimea

The creation of pro-Russian patriotism in Crimea takes place on a broad scale - in kindergartens, schools and extracurricular education institutions. Crimean protégés of the Kremlin emphasize their involvement in the idea of a "Russian world" since the collapse of the USSR. For example, a photo exhibition "Russian Community of Crimea - 30 years" was opened near the building of the Russian Parliament of Crimea.

The Russian authorities have introduced a course of initial military training (PVP) into the educational program.

"The main purpose of PVP is to prepare the coming generations for the various challenges facing our homeland. Not only from a technical point of view, but most importantly - to teach them patriotism. As soon as the motherland calls and says: "It is necessary", everyone should be ready. And that readiness should exist among young people while they are in school," says Timur Asanov, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth in the Russian Government of Crimea.

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, every new week in schools in Crimea begins with the reincarnation of Soviet political information.

"For the second year already, we have very interesting events - we start the week with "Conversations about what is important". We are preparing for a productive week, everything starts solemnly, with the raising of the national flag. Of course, the anthem is performed by the children themselves," says Eliana Osmanova, director of Simferopol school number 42.

Various pro-Russian patriotic organizations and events are being developed, for which significant funds are allocated. For example, in Yevpatoria, at the base of the children's health camp Gagarin, an educational-methodological center "Avangard" was opened for high school students, who during the five-day stays acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of military and patriotic education. The aim of the center is to popularize state and military service. The cadet movement in schools is actively developing.

 

The "School of Future Commanders" for young soldiers was opened in Sevastopol. The "School of Young Commanders" also operates in Crimea, where more than 200 teenagers participate in each shift. They improve in formation, firefighting training, medical aid, radiation, chemical, biological protection.

In the children and youth center "I-Camp" in the village of Piščane, Bakhchisaray district, changes are being organized for the Russian analogue of Soviet pioneering - the "Movement of the First" community.

These are examples of recent innovations in ideological work with children and young people. In propaganda, the Russian authorities use all methods, including visual ones, for example, flowers are planted in flower beds in the shape of the word "Russia".

 In their congratulations on Teacher's Day, the leading members of the Russian authorities of the annexed Crimea highlighted the functions of "patriotic education" of the modern school in Crimea.

"According to the words of our president, "the historical mission of the national education system has always been the education of citizenship and patriotism, responsibility for the destiny of the country". It is the gold standard, and if we deviate from it, it costs the state and society," said the Russian head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov (according to the documents - Aksenov), in his welcoming address to the teachers.

 

In his welcoming address, the president of the Russian parliament of Crimea, Volodymyr Konstantinov, said that "Crimeans are active builders of our civilization, the Russian world, and a great deal of credit goes to the Crimean teachers."

But, according to Crimean blogger Rahim Gumbatov, "the school in Crimea has not become a forge of pro-Russian patriotism."

"Much depends on what the teacher puts into the brains of his students. But it is obvious that the state does not pay teachers properly for this huge responsibility, paying them a small salary, burdening them with bureaucratic paperwork and many other additional burdens. On the other hand, the general low educational level of the population also negatively affects the overall situation. Therefore, the role of the teacher in patriotic education is reduced mainly to typing activities. In general, today's objective conditions do not encourage a particular increase in the level of patriotism either among teachers or among students," the public figure told Krym.Reali.

The analyst of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, Vladislav Miroshnichenko, who has experience working in the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the ARC, believes that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this policy intensified significantly and "the main consequence of this policy, according to the plan of the occupier, should be readiness Crimean youth to join the ranks of the Russian army".  

"The policy of militarization of education in Crimea has been implemented by the occupying state since 2014. The main goal is to instill a Russian identity in the Ukrainian youth, spreading readiness for war... Unfortunately, this policy has been affected and is in the minds of many people. But there is no absolute success, as can be seen from the information about the failure of the mobilization plan in the occupied Crimea and the departure of a significant number of young people abroad to avoid mobilization. The situation may be similar to Soviet times, when participation in such events was "voluntary-compulsory", which created an image of full support for a certain policy by society. But in reality it did not reflect the true mood of the society. Therefore, it can be assumed that even the current "success" of Russian politics exists only in the materials of the Russian propaganda media," commented the analyst Krym.Realii on the situation.

Ukrainian human rights activist Aleksandra Stepanova believes that such a policy indicates the Kremlin's reluctance to end the war.

"Pro-Russian patriotic education in educational institutions not only bears fruit today, but also in the long term. In childhood, beliefs and principles are formed that will become the basis of their world view. It is good if parents somehow help the child to get information from other sources. What we plant in the minds of the younger generation now will germinate after a certain time. And, of course, the aggressor country knows this as well as we do. I think this policy also shows the intention to continue the war. A frozen conflict or a conditional truce is a new war after a while. And the number of such young people brought up with Russian ideology, who will take up arms and go to kill, is quite an important factor that affects how long this truce will last," the human rights activist shared her opinion for Krym.Reali.

The founder of the public organization "Free Crimea" Alexey Yefremov told Krym.Realia that in Crimea the Russian authorities pay great attention to the propaganda of the "Russian world".  

 

"This is a very sensitive topic for me, as a teacher and student activist in the past. My heart bleeds to see how the brains of the rising generation are clogged with this binding propaganda. This work is done shamelessly starting from kindergarten, the "talk about what matters" school, and at almost every event in higher education. On the one hand, children often absorb everything like a sponge, but on the other hand, everything imposed by force and from the outside causes nihilism and contradictions in curious minds. It is clear that when Crimea is freed from this darkness, everyone will harshly say that these authorities forced children to be brainwashed. But in any case, someone's head is irreversibly poisoned and Ukraine now has to fight for those who are capable of critical thinking and independent search and analysis of information," Yefremov said.

Russian blogger Aleksandr Gorny, who moved to Crimea after the annexation, notes that the contemporary Russian "patriotic model" is full of insincerity.

"The authorities are trying to impose a "patriotic" model, but it works when this silicon patriotism is financed from the budget. Immediately there are patriotic singers and songs for millions in concert fees, a bunch of grantoids pushing such patriotic projects. I have no illusions about human nature, and all these bonuses, payments, social benefits and social packages are in no way connected with patriotism and the patriotic urge to protect the homeland from the impulses of the soul and heart," the blogger shared his observations with his subscribers.

Russian journalist Olena Romanova writes that after the start of a full-scale war, very negative changes are taking place in society.

"The hatred of the population against each other is growing, the legalization of meanness is untying the hands. The system is already formed. They are already dealing with colleagues, reporting on their liberal thinking. "Domestic xenophobia is blooming and smelling," the journalist notes.

The Center for Civic Education "Almenda" emphasizes that the Russian authorities in the annexed Crimea are doing everything to "prepare Ukrainian children for war against their own country", teaching them "to be proud of Russian military victories and to be ready to fight against Russian enemies, which includes not only Ukraine, but also the entire "collective West" together with the countries of the NATO bloc. CSO Almenda experts believe that "now it is important that Ukraine be ready not only for military de-occupation, but also for work to overcome the harmful influence of Russian "soft weapons" , which is already trying to destroy the Ukrainian identity in the occupied territories."