Russian schoolchildren are being shown films about “traditional values” on a mass scale. Readiness to die for the Motherland, the duty to start a family, and service to the state are among the ideas being promoted to children through a series of 17 documentary films titled "Heroes of Our Time: Stories That Unite Us."
Each film tells the story of a person presented by its creators as embodying one of the 17 “traditional values” enshrined in Putin’s Decree No. 809.
The main character of the film about “Human Rights and Freedoms” is a former paratrooper and educational officer at the First Cossack University. He talks about educating students from the “historical territories of Donbas” and the “historical territories of Central Asia,” arguing that rights and freedoms are, first and foremost, a matter of duties and personal responsibility.
The film also features the story of a teenager who recalls hiding from shelling in a basement in 2014, when he was five years old, because he “spoke Russian.”
“But God was on our side, and in 2022 Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the LPR and DPR, and Russia officially came to our defense,” the teenager says.
The film also addresses the issue of family. Its main character argues that it is a man’s “sacred duty” to become a husband and father and exercise his right to start a family, “God willing, a large one.”
The film about “Collectivism” focuses on volunteers who support the Russian army in its war against Ukraine: sending medical supplies to the front, assisting military personnel in Belgorod, evacuating children from Donbas, and delivering humanitarian aid to Mariupol.
The main character of the film “High Moral Ideals” is singer Yuta, who wrote the song Struna (“String”) in 2022 about marine Vladislav Golovin, a participant in the invasion of Ukraine who later became head of Yunarmiya and, in 2026, a member of the State Duma.
In the film, Yuta reflects on people from a “completely different world of values” who supposedly cannot understand the willingness to die for the Motherland:
“They are afraid of Russia. It both attracts and frightens them. To them, it is something incomprehensible and unknown. They simply don't know what it means to die for the Fatherland. It's not part of their code.”
The film about “Humanism” tells the story of a woman caring for her husband, who was severely wounded in the war against Ukraine. Her care and efforts to help him recover are presented as an example of humanism. Meanwhile, the war becomes the backdrop to a story about love, resilience, and family values.
❗️These films are not simply available online — they are being widely used in schools as a tool for shaping children's values, starting as early as primary school.
For example, in Tula region, fourth graders watched the film about “Collectivism.” Afterward, the children discussed the characters’ actions, volunteer activities, and their impressions of the film.
In Stavropol region, the films were shown to 27 students in grades 8–11. According to teachers, such screenings help children “better understand their role in society and recognize the importance of taking responsibility for the future of the Motherland.”
In Rostov region, teachers believe that such events are “an investment in shaping the future,” while themes of justice, mutual assistance, historical memory, and compassion “make Russia strong and our society truly united and spiritually rich.”
In the past week alone, at least 145 schools published reports about their students watching "Heroes of Our Time: Stories That Unite Us."
