Starting on September 1, 2026, all Russian kindergartens will begin holding patriotic classes called “Kind Games,” an equivalent of the “Conversations About Important Things” lessons already conducted in schools, according to Russian Deputy Education Minister Olga Koludarova.
According to her, children will be taught about “spiritual and moral values.” The ministry is currently preparing methodological materials for the program.
“Conversations About Important Things” have been held in Russian schools since the 2022–23 academic year. A decree by the Education Ministry says the lessons are aimed at “instilling in schoolchildren love for the Motherland, pride in their country, and patriotism.” The classes were introduced several months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Alongside topics related to family values, schoolchildren are also told about the war in Ukraine through the lens of the Russian authorities’ official position.
The idea of introducing such classes in kindergartens for children over the age of five was proposed to President Vladimir Putin in early October 2024 by one of the finalists of the “Teacher of the Year” competition. He supported the initiative. “We have expressions like ‘absorbed with mother’s milk’ or ‘learned from an early age.’ All this suggests that, of course, we must instill certain basic things in a child from the very earliest age,” he said.
Immediately after that, kindergartens in some regions began holding “Conversations About Important Things,” Current Time notes. Within one week in mid-October, according to the outlet 7×7, kindergartens in various regions of Russia published more than 100 reports about conducting such classes.
