“Children’s Administrations of Crimea” or How the Occupiers Prepare the Personnel Reserve
Since the temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories, the Russian Federation has been actively employing various strategies to influence children and youth, seeking to reshape their national identity and instil a pro-Russian worldview. To achieve this goal, ever-increasing amounts of money are allocated annually from the federal budget, with the overall allocation for the “youth policy” budget item having grown almost 100 times compared to 2014.
Read more in the report “Crimean Scenario 2.0: How the Russian Federation is Eradicating Ukrainian Identity in Children in Occupied Territories
Various movements, organizations, and projects serve as tools for implementing this youth policy. One such initiative is the “Children’s Administrations of Crimea” project, which, under the guise of developing leadership qualities in young people, is in fact aimed at fostering a generation loyal to the occupation regime.
What are Children’s Administrations?
The “Children’s Administrations” project (hereinafter – the project) was first organized by the occupation authorities in 2021 in the temporarily occupied town of Saky. Later, a similar initiative was launched in 2022 in the occupied city of Simferopol, and by the end of 2024, it was introduced in the TOT of Yevpatoria.
Representatives of the occupation authorities have stated that the aim of this project is to promote civic, patriotic, and spiritual-moral education in children and youth, along with the development of a personnel reserve. In reality, however, this project has turned into yet another instrument for Russia to influence children, aiming at their assimilation and the destruction of Ukrainian identity.
“We have engaged all the areas under the control of the Simferopol administration and incorporated life aspects – patriotism, the upbringing of the younger generation, how they will live, love, and serve their homeland (note: Russia),” says one of the project curators, Ibrahim Shirin. “We want the children who gain knowledge from the curators to choose a profession, enter university, and then return to the administration,” he adds.
Ibrahim Shirin is the Member of the All-Russian Political Party “UNITED RUSSIA” since 18 November 2024 he is the so-called Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea of the third convocation, Head of the Public Movement “Heroes of Crimea”. In 2022 he became a member of the Council for the Authorized Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-Western Federal District. He was awarded the medals “For the Return of Crimea” and “Reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia”.
The project includes 14 directions and, accordingly, “positions” in the children’s administration. Among them are the head of the “Patriotic Education” direction, the head of youth policy, the head of interethnic and intermunicipal cooperation, the director of public relations and internet resources, the head of the internal policy direction.
Who is involved in the project?
The “Children’s Administration of Crimea” project targets academically outstanding children and active youth aged 7 to 18, who are guided by so-called mentors. It is worth noting that a psychologist interacts with children during the selection process for the administration, which suggests a potential psychological influence on their developing minds. Each child is issued a participant ID card with a designated “position”, which serves as a pass to the city administration. The issuance of such documents reinforces the perception of the occupation authority as “legitimate” and encourages children to see themselves as part of the occupation authority.
The selected children are grouped into two categories according to age:
- “Gnomes” (aged 7 to 12), whose activities focus on “patriotic” education.
- “Dolphins” (aged 13 to 18), where a political component is also included
Who is involved with the children?
The curators’ profiles deserve special attention, as their characteristics help to illustrate the model used to shape the image of a “role model” for the children.
The main curator of the project is Elena Safonova.
Elena Safonova is a collaborator who was born and lived in the city of Dnipropetrovsk (now Dnipro, Ukraine), where she had numerous enforcement proceedings related to debt collection. In 2014, she changed her place of residence to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, where she cooperated with the occupation authorities, participated in the annexation of Crimea, took part in the illegal elections, and later ran for the so-called Yevpatoria City Council from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
She positioned herself as a fortune-teller and tarot reader, and the head of the psychological centre “Magic Noir”. Currently, she holds the position of so-called advisor to the head of the administration of the city of Simferopol.
On her personal page on the social network “Vkontakte”, she expresses anti-Ukrainian views and openly supports the occupation authorities.
In an interview, Safonova states that she sets a personal example of a “successful political career” for the children and, within the framework of the “Children’s Administration”, promotes the project “Children of the Crimean Spring”. In the activities of the “Children of the Crimean Spring” project, the occupation authorities exploit children born in 2014 for propaganda purposes. They organize exhibitions featuring photographs, weapons, and stories of those involved in the annexation of Crimea, all presented under the guise of children born in the year of the occupation.
In addition to the curator, mentors also work with the children. Among the active mentors are individuals referred to as participants in the “special military operation” – “Heroes of Russia”. One of them is Yuriy Nimchenko – a traitor to Ukraine who violated his military oath and switched sides to the enemy. In March 2022, V. Putin awarded him the title of “Hero of Russia”. Following this, Nimchenko was included in Putin’s list of trusted individuals as part of his presidential candidacy for the 2024 elections, and also became a participant in the Kremlin”s “Time of Heroes” personnel program.*.
The program developed by the order of the President of Russia, V. Putin, for participants of the so-called “special military operation”, after completion of which military personnel are appointed to positions in civil service and local government bodies (including in the occupation authorities in TOT).
He is currently a so-called senator in the Federation Council representing Crimea. While holding this position, he supports and enacts actions or policies that undermine and threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence, leading to sanctions being imposed on him by the European Union on 24 February 2025.
This individual was previously mentioned in the article by CCE “Almenda”: What does the “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland” mean for the temporarily occupied territories?
In addition to military personnel, mentorship for children is provided by representatives of the occupation authorities, including the head of the department for organizing mass events at the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization “Youth House” and the so-called external advisor to the Head of the Republic of Crimea, Aleksandra Fedyay, the so-called deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, Artur Kurtiyev, the so-called head of the Simferopol administration, Mikhail Afanasyev, the so-called deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, Roman Tikhonchuk, and others.
What are children involved in?
Recent activities involving participants of the “Children’s Administrations” included:
- The “Ours” campaign, featuring an exhibition of military equipment and weapons, with the participation of Russian servicemen who taught children how to handle weapons, dressed them in military gear, and engaged them in writing letters and creating drawings in support of the participants of the so-called “special military operation”.
- Involvement in volunteer activities supporting the so-called participants of the “special military operation”, for which children undergo training and receive corresponding certificates. On 28 December 2024, the so-called head of the Simferopol administration, Mikhail Afanasyev, presented certificates for completing the “Volunteering” course to participants of the “Children’s Administration of Simferopol” project.
- “Dialogues” with military personnel and representatives of the occupation authority:
In December 2024, the so-called Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, Artur Kurtiyev, spoke to the children at a meeting about his experience, which is presented as an example of success and a role model to follow;
In January 2025, a meeting with the children was held by Oleg and Aleksandra Pyvovarovs, who are participants in the war against Ukraine. Oleg Pyvovarov was awarded the title of “Hero of Russia” in 2023.
Such meetings are held with the aim of imposing a positive perception of the Russian military participating in the war against Ukraine. In addition, children are influenced with the duty to replicate their actions, which are presented as heroic. Essentially, this constitutes an inducement to join the armed forces of the occupying country.
The “Children’s Administration of Crimea” project is another step taken by the occupation regime in the assimilation of Ukrainian children. Through educational programs, extracurricular activities, “military-patriotic education”, and other forms of integrating children into Russia’s political and propaganda processes, they seek to solidify their influence and create conditions for a prolonged occupation. It is important to remember that specific individuals are personally accountable for these actions, as they deliberately involve children in these processes and facilitate their political and ideological indoctrination. Holding those responsible accountable is a necessary step to stop these illicit activities.
This article was prepared with the financial support of the Czech organisation People in Need, as part of the SOS Ukraine initiative. The contents of the publication do not necessarily reflect their position.
