This is how Komsomolskaya School Number 1 is marking the opening of a new school desk, a so-called “hero desk” emblazoned with the face and biography of one of Russia’s war dead, once a pupil at this very school. The desks are part of a pan-Russian initiative called the “New School Project” and are funded by “United Russia,” a staunchly pro-Putin party. As of early May, United Russia said there were more than 14,000 desks in 9,000 schools across the country. Local news reports suggest some schools use the desks to reward good behavior or good grades. The desks across the country are standardized: green, with military photographs, a biography, medals awarded (often posthumously) and the soldier’s date of death.

---

Persons: It’s, ”, Gennady Alexandrovich Pavlov, Chuvashia, Gennady Pavlov, Russia’s, Daniil Ken, ” Ken, Sergei Shoigu, Ken, Alena Arshinova, Olga, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, there’s, “, ‘, Tatyana Chervenko, Chervenko, Mikhail Stepanov, ’, Stepanov, Wagner, “ Artyomovsk Organizations: CNN, New, “ United, Putin, Teachers ’ Alliance, Russian Ministry of Defense, State Duma, United, Kyiv, Russian, Russia’s Security, Novosti, Ministry Locations: Russian, Chuvashia, Russia, “ United Russia, United Russia, Ukraine, Hostomel, Kyiv, United States, State, St . Petersburg, Simferopol, Crimea, “, Leningrad, ”, Moscow, Virginia, Khabarovsk, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Bakhmut