Russian children in kindergartens were forced to wish Putin a happy birthday

Dozens of Russian preschools held events to celebrate Vladimir Putin’s birthday. The children were forced to congratulate the president, listen to stories about him, and thank him for “peace.”

Reports on such events were published by more than two dozen preschools. At one kindergarten in St. Petersburg, children were told about “Vladimir Vladimirovich’s achievements,” his role in Russia’s development, and his concern for the country’s future. In the Astrakhan region, preschoolers listened to a story about the Russian president’s life journey and the qualities that, according to the organizers, a leader of a great nation should possess.

In the Tyumen region, children were told that Putin is “the most important person in the country,” who allegedly “cares about each and every one of us so that life in Russia is peaceful and good.” One report noted that the president’s greeting became a way for the children to express their love for their homeland.

Several kindergartens also posted video greetings. In Anadyr, children were forced to kneel on one knee for the recording. In Ulyanovsk, the children thanked Putin “for giving us light and preserving our peace for many years.”

Pro-Kremlin youth movements also organized events to mark Putin’s birthday. In Moscow, according to the “Young Guard” movement, more than 3,000 of its activists and representatives of the “Volunteer Company” marched through the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNG) carrying quotes from Putin and posters highlighting the country’s achievements under his rule. Afterward, the participants formed the word “Congratulations” and unfurled a Russian flag. In St. Petersburg, activists from pro-Kremlin organizations formed the message “Happy Birthday, President” on the grounds of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Russian officials and lawmakers also posted birthday messages to the president. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin claimed that Putin had allegedly “saved Russia from ruin.” Belgorod Region Governor Alexander Shuvaev stated that thanks to the president’s support, the region is “protected,” but in his very next post, he reported 114 attacks on the region over the past 24 hours.

At the same time, Russian officials were given instructions on how to post messages congratulating Putin on VKontakte. Specifically, they were advised to use only their personal pages and to include the hashtag “#CongratulateThePresident” in their posts. They were also allowed to attach related photos and videos. In total, at least 1,100 posts with this hashtag were published on “VKontakte.”

Foreign leaders—Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Alexander Lukashenko, and Serdar Berdimuhamedov—also congratulated Putin. The North Korean leader called the Russian president his “dearest friend” and expressed his belief in Russia’s victory in the “holy war.”

On October 7, Vladimir Putin turned 74.

This was reported with reference to Russian media.

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