1/ A Russian school has attempted to instill "love for the Motherland" in 150 children aged 15-17 by showing them gruesome footage of Russian soldiers being killed in Ukraine. This has reportedly traumatised the teens, prompting criticism from parents and a local civic leader. ⬇️ 
2/ Propaganda efforts are underway in schools across Russia to improve the patriotism of children and instill in them a sense of the righteousness of defending Russia and joining the army (see below). School no. 30 in Ivanovo seems to have got it wrong.
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1624713169829502978
3/ According to the Russian media outlet 7x7, a 98th Guards Airborne Division officer named Yevgeny Zolotarev gave a presentation which included unblurred footage of Russian soldiers being executed (presumably by Ukrainians). This prompted complaints from parents.
4/ Ivanovo Region Civic Chamber member Maryana Khusneeva has posted an account of what happened on her VK (social media) page. She asks:
"Why were Ivanovo children shown a movie marked 🔞?
"Why were Ivanovo children shown a movie marked 🔞?
5/ In one of the city schools, they tried to instill "love for the Motherland" in high school students with the help of unblurred footage of the execution of our children [i.e. soldiers] in the special military operation.
6/ Parents are not calling the school management to account, as they fear problems before graduation.
But to remain silent means to turn a blind eye to possible mental problems.
But to remain silent means to turn a blind eye to possible mental problems.
7/ The girls cried for two more lessons (from horror, because of the death of innocent people), someone quarreled because of pacifist views.
I sincerely wonder how schoolchildren were able to watch the video from a flash drive to the end.
I sincerely wonder how schoolchildren were able to watch the video from a flash drive to the end.
8/ Another question: whose initiative was it? And why didn’t the city administration indicate anything about 🔞-rated cinema on its blog, mentioning only the "Wall of Memory" initiative and for some reason restricted commenting on this information?!
9/ Please explain your actions. Not for me. For the students and their parents.
Everyone understands everything. And the fact that a child cannot be out of politics, because he hears it all around him anyway and draws conclusions. But is this incident a good example?
Everyone understands everything. And the fact that a child cannot be out of politics, because he hears it all around him anyway and draws conclusions. But is this incident a good example?
10/ Showing this content is crippling to the psyche. Even many of the adults cannot make sense of what is going on now during the "special operation" – ...
11/ so what about children who cannot yet distinguish the truth from lies and are accustomed to trust adults and take their word for it unconditionally? It is categorically forbidden to show them anything that incites enmity and hatred towards other people."
12/ However, Khusneeva is likely to face difficulties convincing others of this principle, if some of the replies to her post are anything to judge by. While some respondents support her wish not to expose children to traumatic scenes, many others do not. One women replies:
13/ "Crying is a good thing, the soul is cleansed by the redefinition of values. There's nothing wrong with that. Half of our school cried when they studied Mumu [a famous short story by the writer Turgenev which involves the drowning of a cute dog].
14/ But no one has the slightest thought of complaining and shaming the school and its principal! The parents are scandalous and the children will probably grow up to be the same way!"
15/ Some respondents accuse Khusneeva of having a hidden agenda. A woman named Yulia suggests she's part of a "fifth column" seeking to use concern for children "in order to shut up any teacher who dares not formally talk with children about patriotism and war."
16/ "The goal is very simple", says Yulia – "to move society as far as possible away from war, from experience and compassion. This is done in order to later declare the participants of the special military operation to be criminals and outcasts.
17/ This lady is saying here without any hesitation that the participants in the special military operation are not like the soldiers of the Second World War."
18/ Another woman named Natalia accuses Khusneeva of seeking "not the protection of children's rights, but her own PR and involvement in the discussion of citizens who want to "stir up" the subject of the special military operation and destabilize the situation in society."
19/ Others argue that Russian children need to be given the full (state-approved) picture of what's happening in Ukraine. One person says:
20/ "My child at the age of 8 is already aware of our special military operation, I talk to him about this topic. We are aware that our citizens have been shelled for the 9th year by the Nazis, the criminal government of a neighboring country.
21/ And that now our warriors protect us. And I would not like to be surrounded by "waiters", people with a different look. We must unite, support our president."
22/ A man named Andrey suggests that "children at school really need to be told about what is happening in the war zone in the form of live broadcasts of executions with all the details and particulars." Many respondents agree and express similar sentiments.
23/ "Execution of unarmed people. The execution of the inhabitants of Donetsk. Execution and torture of captured soldiers. You need to talk about this with your children. We all need to remember this!", says Svetlana.
24/ One woman proposes "to stop blowing dust off children and not to raise them in the world of pink elephants. Tell them about the exploits of the pioneer heroes and the Young Guard. So that they do not faint from the need to dig a trench or bandage a wound." /end
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