Russian deputy proposes school holiday to commemorate 'start of special military operation' in Ukraine

The truthfulness of much reporting by Russian media and government officials is questionable, with several of these claims potentially forming part of Russia's information warfare.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, initiating a regular war. Our eastern neighbors have been staving off aggression from Moscow almost for two years, successfully halting the antagonist and advancing eastward. The conflict has been ongoing for nearly two years.

Russian propaganda uses terms like "denazification" and "special military operation" to refer to what is genuinely a war. A deputy of the Russian Duma, in apparent endorsement of this narrative, wishes to take things a step further.

Yana Lantratova, from the Just Russia party, suggests that February 24 - the anniversary of the assault on Ukraine - should become a national holiday. The deputy aims to memorialize this date, dubbing it "the day of the start of the special military operation", a concept geared mainly towards children and adolescents.

A rising trend of nostalgia for the USSR, along with adoption of methods from that era, is noticeable in Russia. Seemingly inspired by techniques from Soviet propaganda, the deputy's idea is illustrative of standard Kremlin tactics.

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As noted by Nexta Agency on Twitter, Lantratova aims to utilize this to impart a revised version of modern history to schoolchildren and teenagers. A famous saying apparently guides her belief: "the malleability of youth is as sure..."

The State Duma proposed celebrating the invasion day on Ukraine in all schools in Russia, says a post by the Nexta Agency on Twitter.

The details of Lantratova's proposition are remarkably audacious, and could even be perceived as a gross provocation. She proposes that on February 24, all Russian children mandatorily learn about the "denazification of Ukraine".

Military personnel are to be invited to schools on this day, or war movies shown to children. During lessons, students should be acquainted with the history of the "special military operation", encompassing its motives, objectives, presumptions, and the sequence of key events, Nexta Agency reported.

Will Lantratova's proposition garner support in the State Duma and the Kremlin? It's highly likely. After all, propaganda is most effective when it molds young minds early, directing them along what is perceived as the 'right' path. Or at least, that's the perception in Russia.