As of the 2024\/2025 academic year<\/a>,** 282,900 children<\/a>\u00a0in TOT of the AR of Crimea and Sevastopol are being educated according to Russian state standards<\/a> in 608 schools<\/a>.<\/em> This year marks the first graduating class of Year 11 pupils who have completed their entire schooling under the Russian system, from Year 1 through to the end of their education. These children began school in September 2014 and have spent 11 years under conditions of systematic eradication of Ukrainian identity, ideological pressure, and pro-Russian patriotic indoctrination.<\/em><\/p>\r\n ** \u00a0Due to limited access to the occupied territories, the statistical information is based on open sources and the actual figures may differ.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This article examines who, at the level of the TOT of the AR of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, is responsible for turning the school education system, both formal and non-formal, into a tool for the deliberate eradication of Ukrainian studies, indoctrination, militarisation, and the promotion of service in the armed forces of the aggressor state.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Immediately following the occupation of the AR of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Russia took control of all state and municipal institutions on the peninsula, including the education system. From that point on, their activities were effectively governed by Russian legislation. In May 2014, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed<\/a> a law integrating the education systems of the TOT of the AR of Crimea and Sevastopol into the Russian educational framework. Starting from 1 September 2014, schools began teaching according to Russian curricula<\/a>. This was made possible through the retraining of all schoolteachers in Crimea \u2013 one source mentions around 20,000 teachers<\/a>, while another refers to 22,000<\/a> \u2013 and the delivery of Russian textbooks for pupils. In total, Russia supplied 2,904,468 textbooks<\/strong><\/a> (!)<\/strong> to the occupied peninsula (2,440,586 to the TOT of the AR of Crimea and 463,882 to the TOT of the city of Sevastopol). The full transition of schools to Russian standards was expected<\/a> to take approximately three years. Irina Manuylova, then head of the United Russia party\u2019s \u201cEducation Modernisation\u201d project and Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Education (at that time), announced<\/a> that the final deadline for this transition was 1 January 2016.[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/a><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In spring 2014, the so-called \u201cMinistry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea\u201d was established<\/a>, based in the occupied city of Simferopol, along with the so-called \u201cMain Department of Education and Science of the City of Sevastopol<\/a>\u201d. On 17 March 2015, this body was renamed<\/a> the so-called \u201cDepartment of Education of the City of Sevastopol\u201d, and since 2019,<\/a> it has operated under the name \u201cDepartment of Education and Science of the City of Sevastopol<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\r\n Under the full control of these occupation structures, and with the direct involvement of their leadership, the complete integration of schools in the TOT of the AR of Crimea and Sevastopol into the education system of the RF was carried out. Over more than 11 years of occupation, the educational environment has undergone profound transformations, which have had an extremely negative impact on the content of teaching, the organisation of school life, and the shaping of children\u2019s worldview. Amid targeted and systematic russification, the Ukrainian language, culture and national identity have been supressed, Russian education standards imposed, and ideological control and militarisation of the learning process intensified. This policy is being implemented not only through formal education, but also through youth organisations, \u201cpatriotic\u201d camps, and non-formal education. More detail can be found in our organisation\u2019s report: \u201c\u2018Crimean Scenario 2.0\u2019: How the Russian Federation is Eradicating Ukrainian Identity in Children in Occupied Territories\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n TOT of the AR of Crimea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n After the start of Russia\u2019s occupation of Crimea, the peninsula\u2019s education sector came under the leadership of Ukrainian educators who agreed to cooperate with the occupation administration. They were the ones who initiated the systematic dismantling of Ukrainian education, the introduction of Russian curricula, the implementation of military training in schools, and facilitated the transfer of Ukrainian children from other TOT to occupied Crimea. This refers to Natalia Goncharova <\/strong>and Valentina Lavrik<\/strong> \u2013 the so-called \u201cMinisters of Education\u201d in the TOT of the AR of Crimea. These two figures became key agents in carrying out the educational occupation of the AR of Crimea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Natalia Goncharova (2014\u20132019)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n Natalia <\/strong>G<\/strong>oncharova<\/strong><\/a>, born in 1970 in Zhytomyr region, holds higher education degrees in geography (Simferopol State University, 1994) and law (Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, 2009).<\/p>\r\n She worked<\/a> in educational institutions in Kyiv and the AR of Crimea, including as a geography teacher and deputy headteacher in schools. From December 2012 until the Russian occupation of Crimea, she served as Minister of Education, Science, Youth and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea<\/a>.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\r\n Immediately after the occupation began<\/a>, Goncharova agreed to collaborate<\/a> with the Russian administration and took charge of the so-called \u201cMinistry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea\u201d, which she headed until November 2019<\/a>. Following her dismissal from the \u201cministry\u201d, she has continued to serve as head of the \u201cCrimean Spring\u201d Lyceum in Simferopol district<\/a>. She has received awards from the occupation authorities, including the \u201cFor Valorous Labour<\/a>\u201d medal (2015)[5]<\/sup><\/a> and the honorary title \u201cHonoured Worker of General Education of the Russian Federation<\/a>\u201d (2015).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the photo: N. Goncharova reporting on the results of her work to the so-called \u201cHead of the Republic of Crimea\u201d, S. Aksyonov, January 2017. Source: https:\/\/glava.rk.gov.ru\/articles\/99b7f5f5-7cb6-4fcf-81d0-e3d0e7a6b077?ysclid=mayztwqimt10182321<\/a>, archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/wip\/QL1nD<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the role of so-called \u201cMinister\u201d, Natalia Goncharova:<\/p>\r\n According to her<\/a>, a key \u201cachievement\u201d was that \u201cteachers transitioned into the Russian educational sphere without disrupting the system\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In November 2024, <\/strong>G<\/strong>oncharova was officially charged<\/a> under Article 111, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine \u2013 high treason. She has been subject<\/a> to Ukrainian sanctions since 2018.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n Valentina Lavrik<\/strong> was born<\/a> on 25 February 1969 in the village of Khomenki, Sharhorod district, Vinnytsia region. In 1995, she graduated from Simferopol State University with a degree in Ukrainian language teaching.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Until 2014, she worked in educational institutions in Crimea, including as a Ukrainian language teacher and in various administrative roles. In April 2014, after the then-head of the Ukrainian School-Gymnasium in Simferopol was pressured<\/a> by the \u201cCrimean Self-Defence\u201d forces, Lavrik was appointed as head of the school, which by that time had been renamed by the occupation administration as the \u201cSimferopol Academic Gymnasium\u201d. She held this position until 2019, and in December of that year was appointed as the so-called \u201cMinister of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea\u201d<\/a>. In 2024, she was reappointed<\/a> to the same post.[3]<\/sup><\/a> She is also a member<\/a> of the supervisory board of the Crimean branch of the propaganda organisation \u201cZnanie\u201d (\u201cKnowledge\u201d).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Like her predecessor, Lavrik has received awards from the occupation authorities, including: a Commendation from the State Council of the Republic of Crimea (2015), the \u201cFor Valorous Labour\u201d medal (2018), and the honorary title \u201cHonoured Worker of Education of the Russian Federation\u201d (2023). Her \u201cwork\u201d has also been recognised<\/a> with a Commendation from the President of the Russian Federation <\/em>(2023) and an Honorary Certificate from the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation<\/strong><\/em> (2023).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Under Lavrik\u2019s leadership, the education system in the TOT of the AR of Crimea has been fully transformed into a tool of militarisation and ideological indoctrination of children. Her \u201csuccesses\u201d in this area are reflected in the abovementioned award from the Russian Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While serving as the so-called \u201cMinister of Education\u201d, Lavrik has particularly \u201cdistinguished\u201d herself by the following:<\/p>\r\n <\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the photo: V. Lavrik at the regional stage of the \u201cZarnitsa 2.0\u201d game with the head of the Crimean branch of \u201cYoung Army\u201d, S. Gavrylchuk, May 2025. Source: https:\/\/vk.com\/wall569927041_3642<\/a>, archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/VLTL2<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the photo: children taking part in the regional stage of the \u201cZarnitsa 2.0\u201d game, May 2025. Source: https:\/\/vk.com\/wall569927041_3642<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>archive<\/span> https:\/\/archive.ph\/VLTL2<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Overall, the number of cadet classes in the TOT of the AR of Crimea has increased from 12 in the 2016\/2017 academic year<\/a> to 260 in 2024\/2025, indicating a systematic militarisation of the educational space. In addition, Lavrik personally emphasises<\/a> the priority and importance of so-called patriotic (i.e. pro-Russian) education for pupils, including through the cadet component within the schooling system.<\/p>\r\n In the photo: a double-page spread from a history \u201ctextbook\u201d dedicated to participants of the so-called \u201cSVO\u201d.Source: https:\/\/rk.gov.ru\/articles\/c1e3cf79-f874-423d-88f8-b90d7f2e2460<\/a>, archive: https:\/\/archive.ph\/b0qF8<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n <\/p>\r\n The occupation authorities purchased 34,361<\/em> <\/a>copies of these textbooks.<\/em><\/p>\r\n In the photo: children meeting with a commander of a unit from the 24th Motor Rifle Regiment of the Russian Federation, Stepanivka School, Pervomaiske district (TOT of the AR of Crimea), March 2025. Source:https:\/\/t.me\/minobrKrima\/10855<\/a>, archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/zAaZN<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Such events shape a positive image of the Russian army in the minds of children, justify the war launched by Russia against Ukraine, and prepare school children for potential participation in it. Education is being turned into a tool for fostering loyalty to the Russian armed forces and support for military aggression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As of the 2024\/2025 academic year, the occupation \u201cministry\u201d headed by Valentina Lavrik claims<\/a> \u00a0that 164 pupils are receiving instruction in Ukrainian (0.07%) and that 1,249 children are allegedly studying Ukrainian as their native language (0.5%). However, even these negligible figures are questionable given the systematic removal of Ukrainian from the educational process in the TOT of the AR of Crimea, the lack of transparency, and the occupation authorities\u2019 frequent manipulation of data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In 2025, Lavrik was officially charged<\/a> under Article 111, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason) and Article 111-1, Part 5 (collaborationist activity). Her name has been included<\/a> in the sanctions lists of Canada, the EU, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition, one of Lavrik\u2019s deputies, Sv<\/strong>e<\/strong>tlana Bespalova<\/strong>, was sentenced in absentia<\/a> on 6 February 2025 to eight years in prison for collaborationist activity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n TOT<\/span><\/b> <\/b>of the city of Sevastopol<\/span><\/b><\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n Unlike the TOT of the AR of Crimea, where only two so-called \u201cMinisters of Education\u201d have held office during the occupation, the leadership of the occupation education authority in the TOT of Sevastopol has changed quite frequently. At various times, the position has been held by Viktor Oganesyan<\/a>, Mikhail Rodikov<\/a>, Igor Belozyorov<\/a>, and Larisa Sulima<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In summer 2024<\/a>, Maksim Krivonos was appointed<\/a> as the so-called \u201cDirector of the Department of Education and Science of the City of Sevastopol\u201d, having previously served as acting director in the same role.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Maksim Krivonos<\/strong> was born in 1982 in the city of Krasnodar, Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation. He studied<\/a> at higher education institutions in Russia, graduating from the South-Russian State Technical University with a degree in \u201cManagement and Informatics in Technical Systems\u201d and from Kuban State University with a degree in Economics. He worked for nearly 14 years in Krasnodar Krai, mostly in managerial positions. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Director for Economics and Finance at the Artek International Children\u2019s Centre (TOT of the AR of Crimea) \u2013 one of the key platforms for Russian ideological influence over children on the occupied peninsula.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In 2021, Krivonos joined the so-called \u201cDepartment of Education and Science of Sevastopol\u201d \u2013 initially as \u201cFirst Deputy Director\u201d, and later as \u201cActing Director\u201d. By summer 2024, he was appointed head of the occupation authority as \u201cDirector\u201d. Under Krivonos\u2019s leadership, the \u201cdepartment\u201d has continued implementing Russian educational standards and actively advancing the militarisation and ideological indoctrination of children. Military field training exercises were organised<\/a> for Year 10 pupils and college students in the TOT of Sevastopol. Teenagers were involved in sessions on tactical, firearms, and drill training, the study of general military regulations, and the basics of chemical and biological protection. The training was conducted<\/a> by participants of the so-called \u201cSVO\u201d, officers from the Black Sea Higher Naval School, and representatives of DOSAAF \u2013 a state-supported Russian organisation responsible for military and technical training. Children were actively exposed to the narrative that defending the \u201cFatherland\u201d \u2013 meaning Russia \u2013 is a \u201csacred duty\u201d of every citizen. Krivonos himself stated<\/a> that, following such activities, \u201csome children might choose a military career\u201d. These militaristic training camps have a profound impact on children\u2019s minds: Russian servicemen are portrayed as heroes and role models, and fighting in a war for the aggressor state is presented as an honourable andeven desirable path.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the photo: five-day training camp for Year 10 pupils and first-year students of secondary vocational institutions, TOT of Sevastopol. Source: https:\/\/t.me\/maksimkrivonos\/1372<\/a>, archive https:\/\/archive.is\/wip\/IvDLA<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In his public statements, he regularly emphasises<\/a> the importance of studying the so-called \u201c<\/span>SVO<\/span>\u201d and the \u201cCrimean Spring\u201d (\u201cCrimean Spring\u201d is a term used by the Russian Federation to refer to the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea<\/em>), thereby promoting narratives that legitimise the Russian Federation\u2019s aggression against Ukraine. Kr<\/span>i<\/span>vonos also personally inaugurated<\/a> a \u201cHero\u2019s Desk\u201d at School No. 6 in occupied Sevastopol in honour of a participant in the so-called \u201cSVO\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the photo: inauguration of the \u201cHero\u2019s Desk\u201d at Sevastopol School No. 6 with the participation of M. Krivonos, January 2025. Source: https:\/\/vk.com\/sevobrazovanie?w=wall-177557250_30102<\/a>, arvhive https:\/\/archive.ph\/wip\/QskLx<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition, the so-called \u201cDepartment of Education and Science of the City of Sevastopol\u201d actively cooperates<\/a> with the \u201cDefenders of the Fatherland\u201d foundation, which over the course of a year deployed 3,500 veterans of the so-called \u201cSVO\u201d to schools.[1]<\/sup><\/a> Krivonos also held<\/a> public outreach sessions at the foundation, meeting with relatives of servicemen seeking educational support.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Thus, the Russian education system in occupied Crimea serves not merely an instructional purpose \u2013 it functions as a powerful tool of ideological influence. Through the school system, a new type of \u201ccitizen of the Russian Federation\u201d is being shaped \u2013 one who is controlled and disconnected from the Ukrainian language, culture, and identity. And at the heart of this policy are the occupation education authorities and their leadership, who deliberately enforce Russian standards, eliminate the Ukrainian component, impose military-patriotic upbringing on children, and turn schools into a tool for preparing a younger generation loyal to the aggressor state.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The Russian Federation (hereinafter \u2013 Russia or the RF) has been systematically and deliberately implementing its own educational standards in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (hereinafter \u2013 TOT). Education has become one of the key tools used to russify, indoctrinate, and militarise children and young people living under the control of the occupation regime. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[39],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEducation Under Occupation: The Transition of Crimean Schools to Russian Standards\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Face of Education\u201d: Who Runs the Occupation Authorities in the AR of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Back in 2015, in one interview<\/a>, Goncharova acknowledged that there were no longer any Ukrainian schools in Crimea \u2013 only individual classes with Ukrainian-language instruction remained, and in \u201cmany schools across the republic, Ukrainian is taught as an optional subject\u201d. This contradiction between the then \u201cminister\u2019s\u201d statements and later published data likely indicates that Ukrainian-language education had been reduced to a mere formality \u2013 existing only on paper<\/a>. The formal preservation of such Ukrainian-language elements appears to be a tool to deflect criticism and pressure from international organisations and to mask the deliberate policy of eradicating all Ukrainian elements from the educational space of occupied Crimea.<\/li>\r\n![\"\u043b\u0430\u0432\u0440\u0438\u043a\"](\"https:\/\/almenda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u043b\u0430\u0432\u0440\u0438\u043a-1200x681.webp\")
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<\/span>*** More about \u201cZarnitsa 2.0\u201d game can be found in the article by the CCE \u201cAlmenda\u201d \u2013 Zarnitsa 2.0 Game: Military Training for Children in the TOT<\/a>\r\n![\"Frame](\"https:\/\/almenda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Frame-1-1200x675.png\")
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![\"64e84480617eb5.03948315](\"https:\/\/almenda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/64e84480617eb5.03948315_knigi.jpg\")
In the photo: history textbook (Year 10).Source: https:\/\/rk.gov.ru\/articles\/c1e3cf79-f874-423d-88f8-b90d7f2e2460<\/a>, archive: https:\/\/archive.ph\/b0qF8<\/a><\/em><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"phppiy807](\"https:\/\/almenda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/phppiy807_\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0438-2.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe article was prepared by the Centre of civil education \u201cAlmenda\u201d as part of the project \u201cProtecting Childhood: Justice and Reintegration for Children from the Temporarily Occupied Territories.\u201d
The project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic within the framework of the Transition Promotion Program.
The views expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.<\/pre>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"