Memory manipulation in russian schools through ideological lessons
russian schools are expanding a system of ideological indoctrination of youth. Children are being introduced to propaganda lessons dedicated to the “genocide of the soviet people.”
▫️ The formal basis for these classes is the “Day of Remembrance” established by putin on April 19. However, teaching materials indicate that the main purpose of the course is not to honor the victims of World War II, but to artificially link historical events of the 1940s with the ongoing aggression against Ukraine in children’s perception.
▫️ During these lessons, students are told about “neo-Nazis” in Ukraine and the “special status” of Donbas. In other words, current hostilities are presented as a “continuation of the struggle against international fascism,” which is intended to justify the war against Ukraine in the eyes of teenagers and give it a sacralized meaning. Propaganda constructs an image of the enemy through artificial associations with the most tragic events of the past century.
This is another attempt by russia to rewrite history. Instead of understanding World War II as a shared tragedy of many nations, including Ukrainians, it is being turned into an ideological foundation for the current war.
