Soldier’s Porridge, Oat Drink, and Leaf Tea

In dozens of schools across Russia, the pro-government youth group Movement of the First held lessons titled Wartime Recipes. Students were taught how, during the war years, people baked flatbreads without flour, drank oat infusions instead of milk, and dried apples when fresh food was scarce.

“Despite the shortages, the nutritional value of food remained important — both front-line soldiers and workers in the rear had to receive enough calories to fight and support the army,” organizers emphasized.

Some of the recipes were recreated in class. Schoolchildren prepared soldier’s porridge, oat drinks, and currant leaf tea based on wartime and blockade-era recipes. In some schools, students were dressed in military uniforms to “enhance immersion.”

“These wartime recipes helped children better understand how people ate during the war, using only what was available,” educators in Voronezh region stated.

At the end of the lesson, children were asked to reflect and answer the question: “What would you do if you didn’t have your usual food?”