The kremlin Is Finally Claiming the Right to Shape a Child’s Personality

Starting September 1, 2026, russian kindergartens will launch “kind games”, a prequel to the “talking about what matters” program. Teachers will instill “traditional russian core values” in young children, preparing them for entry into adult school life.

The curriculum is presented as a series of lessons involving creative activities, reading, and discussions. However, the teaching guidelines clearly outline different objectives for educators. For example, with children aged 3–5, in the section “peoples of russia”, educators must reinforce the message that “we are ready to unite to defend our homeland”. For the older group, through a historical overview of minin and pozharsky, they will convey the image of an external threat and russia’s future adversaries.

The kremlin plans to involve the children’s families in shaping the “russians of the future”. Families will receive recommendations on what games to play at home, which cartoons to watch, and which books to read. russian propagandists are attempting to close the loop between “kindergarten and family”, where the child’s future personality will be shaped.

Psychologists point out that the system of child-rearing in “putin’s new russia” is being built according to a single standard. And if a child’s worldview goes beyond what is permitted, the collective mind will simply crush all impulses, forcing the individual into an established mold.

To permanently cement the achievements of the educational process, the state duma is proposing to revive the “little octobrists–pioneers–komsomol members” system. The plan is to use soviet-era templates as a foundation and, with the help of modern technology, implement them into the lives of russians. Young people so far have little understanding of what this entails, while their parents on russian social media are grappling with the question: whose portrait should appear on the badges of the pioneers of the future?