International Women’s Day is one of the most peaceful holidays. But in Russian schools, even it is used as an excuse to talk about war. On the eve of the holiday, schools across the country held “lessons of courage,” meetings with participants in the war and their relatives, and militarized competitions.
The largest initiative was the “To You, Beloved!” campaign organized by the Movement of the First. Across the country, schoolchildren congratulated women whose “children, husbands, and grandchildren gave their lives for their family and country or are standing guard over the Motherland.” According to organizers, children visited more than 10,000 military families.
Special attention was given to the theme of “women at war.” In St. Petersburg, school and university students attended a “lesson of courage” with the “first female hero of the ‘special military operation,’” Ekaterina Ivanova. In Krasnodar Krai, organizers invited the head of the "SMO assistance" headquarters to an event titled “Spring, Women and Victory.”
“What does a spring holiday have to do with military life? The most direct connection!” — School No. 3, Gulkevichi
Hundreds of schools held lectures such as “Women at War and on the Home Front” and remembrance lessons titled “War Has No Female Face,” dedicated to female pilots, snipers, and signalers of World War II, as well as women participating in combat in Ukraine.
“Such events help demonstrate the multifaceted nature of women — they can be not only keepers of the home, but also defenders of the homeland, doctors, engineers, and scientists. This helps break stereotypes and broaden young people’s understanding of women’s roles,” — Borodinskaya School No. 3.
Even festive contests were turned into military-style competitions. In the Amur region, organizers held a military-sports game “Girls in Uniforms–2026,” while in the Irkutsk region, they organized a military relay as part of the “Beauty of Yunarmiya” contest. Girls competed in assembling rifles, quickly putting on gas masks, and shooting.
Even one of the most peaceful spring holidays has been integrated into a militarized school calendar — where any date becomes a reason to talk about war.
