Starting September 1, 2026, so-called “patriotic” classes titled “Kind Games” will be introduced in preschool institutions, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Education Olga Koludarova announced. According to her, these sessions will focus on “spiritual and moral values,” and the ministry is currently developing the corresponding teaching materials.
The idea to extend such classes to preschoolers over the age of five was proposed in 2024 by a finalist of the “Teacher of the Year” competition and later supported by Putin. He stated that the foundations of worldview should be formed from an early age.
“We have expressions like ‘absorbed with mother’s milk’ or ‘learned from early childhood.’ All this suggests that from a very early age we must instill certain basic things in a child,” he said.
The “Conversations About Important Things” lessons were introduced in schools in 2022, just months after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. During these sessions, children are taught about “traditional values,” patriotism, and are guided to form views on the war and political events in line with the official position of the authorities.
