Russian kindergarten justifies the war and "thanks" occupiers for killing Ukrainians

DIANA KRECHETOVA, Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia —  MONDAY, 27 JUNE 2022

In Russia, children are being taught to hate Ukraine from an early age, judging by the anti-Ukrainian content posted by one kindergarten on social media.

A kindergarten named Malysh ("Little One") in Kemerovo, Siberia, regularly posts military reports with information about the "Nazis" who have been killed in Ukraine, and how bad things are for Europe without Russia, on its VKontakte page.

Some of the posts have already been deleted, but (to paraphrase the writer Mikhail Bulgakov) "screenshots don’t burn". Some of them have been published by the Russian media outlet "Sibir. Realii" (Siberia. Reality). 

The following lines were among the posts that until recently could be seen on the kindergarten’s page:

"Ukraine is losing up to 1,000 soldiers on the battlefield every day. Thank you to our brave military for that!"

"The Nazis will be overthrown! Victory will be ours!"

"In Europe, the number of people with a standard of living approaching the poverty line is growing. Soon everyone will understand the justice of the special operation in Ukraine."

"Ukrainian Telegram channels are reporting that Russia has forcibly deported more than 307,000 Ukrainian children. In fact, it was their own, completely voluntary decision."

Ukrainian soldiers from Azovstal were also mentioned as having allegedly "right-wing radical tattoos" such as "portraits of Hitler, swastikas, skulls and the inscription ‘Kill them all’." However, no evidence of this was posted by the kindergarten.

The Russian preschool also alleged that the Ukrainian authorities are "giving everyone weapons" to "defend themselves against the Russians". In contrast, Russian soldiers who tortured, killed and raped Ukrainian civilians during the occupation are called "liberators". 

After the media started publishing the screenshots with anti-Ukrainian messages in support of the Russian army, the kindergarten deleted them. However, some of them still can be seen, particularly posts with images of Russian military symbols, which can be seen on the occupiers’ equipment and weapons.

In addition, Russian children are being indoctrinated at an early age with "love for the Motherland" that is now waging a bloody war in Ukraine. In one of the videos posted by the kindergarten, three boys dressed in Russian military uniforms sing that they will "soon grow up and join the army".