Russia holds military-themed parade featuring seven-year-old children – photos
A children’s parade called Great-grandchildren of Victory has taken place in Russia’s Vladivostok, featuring 1,500 primary school children dressed in uniforms representing various branches of the military.
Source: Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai, on Telegram; Russian media outlets The Insider and Nastoyashcheye Vremya (Current Time)
Quote from Kozhemyako: "The first children’s parade in history was held in the capital of the Russian Far East. More than 1,500 primary school pupils from across Primorsky Krai marched in parade formations symbolising different branches of the military and volunteer units."
Details: Russian media outlets report that groups of first-grade pupils represented motorised infantry, tank crews, missile troops, artillerymen, engineers, signal corps, border guards, sailors, paratroopers and foot soldiers.
Units from radiation, chemical and biological defence troops, air and missile defence forces, Aerospace Forces and the medical service were also represented.
The parade was commanded by Russian servicemen and former combatants. The audience included children from North Korea.
The governor said the event was "grand", that he was "proud" of the children, and that he was grateful to their parents and teachers.
He justified the presence of North Korean schoolchildren by claiming that troops from North Korea had "helped Russians" in their war of aggression against Ukraine.
Quote: "Units from the Korean People’s Army actively participated in the defeat of Ukrainian militants (as Russians refer to the Ukrainian armed forces, which are defending their country from Russia’s invasion – ed.) in Kursk Oblast. They demonstrated courage and bravery… We will always be grateful to the Korean fighters."
Background:
- Russia has waged an unprovoked war against Ukraine since 2014. Following the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has rewritten history textbooks and intensified efforts to involve schoolchildren and preschoolers in various "patriotic" activities.
- These include war-themed lessons in schools, promoting an alternative version of history, and organising so-called "military-patriotic camps" where children are taught to shoot and throw grenades. Participants in the war against Ukraine, many of whom were previously convicted of murder, are invited into classrooms to give lectures.
- Children are also told about the supposed benefits of sanctions imposed on Russia.
- In the occupied territories, Ukrainian children are being forced to learn Russian language and literature, while older students are subjected to propaganda aimed at pushing them to join the Russian military.
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