Description
Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine was accompanied by an intense propaganda campaign aimed at revitalizing Russia’s historic claims to vulnerability at the hands of hostile neighbours. In past wars, popular stories of heroes have been utilised by the Kremlin to increase support for the military. Russia’s role as the aggressor, however, has made it difficult for Russian propagandists to build a cohort of heroes in this war. This paper examines Moscow’s efforts to make “everyday heroes” out of Russia’s children in the context of the war in Ukraine. Although youth are prevented from taking up arms, they nevertheless play important roles in supporting this conflict: sending letters to soldiers; performing concerts for war refugees; and “fighting” against the falsifications of Great Patriotic War memory. The paper argues that Russia is constructing contemporary wartime heroism not as a product of exceptional action but instead as a checklist achievement, and as one stage in a larger process of the militarisation of youth. This ‘hero checklist’ offers young people an opportunity to be part of the “Special military operation,” to ensure that the next generation of Russian citizens will be inspired by the militarised values of sacrifice, loyalty, and courage.
