Preschool director and teacher in Russia ‘resign’ after students mistakenly given certificates with Ukrainian symbols

On Monday, participants in a sports competition at a preschool in Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East were mistakenly given certificates showing Ukraine’s coat of arms and flag after a physical education teacher downloaded and printed a template from the Internet.

Tuesday, Khabarovsk Mayor Sergey Kravchuk said that the teacher and preschool director had “resigned” after “realizing their responsibility for the incident.” Kravchuk apologized to the children and their parents. “I have decided to conduct additional patriotic education events with the staff of all preschool educational institutions in Khabarovsk,” added the mayor.

In Russian propaganda media, there are often stories about citizen complaints over “Ukrainian symbols.” In May, a children’s group in Tatarstan was called out for performing in yellow and blue costumes (the color of the Ukrainian flag). Organizers said the color choice was unintentional and that because the region was poor, the group had used whatever they already had.