{"id":8606,"date":"2025-09-24T15:59:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T13:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/?p=8606"},"modified":"2025-10-01T14:50:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T12:50:05","slug":"ideologichnij-kontrol-i-rusifikaciya-molodi-rol-centriv-profilaktiki-ekstremizmu-v-okupovanomu-krimu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/en\/ideologichnij-kontrol-i-rusifikaciya-molodi-rol-centriv-profilaktiki-ekstremizmu-v-okupovanomu-krimu\/","title":{"rendered":"Ideological Control and Russification of Youth: The Role of \u201cCentres for the Prevention of Extremism\u201d in Occupied Crimea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Russia presents its policy of \u201ccombating extremism\u201d as a mechanism for ensuring state security and public order. In practice, however, it serves as a tool for persecuting and re-educating all those who do not share Kremlin ideology, including children and young people. Particular attention is paid to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (TOT), where any expression of Ukrainian identity is labelled as \u201cextremism\u201d, \u201cneo-Nazism\u201d, or \u201cdestructive behaviour\u201d. In the RF\u2019s strategic documents, such as the Comprehensive Plan to Counter<\/a> the Ideology of Terrorism in the Russian Federation for 2024\u20132028\u00a0 (hereinafter \u2013 the Comprehensive Plan) and the Strategy<\/a> for Countering Extremism in the Russian Federation, among the \u201cthreats\u201d are listed \u201cthe ideas of Ukrainian nationalism and neo-Nazism\u201d and \u201cthe falsification of history\u201d. Residents of the TOT, including children and young people, are identified as key \u201ctarget groups\u201d at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Radicalisation of Ukrainian Society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern Ukrainian society has undergone a long process of radicalisation, going through constant crises. A fusion of various ideas occurred, including openly neo-Nazi ones. At first, it became acceptable to openly and with impunity mock representatives of other nations. Then came the glorification of Nazi collaborators from the period of the Great Patriotic War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translation of the inscription on the T-shirt: \u201cThank you, God, that I am not a Moskal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo: Ukraine 2012, taken from a blog on the website drive2.ru<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Radicalisation of Ukrainian Society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian neo-Nazism is merely an instrument for causing harm to Russia. It has no solid historical foundation and is largely mythological. Its essence is \u201cUkraine \u2013 Anti-Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is enough to look at how the history of Ukraine is presented in modern Ukrainian schools: an emotional undertone, Ukraine-centred perspective (everything good is within Ukraine, everything bad is external, especially from the East). There is no stable worldview model. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the photo<\/strong>: cards of the National Centre for Patriotic and Historical Education of Youth with \u201cexplanations\u201d of the main points of the Comprehensive Plan concerning \u201cUkrainian neo-Nazism\u201d. Source: https:\/\/t.me\/ncpti\/2408<\/a> , archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/wip\/7mXN0<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the guise of \u201ccountering terrorism and extremism\u201d, the Kremlin has established a comprehensive system of ideological control designed to suppress any form of dissent, including expressions of Ukrainian identity, with education serving as a central tool. At universities, this is manifested through Coordination Centres, which are responsible for fostering active civic engagement among young people, preventing interethnic and interfaith conflicts, countering terrorist ideology, and implementing measures to prevent extremism<\/em> (hereinafter – Coordination Centre, Centre).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In occupied Crimea, such structures operate within the illegally established \u201cV.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University\u201d (\u201cCFU<\/a>\u201d) and \u201cSevastopol State University<\/a>\u201d. In practice, these centres function as mechanisms of surveillance and re-education of students, instilling the notion that anything Ukrainian is automatically deemed extremist and subject to criminal or administrative liability. Through these centres, Russia disseminates its own ideology, imposes \u201ctraditional Russian values\u201d, cultivates loyalty to the policies of the aggressor state, and seeks to justify its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When did the Coordination Centres appear?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the RF set up a Coordination Council on fostering active civic engagement among young people, preventing interethnic and interfaith conflicts, countering the ideology of terrorism, and promoting<\/a> extremism prevention. By 2022, 43 Coordination Centres were already operating<\/a>, and at the end of 2023 the Ministry announced that it was completing the establishment of a nationwide network<\/strong>. Over the course of two years, more<\/a> than 425,000 people took part in the Centres\u2019 activities. Today, such Centres are present<\/a> across all TOTs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, ten \u201cvector centres\u201d (key hubs) have been established<\/a> in Moscow, the Rostov Oblast and Stavropol Krai. Each of them specialises in a particular area. For example, the National Centre for Patriotic and Historical Education of Youth focuses on online \u201ccounter-terrorism\u201d and coordinates the activities of the entire network; the centre at the National Research Nuclear University is responsible for \u201cinternational cooperation\u201d; while the centre at Pyatigorsk State University deals<\/a> with \u201cstrengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values\u201d. Representatives of the National Centre for Patriotic and Historical Education of Youth are also authors and lecturers of the Znanie Society\u2019s course<\/a> \u201cPrevention of the Spread of Neo-Nazi Ideology among Children and Young People\u201d, which advocates \u201creshaping the identity\u201d of children from<\/a> the TOT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, the Coordination Centres function as instruments of ideological control: they monitor students, identify \u201cdestructive content\u201d online, and cooperate<\/a> with law enforcement bodies and the courts. They also conduct \u201cpreventive\u201d work through the Open Dialogue Club, where students are engaged<\/a> in discussions on topics such as \u201cnational identity and the unity of the Russian nation\u201d, \u201cdefending historical truth\u201d, and \u201cpatriotic education\u201d. All activities are reflected<\/a> on the interactive map, which is mentioned<\/a> in the Comprehensive Plan, and are aimed at instilling the Russian state ideology and shaping the \u201cproper\u201d citizen of the RF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the photo:<\/strong> Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the RF. Source: https:\/\/minobrnauki.gov.ru\/about\/governance\/<\/a> , archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/y2f6i<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the RF, stated that in the context of the \u201cspecial military operation\u201d, the topic of \u201ccomprehensive security\u201d in universities is \u201cmore relevant than ever\u201d. According to him, external threats, extremism and interethnic conflicts are unfolding against the backdrop of a \u201chybrid war declared on our state\u201d, and it is universities that must ensure<\/a> anti-terrorist protection. He is subject to sanctions<\/a> by the USA, Canada, the EU, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Coordination Centre in the TOT of the AR of Crimea: leadership and activities<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head of the \u201cCFU<\/a>\u201d Centre: Olena Viktorivna Gubanova (pictured below).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source:<\/strong>https:\/\/bit.ly\/4g8vsrF<\/a> , archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/wip\/v7Sto<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She was born<\/a> on 17 November 1971 in Simferopol. After graduating from Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, she worked as an investigator and subsequently as a lecturer in criminal law and criminology at Tavriya National University named after V. I. Vernadsky (Autonomous Republic of Crimea). In 2008, she defended her PhD thesis. She holds<\/a> the title of Candidate of Legal Sciences and is an Associate Professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the occupation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, she continued working at the illegally established \u201cV.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University\u201d. In her role as Director of the Coordination Centre at this \u201cuniversity\u201d, her activities are focused on exercising ideological control over young people, fostering an \u201call-Russian identity\u201d, and instilling loyalty to the occupying state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Crimean Coordination Centre was created<\/a> in September 2021 by order of the so-called \u201cRector of the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University\u201d, Andriy Falaleev (then head of the university), who is under EU, Swiss, and Ukrainian sanctions. In addition to the declared goal of \u201ccountering the ideology of terrorism and preventing extremism\u201d, the Centre\u2019s main tasks include shaping Russian civic identity, cultivating patriotism, and preserving and promoting<\/a> \u201ctraditional Russian spiritual and moral values\u201d. Its functions also extend to cooperation with the \u201cauthorities\u201d in restricting access to \u201cillegal content\u201d when detected<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreventive Activities\u201d of the Crimean Coordination Centre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Screenshot<\/strong> of the \u201cpreventive activities\u201d map of the Coordination Centre of \u201cV. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University\u201d. Source: : https:\/\/map.ncpti.ru\/<\/a> , archive https:\/\/archive.ph\/MZPcW<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the plan<\/a> of the so-called \u201cV.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University\u201d for the implementation of the activities of the Comprehensive Plan, signed by Gubanova, the Coordination Centre is listed as one of the key implementers for almost every activity. Particular attention is drawn to the explicitly anti-Ukrainian orientation of certain activities. In particular, the document provides for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n