Russian children's TV show stirs controversy with military-themed propaganda song
"Soon I'll grow up and become a military chemist! I'll make a bomb out of dough, the Russian army is waiting for me! Strong, bold, brave, strong in spirit, the most important. Our army will always defend; our army is strong in spirit," sing the cheerful young boys clad in military uniforms.
3:28 PM EST, February 9, 2024
This performance was part of an episode from the Russian show "Wheel of Fortune", otherwise known as "Field of Miracles". Such musical interludes are a standard feature of this program. Interestingly, it appears they can also be a vehicle for propagandistic content.
Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian foreign minister, shared a clip of the program online. He captioned it, "What Russia is doing to its children is a crime in itself."
"Students all over Russia are making candles for soldiers. They take a can of preserves, pour in paraffin from church candles, insert a wick, and send it to the front. It's a popular initiative. The idea is for such a candle to provide warmth to 'our boys'. " Schoolchildren are also sewing camouflage nets. Everyone's help is enlisted – even the youngest. It resembles the Soviet pattern of defense against the Nazis," Siegień commented.
