June 1 is perhaps the most peaceful holiday on the calendar. Children's Day. First day of summer holidays. A day usually associated with concerts, games, ice cream and a carefree start to summer.
But in many Russian regions, even on this day, war was brought to children.
On Sakhalin, Children's Day was renamed"Children's Day" and a Lesson of Courage was held. “Northern Military District veterans” showed the children body armor, hand grenades and “trophies” brought from the war against Ukraine. In the Republic of Tyva, a festive event for children was held at a shooting range together with an employee of the prosecutor's office and a war participant.
In the Altai Territory, schoolchildren became familiar with combat equipment and learned to provide first aid. In the Orenburg region, “in honor of the kindest holiday,” boys learned to“assemble and disassemble real machine guns, mastering important skills.” In the Pskov region, “veterans of the Northern Military District” held a “Day with a Hero” event for children from an orphanage.
“The guys saw real fighters with their own eyes, learned what honor, courage and the shoulder of a comrade are,” - Committee of Families of Warriors of the Fatherland of the Pskov Region.
Where there were no machine guns and grenades, the holidaywas still used to support the war and help the army.
In the Ivanovo region, at the central children’s festival of the region, the guest of honor was a “member of the Northern Military District,” and the children made “dry souls” for the military. In the Irkutsk region, schoolchildren and parents collected humanitarian aid for wounded soldiers.
“Today, on Children’s Day, we are talking about the most important thing. About the fact that to protect means to protect the peaceful sky, and our warriors are the main defenders of this future!”, - Childhood Navigators | Irkutsk
In the Primorsky Territory, children from children's institutions were brought to a military hospital to perform in front of participants in the war against Ukraine. After the concert, children presented gifts and souvenirs to the wounded servicemen.
“Who, if not the warriors, deserve the most heartfelt thanks and low bow from all of us for the fact that our children’s childhood passes under a peaceful sky,” - SRCN “Albatross”.
The first day of summer vacation in school camps also did not begin with games and relaxation.
A Youth Army camp was opened in the Rostov region, where children immediately began assembling and disassembling machine guns. In the Samara region, pupils of a school camp were taught to act during a drone attack and a missile threat.
In the Ryazan region, junior schoolchildren were sent to weave camouflage nets for the army. In the Tambov region, pupils of school camps were brought to an exhibition of personal belongings of fallen war participants.
“By protecting the younger generation, we will build a prosperous future for Russia. The sincere attention, love and care that we give to children will definitely result in success and achievements for our country,” - MBOU “Zherdevskaya Secondary School 2”.
Particularly indicative is the publication of the Chelyabinsk “Museum of the Northern Military District,” which congratulated subscribers on Children’s Day with a photograph of a small child in a military helmet.
The holiday, which was intended as a reminder of children’s right to safety, a happy childhood and protection from violence, in modern Russia has become another reason to tell children about the war, show weapons or attract them to help the front.
