Russia uses WWII celebrations to indoctrinate children in occupied Crimea – Crimean Human Rights Group
The Crimean Human Rights Group stated that the Russian occupation authorities in temporarily occupied Crimea have turned May 9 into a tool for propaganda and the militarization of children. Specifically, in the city of Kerch, Kindergarten No. 5 organized a “Victory Parade,” while in Simferopol, schoolchildren participated in drone-piloting competitions.
During the “Victory Parade” at the Kerch kindergarten, toddlers performed dressed as sailors, border guards, pilots, and medics. A children’s “Immortal Regiment” marched through the facility’s grounds alongside parents, teachers, and guests. The ceremony was presided over by an “officer” from the Russian occupation “Ministry of Emergency Situations” in Crimea.
In Sevastopol, local media reported a “patriotic flash mob” organized by “natives of Ukraine.” Adults and children unfurled a large Russian flag, shouting slogans like “Happy Victory Day!” and “We remember!”.
In Inkerman, the annual hand-to-hand combat tournament “Nasledniki Pobeditelyey”і took place, which the occupiers label a “patriotic and sporting event.” Young athletes and their parents participated in the competition.
Furthermore, in Simferopol, hundreds of schoolchildren participated in regular drone-piloting competitions.
Human rights advocate of the Crimean Human Rights Group, Iryna Siedova, emphasized that such events create an association in children’s minds between war and celebration, destroying the values of peace and preparing Ukrainian children for military service in the occupier’s army. Moreover, the exploitation of World War II archetypes is used to impose an image of Russians as “heroic victors” and Ukrainians as “enemies.”
Previously, ZMINA reported that in Yevpatoria, the Russian occupiers are using a children’s theater to popularize the war against Ukraine.
Specifically, at the “Crimean State Theater for Young Spectators” in temporarily occupied Yevpatoria, a reading was held of Olga Pogodina-Kuzmina’s play titled “Good Photos from a Wake,” dedicated to Russian servicemen participating in the war against Ukraine.
During the May 9 parade, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin used the victory of the Allied forces over Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in his propaganda to justify the war against Ukraine.
At the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Putin claimed in his speech that Russian forces are inspired by Soviet soldiers of World War II.
“The fighters in the ‘special military operation’ are confronting an aggressive force supported by the entire NATO bloc, yet they are moving forward. Victory in the ‘special military operation’ is forged both on the battlefield and at home. Our cause is just!” Putin said.
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