"Stand calmly and behave like everyone else." Karelian College deducted a student for a joke over the seal of the flag on September 1

In Petrozavodsk, a 19-year-old student mimicked the banners on a line in honor of the beginning of the school year. The young man was expelled on the eve of the autumn call: the director of the college believes that his act offended the relatives of the soldiers fighting in Ukraine, and “it’s simply impossible to leave the situation.”

On September 1, a solemn line took place in the Karelian College of Culture and Arts in Petrozavodsk. A group of three students in the same burgundy t -shirts and caps, the first carried the state flag, came out to the site in front of the building under the general singing of the anthem in a drill. Almost immediately, another young man, also a student, joined the marching banners.

He unnaturally lifted his legs high and seemed to beat off the bow, leaning forward with the whole body. A laugh ran through the ranks of the students. “I joined them, took four steps and went back to my guys,” 19-year-old Alexander Shimanov tells Mediazone.

His trick greatly angered the administration.

“For everyone, this was a shock - for the teaching staff, for the administration, for students. He, grimacing, went after the banner group, precisely grimacing, says the director of the college Svetlana Medvedeva. - And in the college, some students are in the zone of her, there is a girl whose dad died there, some teachers have relatives there. And, of course, this situation could not be ignored. It is simply impossible. "

Medvedeva herself, however, was not on the line: she learned about what had happened from her deputy, and then watched the video shot by eyewitnesses.

“This is really perceived as a kind of patriotic gesture. We are in solidarity [with the authorities], ”the director argues about the ritual removal of the flag, which since 2022 in schools and colleges of Russia celebrate not only the new school year, but also the beginning of each week.

On the same day, Alexander was explained in her office. “I did not pursue the goal of offending the country or people, as they tried to inspire me. That I insulted the people who fought for this flag. In no case, ” - approximately such words, according to the memoirs of the young man, he spoke in his defense.

However, the college management did not believe him. Four days later, following the results of the teacher's council, Medvedev signed an order to expel the student for the “violation of the charter” and the “internal regulations”.

This was his second year of study. Alexander chose the specialty "Folk Art", where they prepare the leaders of amateur ensembles and teachers of folklore. At first, he explained his act on the ruler with a joke and the desire to impress fellow practitioners, but now he speaks differently.

“It was rather a statement. I expressed my dissatisfaction with such traditions, if I may call it that. This is stupid, ”he said to Mediazone. -That is, this is too somehow perceived seriously, very cultivated among our society. And people are too serious about this. ”

“On September 1, Sasha acted unconditionally stupidly, but this ... should not have ended with the expulsion. Sasha took four big steps with an absolutely calm face, this action lasted four seconds, and he returned back. After that, our class teacher came up to us and stated that Sasha would be expelled if he did not bring a certificate of observation by a therapist ... We could not believe that Sasha could be expelled because of such a garbage, ”the reflection told the public. Karelia "is one of the college students.

The deductions of Alexander by the parents of many of his fellow practitioners considered undeserved. They turned to the director of Medvedeva, the teacher council and the Ministry of Culture with a request to give the student a second chance. The deduction order was canceled, but for the second time the teacher's council took the side of the director.

“Therefore, [at the pedagogical council] I said that we are expelled for the misconduct. You knew very well that during the anthem and removal the banner had to be calmly standing and wait until they put the banner. And behave the way everyone else behaved. Disrespect for the patriotic feelings of others - both students and teachers was manifested. And, of course, no one expected this act from a second -year student, ”Medvedev argues his position.

In addition, the director adds, last year they had already made a disciplinary sanction for drinking alcohol in a hostel. The student has a slightly different version.

“We sat, drank beer. Roughly speaking, they just sat, talked. That is, there was no mock there, we did not bother anyone. And just someone pressed us: supposedly they drink alcohol and make noise. I don’t exaggerate now, really. Although in fact we just sat, talked quietly. Well, of course, it all came to the director, ”he recalls.

Alexander says that he was forced to apologize at the second pedagogue. But public repentance did not help. “We really wanted, probably, maybe to meet him, but you know, the decision of the pedagogical council is the decision of the pedagogical council,” Medvedeva says.

The Ministry of Culture of Karelia specified that the guilty student was expelled "for violation of the rules of the internal routine of students, given the repeated commission of disciplinary offenses."

“This was the last straw, this is the main reason. Distilled up for the manifest disrespect. It was by no means a joke, but a violation of serious things , ”the department said.

On October 1, an autumn call started in Russia, and Alexander does not exclude that he will have to go to serve.

“I am absolutely good, of course, I would not want to go. There is no particular money to the aid of some specialists who help conscripts, because it is completely not cheap. Well, most likely you have to go. What to do, ”he shrugs.

Editor: Dmitry Tkachev

Updated at 21:40. A comment on the Karelian Ministry of Culture has been added.