“One doesn’t become a patriot by just proclaiming slogans,” runs the text of an upcoming mandatory lesson for upper-level children in Russian schools. “Genuinely patriotic people are prepared to defend their motherland with a weapon in their hands.”
“Patriotic education” has been a catchphrase in President Vladimir Putin’s Russia since at least 2005. But now, with Moscow’s unprovoked war against Ukraine grinding on and Russia caught up in a tense standoff with the West, the country is redoubling its emphasis on “patriotism” in the schools. With the new school year that opened on September 1, the Education Ministry is launching mandatory weekly lessons first thing every Monday with the title Important Conversations.
#Ukraine: Ukrainian artillery fire forced Russian troops to abandon their BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in the vicinity of Izium, #Kharkiv Oblast.
Some close hits can be observed and given the thin armor of BMP-2, it is highly likely that the vehicle received serious damage. pic.twitter.com/KKms9s9ggp— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) September 1, 2022
