Since mid-April, news agencies in Russia have been full of headlines that rival each other in absurdity. Judge for yourself: Nurses in one of the maternity hospitals in the Kemerovo region sewed miniature caps and military capes for newborns. On the eve of May 9, nurses began to discharge babies in such uniforms. Singer Valeria sang the song "Where the Motherland Begins" against the backdrop of destroyed houses, and the airport in Volgograd was renamed "Stalingrad".
Indoctrination at full speed
The most complicated, of course, is the situation of children. As the news shows, propaganda "takes care" of them from the very beginning. And while newborns do not understand what is happening to them when they are dressed in military uniforms, older children become full-fledged victims of indoctrination. Every year, kindergartens and schools in Russia come up with increasingly ridiculous ways to celebrate Victory Day. In the "Conversation about Important Things" classes, upper-grade students will be told how the participants in the war against Ukraine allegedly continued the traditions of Soviet soldiers from the Great Patriotic War. In addition, all students will be shown a film in which a participant in the war in Ukraine compares letters from children at the front with front-line correspondence from the Great Patriotic War. And in some regions, preschoolers are not only dressed in military uniforms, but also forced to march as if in a parade.
It is practically impossible to protect children from all this, so one can only hope for the common sense of individual teachers or home education. But if the family does not support the war against Ukraine, the child is forced to live a double life, since any manifestation of frankness at school can lead to serious consequences. The principal can simply write a denunciation for the student.
With a song on his lips against the ruins
The war against Ukraine quickly and clearly divided people of art and culture into two camps - those who support it and those who reject it. For the regime's loyal singers, the cult of victory is an excellent way to make money. A recent study showed that support for the so-called "special military operation in Ukraine" is not just a way to stay on stage, but also a source of income. Apart from this, it must be said that sometimes something else happens: without wanting to, artists show the true face of the current regime and its war against Ukraine. Here, the singer Valeria especially stood out, who sang the song "Where the Motherland Begins" against the backdrop of ruins from the war. And in this case, it doesn't matter whether these buildings were destroyed by bombs or are just film sets - the visual charge clearly demonstrates what "the motherland" really is.
Since February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin has not stopped sowing destruction and death. He actually started doing it even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but for the past three years he has been doing it quite demonstratively.
The Reaper of Death
Vladimir Putin hypocritically and cynically refers to the history of the Soviet people, who fought during World War II, trying to convince the public that they are still fighting against some large-scale evil. And the truth is completely different.
Compare two news items that describe the regime quite comprehensively: the first is that the body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina was returned from Russian captivity without eyes, without brains and without part of her larynx. Her hyoid bone was also broken - a sign that Roshchina was probably strangled. And the second news is that the Russian secret service FSB has shown the public Adolf Hitler's teeth.
Any normal person who reads this news from Russia will think that the power in this country is taken over by some insane necrophiliacs. And it will not be easy to dispute this assumption. While Russian propaganda sings the exploits of ancestors, trying to prove that the "fight against the fascists" continues today, Vladimir Putin is doing evil. And the more his army kills and destroys, the clearer it becomes that Putin is the bloody reaper of death. He is the one who towers over the ruins, over the graves of innocent people and over the unfortunate babies who are dressed in military uniforms.
Author: Tatyana Felgenhauer