In Belarus, schoolchildren are forced to listen to Soviet military songs during every break as part of the "80 Days to Victory" initiative. This is just one aspect of a broader trend where educational institutions are turning into centers of ideological indoctrination. The songs—symbols of Soviet military propaganda—teach children to glorify war, accept suffering as the norm, and associate patriotism exclusively with sacrifice.
This initiative is just part of the overall state policy, within which schools are turning into centers of ideological influence. Among the relatively recent "innovations" of the Belarusian education system:
Mandatory "patriotism lessons" – Instead of teaching critical thinking, schoolchildren attend lectures on the "great history of Belarus," with a focus on the Soviet period and the idealization of authoritarian power.
"Days of Military Glory" – Students are forcibly gathered for rallies and made to participate in performances dedicated to military events.
Ideological supervisors – Schools now have "classroom supervisors for ideology" who monitor the political views of students and their parents.
"Political quests" – Instead of traditional extracurricular activities, students are offered games like "Find and Destroy the Enemy."
Mandatory "Talks About Important Things" – Under the guise of patriotic education, teachers deliver state ideology.
Introduction of military training in schools – Students are forced to wear uniforms, march, and study military statutes.
Militarized school camps – Instead of traditional camps where children used to rest and study, for example, foreign languages, now they attend gatherings in the style of cadet schools with drill training.
"State patriotism" lessons – Children are forced to study under programs that justify state actions and criticize the West.
Banning of "wrong" books – Belarusian schools are being purged of independent literature and books that contain alternative views on history.
According to psychologists, the constant exposure of children to military themes can lead to increased levels of aggression and negative emotional states, alienation from the cultural and historical context of their native country, distortion of worldview, and the replacement of critical thinking with ideological dogmas.
While schools around the world are developing future skills—leadership, critical thinking, environmental literacy—in Belarus, schoolchildren are being turned into a generation obsessed with the Soviet era.
