Putin Declares Children’s Minds a “New Front” as Russia Overhauls Education

Russia is overhauling education to promote militarized patriotism, traditional values, and loyalty to the Kremlin, according to reporting cited by The Economist. A nationwide upbringing program now embeds state narratives across schools, kindergartens, and youth organizations. Lessons increasingly emphasize Russia’s military history, the war in Ukraine, and hostility toward the West, while basic military training and drone instruction are expanding. Critics say the campaign suppresses independent thinking, encourages conformity, and risks turning classrooms into instruments of propaganda rather than learning.