The film "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," directed by Pavel Talankin, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film is based on footage shot at School No. 1 in the city of Karabash, Chelyabinsk region, during the first years of the war, where Talankin worked as a videographer.
What is happening at the school now?
Over the past few months alone, dozens of “patriotic” events have been held there. For Defender of the Fatherland Day, the school hosted a ceremonial assembly with children in military uniforms and a meeting with a participant in the war against Ukraine.
“Patriotic education” begins as early as primary school. Younger students take part in competitions involving drill training and military-themed performances. For grades 5–7, there are contests with tasks like “scout” and “don’t miss your target.”
In November, the school opened a “Hero’s Desk” in honor of a soldier killed in the war against Ukraine. Students are also involved in practical support for the military. For example, they collected waste paper as part of the campaign “Turn in paper — help SMO”, with proceeds sent to soldiers.
Even career guidance is tied to the military: ninth graders were taken on a field trip to a military aviation academy, where they were shown barracks and equipment.
❗️Talankin’s film is not about just one specific school. It shows from the inside how the Russian education system currently operates. What has been happening in School No. 1 in Karabash is typical for thousands of schools across the country.
❤️ But we found something positive as well. The school’s social media page still features a post from 2021 thanking Pavel Talankin, as a director, for organizing film screenings and discussions as part of the educational film festival “Growing Up Together.”
