"There are very few veterans of the Great Patriotic War left today. They have been replaced by young, brave men — veterans of the Special Military Operation." — Kindergarten No. 44, Berezniki.
Ahead of May 9, dozens of “Victory Day parades” involving preschool children were held across Russian kindergartens. Children were dressed in uniforms representing different military branches, lined up in marching formations, and given toy assault rifles.
In a kindergarten in Dagestan, children marched in combat boots and body armor, carrying toy weapons and wearing military uniforms. In Bashkortostan, parents transformed baby strollers into “combat vehicles.”
In Birobidzhan, after a camouflage-themed parade, preschoolers packed care packages for participants in the war against Ukraine. In Ukhta, around 150 children took part in a march on the city's central square. Columns of preschoolers were accompanied by teachers carrying flags, and the event was combined with an “Immortal Regiment” procession.
At the same time, actual Victory Day military parades were canceled in dozens of Russian regions due to security concerns.
🪖 In many regions, the participation of veterans and soldiers involved in the war against Ukraine has become a standard part of these celebrations.
In Tambov, a soldier known by the callsign “Shaiba” presided over the festivities. In North Ossetia, participants in the “Special Military Operation” greeted children and wished them to become “worthy heirs of the Great Victory.”
In Buryatia, veterans of the war against Ukraine presented commemorative badges reading “My Dad Is a Hero” to 44 children whose fathers are serving at the front. In Perm Krai, war veterans visited a kindergarten to teach children “to be patriots of their country and to be just as brave and courageous.”
🪦 Increasingly, Victory Day events blur the line between remembrance of World War II and support for Russia’s current war against Ukraine.
During a themed week called “Salute to Victory” in Irkutsk Oblast, preschoolers were taught about “heroism” and military equipment, took part in war-themed games, and were later brought to lay flowers at a memorial dedicated to participants in the “Special Military Operation.”
In Tatarstan, children attending a ceremonial parade laid flowers at a miniature memorial honoring local soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine.
