Yet it also wants to avoid fanning too high a patriotic flame, lest it push Russians to start questioning the purpose of the war.
Much the way Mr. Putin has refrained from enacting multiple conscriptions of soldiers to avert prompting antiwar sentiment, the Kremlin has left parents some leeway to avoid propaganda lessons.
“They want enthusiasm, but they realize if they push too hard it could galvanize an organized opposition,” said Alexandra Arkhipova, a social anthropologist who studies public reactions to the war.
The cornerstone of the initiative is a program called “Important Conversations,” started last September.
Every Monday at 8 a.m., schools are supposed to hold an assembly to raise the Russian flag while the national anthem is played, and then convene an hourlong classroom session on topics like important milestones in Russian history.
Persons:
Putin, ”, Alexandra Arkhipova
Organizations:
Kremlin
Locations:
Soviet, Communist, Russia