Russia is requiring employers to hire soldiers who fought in Ukraine. Meduza found they’re being recruited as kindergarten teachers, school psychologists, and even ballet dancers.

Mikhail Voskresensky / RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia

Laws passed in Russian regions requiring companies to hire veterans of the war with Ukraine have affected educational and cultural institutions across the country, Meduza found.

War veterans are being encouraged to apply for jobs as teachers, including elementary school teachers, kindergarten teachers, university and college instructors, and school psychologists.

At the same time, according to government recommendations on employing “veterans of the special military operation,” employers are prohibited from requiring records of injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when hiring veterans, or from noting PTSD in their personnel files.

State-funded institutions are also seeking ballet dancers and choir soloists among veterans: the openings are at a state theater in Sterlitamak and the Vologda philharmonic. The Veliky Ustyug Museum-Reserve is seeking research fellows under the quota, while the Cherepovets art college is seeking accompanists.

The requirement that companies set aside a certain number of jobs for war veterans (usually 1%) was introduced in 2026. Novaya Gazeta Europe calculated in April that a corresponding law is in effect in 39 regions, including occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. Since then, at least 11 more regions, including occupied territories, have announced quotas of their own.

Companies based in Krasnodar Krai must hire the largest share of veterans, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe: those with staffs of 100 or more are required to set aside at least 4% of jobs for “participants in the special military operation.” In the Rostov and Tambov regions and in Yakutia, the quota is 3%.

Russian authorities have long been concerned with finding jobs for military personnel and helping them reintegrate into civilian life. Employers are barred from firing veterans while they are serving, and the state subsidizes their hiring. The government procurement portal lists numerous tenders for professional training programs for former service members and their families, including as social media specialists, online marketplace employees, manicurists, and hairdressers.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

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Russia is requiring employers to hire soldiers who fought in Ukraine. Meduza found they’re being recruited as kindergarten teachers, school psychologists, and even ballet dancers.

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