Children in Russia started school today. It’s probably a huge headache for many parents.

In Russia, everyone starts school on the first of September.

I did — thirty-six years ago.

This year is different for obvious reasons.

My Mom is a teacher though in recent years she mostly worked as a private tutor. My stepfather worked at a school for many years, in an administrative function. They both left Russia after the war started but of course, they communicate — cautiously, for the most part, to avoid any heated arguments — with their ex-colleagues, friends, and relatives in Russia. Check out this picture that my stepfather received from his school back in the spring:

You see the guy in the Z t-shit? Z is Russia’s pro-war symbol. Not sure what marketing “genius” came up with the idea to use this non-Cyrillic letter to glorify the war but Z is the symbol of Russia’s glory to many Russians. The Z guy is a fairly young teacher, my age — in his forties.

Over the summer, during the school break, the Russian schooling system certainly had enough time to prepare for the new school year, to enrich the curriculum with propaganda.