Russia expands patriotic education to kindergartens

The Russian government is expanding its patriotic education programs to include even younger children, a move Vladimir Putin has described as a ‘new front’. While patriotic instruction is already integrated into school and university curricula, reports indicate that such programs were introduced to kindergartens in September 2026.

This effort aims to align the national education system more closely with the Kremlin's ideological goals. However, observers, including The Economist, have characterized these efforts as an ‘indoctrination machine’ and noted that the push for educational sovereignty may be occurring at the expense of overall academic standards.