Conversations about Victories and Other Fundamentals of Russian Statehood: How Russian Schools and Universities Use History for Ideological Indoctrination

• In Event: Post-Soviet Educational Pathways: Gender, Ideological Influence, and International Mobility

Abstract

The paper examines the uses of references to historical events for ideological indoctrination in Russian educational settings. It specifically focuses on the school course “Conversations About Important Things” course (introduced in 2022) and the university course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” (introduced in 2023). These modules aim to instill “patriotism” and “civic-mindedness” among the younger generation of Russians. Using multimodal discourse analysis, the study explores how textual and visual elements within the teaching materials are used to propagate the Kremlin’s ideology. The research analyzes teaching guidelines, lesson plans, multimedia presentations, videos, and supplementary resources provided to the teachers. The questions of ideological indoctrination in Russia are particularly important, considering that the popularity of Putin’s policies, particularly the war against Ukraine, tends to be noticeably lower among younger Russians. So, the Putin regime’s future depends, among other things, on its ability to effectively indoctrinate the youth.

Author

• Ivan Fomin, Charles U in Prague (Czech Republic)