MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine
The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Similar articles

Russia under Putin: Small child solemnly swears to prosecute her mother if requiredMove to criminalize protest over political and religious persecution in Russia and occupied Ukraine as ‘justification of extremism’UN commission confirms Russian systematic use of torture and points to evidence of incitement to genocide in Ukraine Occupied Donbas residents ask Russia why it 'liberated' them from food and water Prominent Crimean Tatar journalist 'sentenced' by Russian court to 6 years for Facebook post about saving Oleh Sentsov's lifeMoscow claims it invaded 'in self-defence’ at UN Court heaing into Ukraine’s first Genocide Case against Russia Mariupol residents whose apartments Russia bombed left homeless as new buildings sold to Russians FSB in occupied Melitopol threaten to send children to Russia if parents don’t agree to their indoctrinationUkrainians in occupied territory forced at gunpoint to vote for fake candidates in Russia's pseudo-election Jan Rachinsky, chairman of the International ‘Memorial’ Society Russia makes repeating lies about its war against Ukraine mandatory in all schools, including on occupied territory Shelling of civilians: The T4P Initiative has prepared a submission to the International Criminal Court. Press ReleaseCrimean imprisoned for ‘discrediting Russia’s army’ and its war crimes in Ukraine on social media 60 thousand Ukrainians forcibly mobilized to fight Russia’s war against Ukraine Ukraine ‘began the war against Russia’ in Moscow’s official school history textbook Russian propaganda uses Nazi argument for seizing Ukrainian territory and claims barbaric attack was ‘revenge for fake ‘Odesa massacre’Ukrainian children in occupied Crimea will be forced to learn how to ‘defend’ Russia in its war against UkraineUkrainian priest stripped, detained and persecuted for praying for Ukraine and refusing to collaborate with the Russian invaders UNESCO and journalist union ‘deplore death’ of a propagandist engaged in Russia’s war against Ukraine Russia fabricates idiotic language motive for first trial and likely huge sentence against Ukrainian PoW
• Topics / News from the CIS countries

Russian children sing of their readiness to die if called upon by Putin

15.11.2017   
Halya Coynash
A ruling party MP in Russia has produced a video clip in which children enthusiastically sing of their willingness to ‘fight the final battle” for ‘Uncle Vova’, otherwise known as President Vladimir Putin. They also promise not only to hold on to Crimea which Russia has illegally annexed, but also to reclaim Alaska

A ruling party MP in Russia has produced a video clip in which children enthusiastically sing of their willingness to ‘fight the final battle” for ‘Uncle Vova’, otherwise known as President Vladimir Putin.  They also promise not only to hold on to Crimea which Russia has illegally annexed, but also to reclaim Alaska.  While seemingly the initiative of Anna Kuvychko, a new United Russia MP doubtless eager to demonstrate her loyalty, this is not the first such video where children in uniform are used for unadulterated propaganda.

The clip has Kuvychko singing together with young police cadets, some under 10, from School No. 44 in Volgograd.  The words and music are by Viacheslav Antonov, who is apparently a taxi driver from the Moscow region.  His rendition, together with his young son, also has the lad leaping in to tell ‘Uncle Vova, we’re with you”.

Kuvychko has embellished her clip with images from abroad, clearly intended to demonstrate the chaos reigning there, and the country ‘deprived of a President’. All of this is, of course, in contrast to the children singing together in the studio or against a background of historical sites, including Mamaev Kurgan and the memorial complex marking the pivotal Battle of Stalingrad during WWII. 

The words in the refrain about the world being tired of wars, especially sung by children, are reminiscent of Soviet propaganda songs, like “Do Russians want war?”  There is, however, a fundamental difference.  In that Soviet song, the children were there to reflect childlike innocence, a world in which, as the small child sang, there should “always be the Sun, Mama and me”.  Here the children sing that while peace would be good, “if the Chief Commander calls us to the last battle, we’re with you, Uncle Vova”.  If the children themselves only dimly understand what that ‘last battle’ suggests, what about their parents?

Some of the words of this “patriotic composition” are positively menacing:

“Our Sevastopol and Crimea we will retain for our descendants,

And return Alaska to the hearth of the homeland”.

By no means all view this as disturbing.  The report from the local publication bloknot-volgograd.ru, quoted under the video clip, is basically glowing.

“The text of the song talks about difficult diplomatic relations on the international arena in which Russia is proving unwavering and is determinedly upholding its own vector of development, despite pressure. Moreover, the children, inspired by the example of Crimea, hope for the reunification [sic] of other originally Russian territories. “Now they have other challenges before them, no less serious than before.  But they will definitely cope and win,” Kuvychko asserts.”

As mentioned, this is not the first such video.  On September 1, a little girl called Diana solemnly promised Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee that she would shop her mother if that were required by her work.  Bastrykin responded by embracing her and kissing her hand, while young boys a little older than Diana promised that they would make sure that she joined the investigators’ ranks after leaving kindergarten (details here). 

The Crimean Human Rights Group and others have long warned of the dangerous level of militarization in Crimea under Russian occupation, including the use of children.  During official Russian festivities in Sevastopol on the third anniversary of annexation,  there was a choreographed item in which girls sing: “My country, my fate, my dream, my war”.  At that point, other children burst onto the stage waving mock machine guns around, with a culminating point seemingly the girls prancing about with Russian flags.  

In another piece, young girls dance around Russia’s statue glorifying the invader, bleating “thank you” in unison (more details here).

It should be noted that Putin himself clearly has a taste for such demonstrations of adulation normally seen among totalitarian dictators. Children can be heard singing Putin’s praise in his presence here and while it is unclear how many online birthday greetings are real, the Russian media regularly produces sycophantic reports about Putin’s dog, skiing, fishing, etc.

 Share this