War From the Cradle: A Military ABC Released in Barnaul

On May 15, the Altai Regional Children’s Library hosted the presentation of the Military ABC, a book designed for children aged 7–8. Each letter is linked to a real military object — for example, «В» stands for винтовка (rifle), «Г» for граната (grenade), and «K» for котелок (mess tin). The book also includes a narrative: a father tells his son Seryozha about the heroic deeds of his grandfather during the Great Patriotic War.

“War is one of the most difficult topics to discuss. Many parents don’t know at what age they should start talking about it with their children. From the cradle,” claims the regional history museum, which initiated the project.

When selecting the words, the authors based their choices on items from the museum’s collection so that children could later see them in person. QR codes were added to the publication, linking to virtual models and video materials.

“We believe it’s important to talk about this from the earliest age, when a child is just learning to read. And our alphabet book can help with that,” said Natalia Vakalova, director of the Altai Regional History Museum.

❗️This is not the first militarized alphabet: in 2023, a similar ABC titled The Alphabet of Important Things was introduced in schools in the Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions. Instead of “watermelon,” “butterfly,” or “bicycle,” first graders were offered entries such as:

A — ARMY: “Defenders of the country and our pride.”

B — GOD: “We are Russians! God is with us.”

P — PRESIDENT: “Protects and develops the country.”