Beginning September 1, Russia’s Education Ministry plans to introduce its state-designed “patriotic” lesson series “Important Conversations” in preschools and kindergartens across Moscow and nearly 20 other Russian regions, as well as in occupied areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions.
The ministry’s press service told Vedomosti that the program will start in pilot form. By the end of the year, officials will decide whether to expand it to all state preschools and kindergartens nationwide.
The classes are intended for children ages three to seven. Topics reportedly include the importance of family and friendship, developing communication and teamwork skills, fostering moral qualities such as kindness, honesty, justice, and compassion, as well as learning history, respecting Russian culture, and cultivating “love for the homeland.”
Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov said the lessons would be taught “in a clear and engaging format” appropriate for young children. The ministry added that they would be interactive, incorporating games, creative activities, and reading.
Since 2022, “Important Conversations” have been held once a week in Russian schools, before the first class of the week. Teaching guides published by the ministry said the sessions would focus on patriotism, and from fifth grade onward, include discussion of the “special military operation.”
The proposal to extend the program to preschools and kindergartens was first made by Vladimir Putin in October 2024. Speaking with finalists of the “Teacher of the Year” competition, the Russian president said the authorities should instill “basic values” in children “from the earliest age.” Soon afterward, dozens of kindergartens across Russia reported holding “Important Conversations” classes with their pupils.
