Nobody under 25 in Russia has known any other ruler than Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin is determined to ensure the new generation continues to be formed in the president’s image.
It’s committing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to promote Putin’s values and mold the minds of Russia’s young. Some of the changes are already visible. Children returning to schools on Monday at the start of the academic year in Russia were greeted by the national anthem and a ceremonial flag-raising, a ceremony the Education Ministry has been encouraging all schools to hold every week after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.