I'm so absolutely exhausted by the "hot takes" and wild statements from non-specialists speaking on 🇷🇺's invasion of 🇺🇦.
My plea, listen to specialists studying these countries, who (b4 war) tried to understand the culture, relationship dynamics & ppl of these countries. (1/) I have scrolled this bird site over the last week, reading threads from some amazing scholars heroically questioning this work and putting it into a specialist context. (2/)

St. Petersburg United #Russia deputies propose the reintroduction of military training to schools.

The militarisation of 🇷🇺's youth cont to be deeply problematic & here's why.

Thread 🧵 (1/) This article, shared by @_abikaras_, says that there is a "hole in [Russia's] patriotic education." zaks.ru/new/archive/vi… (2/)

🤑 Costly efforts made by #Russia to commemorate the day of Remembrance & Sorrow.

Short 🧵 1,418 candles were lit & placed on the Cathedral square at the Main Church of the Armed Forces of 🇷🇺.
*1418 to represent the num of days of the GPW*

Of course, this is part of another project called the All-Russian action "Candle of Memory"

Zanko, Duma deputy & leader of Victory Volunteers, talks abt patriotic (again)
She's a huge advocate for patriotic edu (though she doesn't like that phrasing) & historical preservation.
In interview w/ Vzglyadr, she talks abt educating youth w/ conscious patriotism.

Thread 🧵 One of the Q's I get asked abt, in relation to patriotic edu, is whether kids actively participate in it, or whether it's a box-ticking exercise to get high marks.

Yuri Nazarov - #Soviet, #Russian theater & film actor, was asked abt Victory Day in 1945.

He said, youth should not be forced to learn history but should be shown it by example.

🔗pobedarf.ru/2022/05/12/yur… "Q: In your opinion, is it worth paying special attention to history in youth edu?

A: it's impossible to force someone to fall in love, be a patriot, learn history. Everything taught “under pressure” is perceived falsely. It should be taught by example. Show, tell, explain [...]

It's been two months since the start of #Russia's 3-day "special military operation."

Here are some of 🔑 things I've learnt abt 🇷🇺 militarism, particularly around youth militarisation & 🇷🇺's educative practices. (1/) 🇷🇺 has long used it's education system to shape the minds of its younger generation.
The youth is targeted specifically, as potential army recruits, & as those will take forward these military-patriotic discourses into the future. (2/)

The "othering" of Ukraine continues!

Please don't tell me that textbooks aren't important.

https://twitter.com/rprose/status/1517801095061544960

In the linked article, proveshcheniye employees said they needed to make changes to limit the % that 🇺🇦 was mentioned.

It said: "So, from paragraphs that give examples of the heraldry of different states, including flags, a few years ago it was strongly recommended to...

As of Apr. 22, 90,000 🏫 children have visited an interactive exhibition at the GPW museum, called "Feat of the People"
Details ⬇️
pobedarf.ru/2022/04/22/emo… The article says:

"The storylines lead kids to various areas of the museum, incl. the large-scale exposition 'The Feat of the People'...

Thread 🧵

A story by Ivanov Vladimir on Apr. 19 abt 🇷🇺 soldier moral & wartime posters.

🔗histrf.ru/read/articles/… Vladimir stated: in WW1 " A competent poster raised patriotism & love for the motherland in people, & helped people to understand the difficult political situation."

He continues, stating that posters played a huge role in raising spirits during the GPW.

Another 🧵 but necessary - *more* responsibility laid on #Russia's youth.

🇷🇺 state continue to draw parallels between USSR's victory over Nazism in 1945 & today.

#Russia's youth warned of their struggle over #Nazism & the legacy they could have if they commit to the cause. "Governor of Primorsky Krai, Oleg Kozhemyako, & Yunarmiya members made a "time capsule" with wishes of peace to future generations. The action was held in Vladivostok in the multimedia park 'Russia - My History.'"
yunarmy.ru/press-center/n…

Russia's youth continue to be targeted by state's militarisation efforts.

Why?

1) future gen can take the discourses forward.
2) edu is an important part of socialisation.
3) edu systems are areas of knowledge exchange, w/ clear power relations.

Thread 🧵 Clear generational divide on opinion polls. People under 30 are less likely to support the war. 1 reason, they are westernised. Though, societal groups try to show that this assumption is wrong. ⬇️

On VK #Russia's Ministry of Defence has posted several images as part of the Z campaign. Here are my thoughts: These 3 seem to have the soldier pointing the gun towards the reader. I'm not so sure what type of imagery they are trying to portray here. I don't feel pride in the sense that they may protect me, but maybe uncomfortable...they are quite scary.

NATO is not the legit reason for #Russia's war in #Ukraine. It does, however, occupy a special place in 🇷🇺 identity making & discursive framework. (1/9

Thread 🧵 In the Cold War, NATO (Western alliance) & Warsaw pact (Soviet & Eastern alliance) existed & worked against each other. At the end of the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact ended, while NATO continued. (2/9)

🇷🇺's discursive success is rooted in mirroring present day circumstances w/ past events.

It is not surprising that *many* people in 🇷🇺 are supportive of the invasion. These discourses fit nicely into 🇷🇺 understanding of its past.

Thread🧵 Conveniently, archival materials have recently been released and 'reveal' the actions of the Ukrainian Bandera in World War Two. "Archives remember everything" ⬇️ pobedarf.ru/2022/04/08/arh…

#Russian people are living in an information vacuum. They are being confronted, from many angles, by streamlined discourses & where counter-narratives pop up, so do doubt-casting efforts.
🧵 My thoughts on propaganda & 🇷🇺 invented reality: My ideas here closely relate to discussions on 🇷🇺 propaganda. Over the last week, I've grappled to understand the absolutely disgusting discursive 🚮 that is being perpetuated among society. Here's where I'm at: Is this propaganda or is this more sinister?
**ofc 🇷🇺 state lies**

#Russia is desperately planting seeds of doubt in stories that sit beyond the discursive mythical boundaries of 🇷🇺 identity.
I believe it will work. Here's why:

Thread🧵 Not only have I seen 🇷🇺 media sites talking about "фейк ньюс" in relation to the Bucha massacre, but also increasing num of articles abt falsified stories from #ukraine on Yunarmiya, Victory Volunteers & Great Patriotic War museum sites.

#Russia lives in its own reality. We call it propaganda, indoctrination, patriotic edu...no, this is 🇷🇺's imagined (& truly believed) state.

Short 🧵 In 🇷🇺, the stories they perpetuate of Nazism & genocide in 🇺🇦 is not *just* propaganda but a core part of 🇷🇺's current belief system. Reading @BirgeLucy & @DrJadeMcGlynn excellent insights really hammers this home.

🇷🇺 future is contingent on preserving & extending the past, because they could not possibly find any victory in today's society.

Thread 🧵 Remember this: GPW hist has been modified to amplify the glory of the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany & mutes USSR's role in Katyn Massacre & Stalinist purges of the late 1930s.

As 🇷🇺 war in 🇺🇦 continues, so does the militarisation of youth. It's really imp to examine Russia's targeted propaganda programmes. Here's why.
A 🧵: First, it's impossible for us to pop into Putin's mind. What he says, versus what he does are wildly different. For example, "let's recognise Donetsk and Luhansk" & then also bombs Lviv (1,000km away). We can get a sense of Putin's aims from his speeches...

Putin had drawn upon the GPW memory (time & time again) to justify & (try) to arouse support for his invasion of Ukraine. I'm starting to think it *could* have limitations. 🧵 GPW is the most celebrated commemorative date in Russia. Why?

Russia's war propaganda is pretty comprehensive. Over the past few weeks, I've posted links to what 🇷🇺people are being fed - especially through education institutions (youth groups, museums). What are my (still initial) thoughts? 🧵 At first, some of these make-shift propaganda tactics seemed last-minute DIY, & some are still very chaotic. However, with reflection, they are more comprehensive that I initially thought. Why? Because they draw on rhetoric that has simmered away in the background for years.