From: Roman Sheremeta (Professor of Economics, Board Member, Founding Rector of American University Kyiv) — I was preparing a speech about childhood under occupation in the Danish Parliament. Once again, I laid out for myself how russians are turning Ukrainian children into a russian electorate — one that will unquestioningly vote for Putin and, if necessary, die for him. Including in a war against their own homeland.
We know a lot about russian textbooks, the erasure of Ukrainian identity, the banning of Ukrainian culture, the forced indoctrination of love for russia, the militarization of consciousness, and the “lessons on important matters” in every school.
We are studying the so-called sports and recreation camps, where Ukrainian children march in military uniforms and handle weapons so that at 14, they can receive a russian passport, and at 18, become the next generation of “liberators” in whichever part of the world their new “motherland” sends them.
We are also aware of the atmosphere of fear and pressure, where Ukrainian children in occupation quickly learn what they must not say or do to avoid having russian security services come for them or their parents.
But when I started reading the testimonies of children who survived occupation or deportation, when I spoke with experts working on their rehabilitation after returning, I realized another crucial thing – russians are teaching our children total submission. A child must obey orders without question. This is not just ideological conditioning; it is a form of reprogramming — a forced authoritarian mindset.
The entire system of social relations works toward this. It’s “in the air” through russian culture and media, and it forms the foundation of the key institutions shaping a child’s worldview — kindergartens, schools, and universities.
Russians are doing this so that children internalize a simple rule: an individual and their will mean nothing because there will always be “adults” who know better what they should do and how they should live.
I don’t know if we have enough time to stop this. Estimates suggest that in the occupied territories alone (not even counting russia), around 1.6 million Ukrainian children have been left face-to-face with the occupiers. And childhood has an expiration date.
Oleksandra Matviichuk – Ukrainian human rights lawyer, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Voice of Ukraine 