Author

Анастасія Воробйова

Експертка, аналітикиня

28.12.2023

The young people under the control: the growth dynamics of youth movements in occupied territories of the south of Ukraine

The Russian-Ukrainian war has already been continuing almost 10 years. During this period, the Russian Federation actively mobilised their own ideological resources for implementation of effective propaganda both for their own citizens and for citizens of Ukraine, who stayed on the territories occupied by Russia. The Russian president Volodymyr Putin repeatedly emphasised that one of the main tasks of the Russian government is education of children and young people in the spirit of Russian patriotism. However, Russians do not limit their patriotic education by their own territory, but instead they actively teach children, who have become hostages of Russian occupation, how properly to love Russia and how honourably to die for it. One of the methods of such education is the involvement of children to youth and child movements, which actively promote favourable for Russia ideas. In this article we will tell about the results of research, which were performed by the NGO “CCE “Almenda” about activities of youth movements in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine identifying the administration of these movements and monitoring the growth dynamics of members, demonstrating the scales of spreading of Russian propaganda on children and young people.

Russian youth movements or revival of the “Soviet Pioneer movement”.

Russia considers itself as a successor state of the Soviet Union and actively revives traditions, which were relevant during the communism. It was perfectly clear in the Soviet Union that the process of “brainwashing” and imposing of the ideology favourable for the state should be started from early childhood, when child’s mind is more moldable to external influences. In order to impose spirit of collectivism, from an early age children were involved in child movements (the “Little Octobrists”, the “Pioneer Movement” etc), these actions were aimed to teach children the Soviet ideology in spirit of the collectivism and to feel as part of the “large Soviet family”. Mass participation in such organizations practically came to nothing after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. But with the coming to power of V. Putin, the old traditions were begun to be revived, including involvement of Russian children and young people in different movements led by the Russian government. By 2014 such kinds of movements were the “Walking Together” (2000-2007) and the “Nashi” (2005-2013).

Interestingly, the two largest and most famous Russian youth organizations – the “Russian Movement of Schoolchildren” and the “Young Army” – were established just after the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. In 2014 after so-called “retuning” of Crimea and Sevastopol – as a symbol of the “Russian military greatness” – the patriotic boom began in Russia that some researchers call the “Crimea effect”. The establishment of the two largest organizations coincides with the “Crimea effect”- in 2015 the Russian Movement of Schoolchildren (the RMS, 2015-2022) was established, and in 2016 the “Young Army” was established. In 2022 after a full-scale invasion the “Russian Movement of Schoolchildren” became a part of the “Movement of the First” (practically new Pioneer movement), and the “Young Army” is included in the chain of organizations led by the “Movement of the First”. The full-scale invasion and occupation of the south of Ukraine (separate parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions) became a provoking factor not only for geographical expansion of activity of these organizations, but also for establishment of new one – in particular, the “Young South” that spreads Russian propaganda only in temporarily occupied territories of south of Ukraine.

The “Movement of the First”

The largest child and youth movement in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories is the “Movement of the First”. According to the propaganda legend, the “Movement of the First” (in Ukrainian – “Рух перших”) was established by initiative of Crimean schoolgirl Diana Krasovska, which supposedly asked the president of Russia V. Putin to establish all-Russian child and youth movement at the meeting of the supervisory council “Russia is a Country of Opportunities”. The first cell of the “Movement of the First” occurred at the meeting in “Artek”, and Minister of Education of the Russian Federation S. Kravtsov personally opened two cells in temporarily occupied Henichesk. As of the end of 2023 the cells have been opened in every region of Russia and Ukrainian territories occupied by it, and as of December 2023 about 4.5 million children are members of this movement.

The leaders of this movement:

Statistics:

The movement carries out active work on imposing Russian identity on Ukrainian children. In particular, the opening of primary branches of this movement in educational institutions is accompanied by the active use of Russian symbols, listening to Putin’s speeches and Russian propaganda narratives. The ceremony of handing out Russian passports, collection of Russian books for the “new territories” (i.e. the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine), celebration of Russian commemorative dates and propaganda holidays, such as the Day of the Russian flag and “Day of reunification” of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine with Russia are the activities, which impose the Russian civil identity.

The members of this movement call the occupation of Ukrainian territories by Russia – “accession” and praise future life in “great and strong” Russia.

The “Movement of the First” also organizes activities of a militaristic orientation – for example, in November 2023, the key stage of the ” Zerkalo Istorii” project for youth aged 14-17 took place at the “WarZone” training ground, where master classes on initial military training, target shooting practice, and drone control instruction were held. There is the Latin letter “Z” as a symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The “Movement” also organizes the collection of so-called “humanitarian aid” for the Russian military and the creation of amulets for them, in this manner normalising the Russian-Ukrainian war in the minds of children in the temporarily occupied territories.

The “YoungArmy”

The all-Russian military-patriotic social movement “Young Army” was established by the initiative of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, for children aged 8 to 18 years in 2016. The main task of the movement is patriotic education of schoolchildren and carrying out pre-military training. In 2016, the first branch of the “Young Army” movement was opened, what is remarkable – the first ceremony of initiating children to the “Young Army” took place during the videoconference Moscow-Sevastopol – Volgograd – Samara. Also, the Crimean branches were established under the support of the occupation “Ministry of Education”, “the Crimean patriot centre”, so-called “the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Crimea”, “the People’s Militias of the Republic of Crimea”, “the Simferopol City Union of Veterans of War, Labour and Military Service”, “The Crimean regional branches of the DOSAAF”, “the military commissariat of the Republic of Crimea” – by key propaganda actors on the occupied peninsula.

The leaders of this movement:

Statistics:

• There are 11 243 members in 2022 (from – ~1,500 in October 2017) – the number has increased 7 times in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;
• There are 14,5 thousand members as of March 2023 (from 2,5 thousand members in 2017) – the number has grown 6 times in 6 years. For comparison, the total number of schoolchildren in the city of Sevastopol is 53,594.

In other words, almost 35% of Sevastopol schoolchildren are members of the Young Army.

• The approximate number of members is unknown, but children are actively accepted into the “Young Army” in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia region;
• About 200 members (as of March 2023), also initiation ceremonies to the “Young Army” are actively conducted in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region.

The main task of the “Young army” is he patriotic education of schoolchildren, which, in particular, includes preparation for service in the Russian army as a mandatory task for every Russian citizen. In order to do this, the representatives of the “Young Army” teach children to assemble and disassemble a Kalashnikov assault rifle, familiarize them with the Russian military statutes, and even arrange “open days” in Russian military units. The “Young Army” also arranges thematic events in holiday camps such as the “Young Defender of the Fatherland” and field meetings “in conditions as close as possible to real military service.” The children complete fire, tactical, military medical, tourist training and stand sentry during such a kind of events.

The Young Army, as well as the “Movement of the First”, is trying to normalize and legitimise Russia’s war against Ukraine through symbols – in such a way the letter “Z” has appeared in the name of the Moscow forum “the Young Army ZA”, in which Crimean children also took part.

Source

There are many events of a militaristic nature led by the “Young Army”, and from 2022, children from the occupied south of Ukraine has been involved in them. Thus, children from the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia region took part in “Schools of Future Commanders” led by cadets of the Admiral Nakhimov Higher Naval School. The program of pre-military training was prepared for children: disassembling and assembling the AK-47 and equipping the magazine with training cartridges, throwing a training grenade, handling a military protective suit and a gas mask.

Source: https://zp-news.ru/society/2023/07/20/173244.html?ysclid=lkcdz7fxt220218018 , archive – https://archive.ph/wip/uKMcp
https://vk.com/wall-122681115_6044 , archive – https://archive.ph/6782c

The “Young South”

The “Young South” movement was established on August 2022 in the temporarily occupied territories of the south of Ukraine, the movement positions itself as an “autonomous non-profit organization for the support and development of youth, aimed at civil and patriotic education, popularization of volunteering and youth development in various spheres of activity”. Yulia Klymenko is the leader of this movement from March 2023 in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson region, who by that time headed the regional branch in the Zaporizhzhia region. As of December 2023 the organization has 17 branches and 7 000 members.

The leaders of this movement:

The movement deals with the indoctrination and militarisation of children and youth, in particular through gaming activities: the quiz “Russia is my Motherland” for schoolchildren and sports patriotic games such as the “Partisan paths” and organizing celebrations for the so-called “Day of Reunification of Kherson Oblast with Russia”.

The propaganda influence of the movement is clearly visible through the narratives embedded in the events. For example, painting over the colours of the Ukrainian flag is called the elimination of “Nazi symbols” in occupied cities. Instead, drawing the Russian tricolour and the letter “Z” is presented as the “Colour the Future” campaign.

Source https://t.me/pology_yug_molodoj/171 , archive – https://archive.ph/8nbUR https://t.me/klimenkojuliaa/1093 , archive – https://archive.ph/wip/aoLfY

For her “merits”, the leader of the movement, Yulia Klymenko, at the age of 19, already came under EU sanctions, as did her senior colleagues from other movements. But due to impunity, which Russia has experienced since 2014, the propaganda machine in the temporarily occupied territories is only gaining momentum, in 2024 only the “Movement of the First” has received more than 20 billion rubles for brainwashing children and youth, and in general, more than 67 billion rubles have been allocated for “patriotic education”. In other words, the forecast for the year 2024 is rather pessimistic – Russia will further strengthen its ideological influence on children and youth, including in the so-called “new regions” (i.e. temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine), who must become “exemplary Russian citizens” during the occupation.

Conclusion 

Russian child and youth movements are one of the most effective methods to influence children’s and young people’s mind, who are more vulnerable for the aggressive propaganda that is actively carried out by the Russian occupation administrations. Russia are trying to change irrevocably the identity of Ukrainian children, having raised them as exemplary citizens, ready to die for Russia in the fight against “external enemies”, in order to achieve that they use methods of non-formal education and also activities of a playful nature and recreation. Such actions may be identified as violations of the fundamental rights of the child, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Russia is also a party – in particular, Art. 8 (right to identity), Art. 29 (right to education) and Art. 31 (right to rest and leisure). Training children for service in the Russian army, issuing Russian passports and conscripting them into the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation after the age of 18, Russia forces residents of temporarily occupied territories to swear allegiance to the occupying state – but conscription is even a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Since 2014, Russia has been actively militarizing and indoctrinating children and youth in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. And unfortunately only in 2022, when actions of the Russian Federation assumed threatening proportions, the world community finally took the first steps against the responsible persons. Imposing sanctions against the leaders of Russian youth movements in the temporarily occupied territories in 2023 is an important signal that the era of impunity of Russia’s actions is ending – but it is important to continue the pressure on the Russian Federation to stop the occupation, as well as the militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. Another important thing is the beginning discussion among Ukrainian society about future reintegration of children and youth who have become hostages of Russian propaganda and about overcoming aftermaths of aggressive imposition of narratives favourable to the Russian Federation.

The monitoring report was prepared by the Center for Civic Education “Almenda” as a part of the project “Destroyed childhood: Approaching justice”. The content of this document is the sole responsibility of the Public Organization “Center for Civic Education “Almenda” and does not necessarily reflect the position of Civil Rights Defenders.