According to Dr. Jonna Alava from the National Defence University’s Russia Group, Russian schools have adopted a more aggressive and patriotic educational framework since the beginning of the Ukraine war. The week in Russian schools now starts with the raising of the flag and singing the national anthem, followed by a new propaganda lesson called 'Talk about the Important'. This session introduces the Kremlin’s worldview through various subjects, all fundamentally linked to supporting the war effort.

Military training has been incorporated into the curriculum for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with a substantial 160 hours dedicated to this activity aiming at producing basic military skills among students. Schools have also begun showcasing weapons and organizing grenade-throwing competitions as part of this initiative. Moreover, history textbooks have been rewritten to reflect this new ideological stance, while at least four hours of patriotic education are integrated weekly into the students’ timetables, indicating a significant shift in educational content toward a pro-war stance.

Additionally, classrooms are adorned with memorial walls and tribute desks dedicated to former students who died in the war, reflecting a deep intertwining of education and military nationalism within the current Russian educational landscape. Dr. Alava suspects that schools receive directives each week related to this heightened focus on militarization and patriotism, exemplifying how the Kremlin’s influence extends into the fabric of everyday life for young Russians, fostering a new generation aligned with its ideological ambitions.