During the summer of 2024, approximately 250 Russian children embarked on an intriguing journey to North Korea for a 10-day cultural exchange program. Framed as an act of cultural diplomacy, this event is the latest example of Moscow’s growing emphasis on engaging its youth in state-sponsored initiatives. These programs are designed to foster nationalism, loyalty, and a strong sense of patriotism, aligned with the Kremlin’s geopolitical goals.
The event is part of a youth exchange program that began in 2022, where Russian children, chosen through a competitive essay process, are given the opportunity to visit North Korea. The topics they are required to write about—Russia’s role in a multipolar world, North Korean culture, or stories they would like to share with their North Korean peers—reflect the broader narratives the Kremlin has been cultivating, particularly since the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
This North Korean exchange is only one facet of a broader, multi-million-dollar effort by the Russian state to instill patriotic values in its younger generations. Under President Vladimir Putin, the Russian government has launched myriad youth organizations, reformed school curricula, and promoted military-centered activities, all with the aim of shaping Russia’s future generations into loyal citizens and defenders of the state.
The exchange program between Russian and North Korean youth comes at a time when relations between Moscow and Pyongyang are at their closest in decades. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has sought to strengthen ties with anti-Western nations, including North Korea, in part to secure alternative sources of ammunition and military supplies. The alliance is mutually beneficial: Russia gains a strategic partner, while North Korea finds an ally on the global stage.
The cultural exchange was facilitated by the Russian youth organization, the Movement of the First, which was established in 2022 at Putin’s direction. Modeled after the Soviet-era Young Pioneers, the organization seeks to engage youth in both civic activities and ideological training. Children participating in the program wrote essays that emphasized Russia’s role in the world or expressed admiration for North Korean culture—a reflection of the geopolitical narratives Moscow has been pushing since the invasion of Ukraine.
Since the war in Ukraine began, Russian nationalism has reached new heights, and a significant portion of that focus has been directed at the country’s youth. The Kremlin has dedicated substantial resources to this effort, with reports suggesting that Russia will spend over US$500 million in 2024 on so-called “patriot projects.” These initiatives focus on two main areas: the creation of Russian nationalist youth groups and the politicization of the nation’s schools.
In creating these organizations, the Russian state has drawn on the nation’s Soviet past, invoking the memory of groups like the Young Pioneers and the Komsomol (Communist Youth League). These groups, once key tools of Soviet ideological indoctrination, are being reimagined to serve Putin’s vision for Russia’s future.
The Movement of the First, established in 2022, is central to Russia’s efforts to shape the political and ideological landscape for young people. Officially endorsed by Putin, this youth group engages children in a wide range of activities, from environmental projects like tree planting to more overtly ideological actions such as writing letters to soldiers fighting in Ukraine. With a membership base growing rapidly, the organization is a key instrument in the Kremlin’s campaign to foster loyalty to the state among the next generation.
The Volunteers of Victory, another prominent youth group, predates the Movement of the First but shares similar goals. Launched in 2015, just after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the group is dedicated to preserving and promoting Russia’s version of history—particularly the country’s military victories. It boasts a membership of 650,000 teenagers, who participate in activities like documenting the stories of war veterans, maintaining military cemeteries, and visiting war memorials. The organization’s focus on celebrating Russia’s military past is a key part of the broader state-sponsored narrative that emphasizes the country’s status as a global military power.
Perhaps the most prominent of Russia’s youth organizations is the Youth Army, which boasts over 1.6 million members. Established in 2016 under the auspices of the Russian Defense Ministry, the group aims to prepare young people for careers in the military. The Youth Army offers hands-on training, including weapons handling, alongside more ideological instruction that emphasizes nationalism and loyalty to the state. By providing children with a sense of belonging and self-actualization through military service, the organization serves as a powerful tool in the Kremlin’s efforts to foster a militarized and patriotic youth.
The Youth Army’s activities underscore the extent to which Russia is attempting to politicize childhood and adolescence. The focus is not just on providing young people with skills that may one day be useful in the military, but also on cultivating a worldview that aligns with the Kremlin’s geopolitical objectives. By promoting military service as a path to social belonging and individual success, the Youth Army helps to ensure that future generations of Russians are primed to support the state and its policies.
In addition to the creation of youth organizations, the Russian state has also sought to exert greater control over the country’s education system. Since 2023, Russian schools have introduced new high school textbooks that reflect Kremlin-approved narratives about history, culture, and Russia’s role in the world. These textbooks glorify Russian nationalism, celebrate the achievements of the Soviet Union, and downplay or omit dark chapters of Russian history, such as the purges and forced labor camps of the Stalin era.
Schools are also implementing programs designed to instill patriotism in even the youngest students. In 2022, Russian schools began holding “Conversations That Matter,” a series of ideologically heavy lessons aimed at shaping young people’s views on Russia’s role in the world and the war in Ukraine. In far-eastern regions of Russia, a new curriculum project known as “The ABC of the Important Matters” has been introduced in kindergartens and elementary schools. This program uses the alphabet to teach young children concepts like “army,” “faith,” “honor,” and “fatherland.”
The Russian government’s efforts to politicize education extend beyond curriculum changes. In some schools, students are encouraged to write letters to soldiers fighting in Ukraine or to participate in patriotic displays, such as forming the letter “Z,” a symbol of the war, with their bodies. Desks featuring images and biographical details of soldiers who have died in the conflict are installed in schools, reinforcing the connection between the Russian military and the values young people are expected to embrace.
Putin’s efforts to foster nationalism and loyalty among Russia’s youth are not without historical precedent. Autocratic leaders throughout history have used youth organizations and education systems to promote their political ideologies. In Mussolini’s Italy, for example, youth groups like the Opera Nazionale Balilla and Figli della Lupa were key tools of the Fascist state. These efforts were echoed in Nazi Germany with organizations like the Hitler Youth, which played a central role in indoctrinating young people into the ideology of the Third Reich.
Russia’s current approach to youth indoctrination, while rooted in the specific historical and cultural context of the country, shares similarities with these past efforts. Some scholars have even described Putin’s brand of nationalism as a uniquely Russian form of fascism, sometimes referred to as “Ruscism.” This term reflects the ways in which Putin’s regime draws on elements of Soviet authoritarianism while adapting them to the political and geopolitical realities of contemporary Russia.
As Russia continues to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape of the 21st century, the Kremlin’s efforts to cultivate nationalism and loyalty among the country’s youth have taken on increasing importance. Through a combination of youth organizations, educational reforms, and state-sponsored patriotic initiatives, Putin’s government is working to ensure that future generations are primed to support the state and its policies. The cultural exchange program with North Korea, which brought 250 Russian children to the isolated country in the summer of 2024, is just one example of the broader trend of state-sponsored nationalism aimed at shaping the political consciousness of Russia’s youth.
By promoting a vision of Russian greatness, military strength, and loyalty to the state, these initiatives reflect Putin’s long-term strategy for ensuring the continuation of his authoritarian regime. As Russia faces mounting challenges on the international stage, including its ongoing conflict with Ukraine and growing tensions with the West, the Kremlin’s focus on shaping the minds of its youngest citizens suggests that the country’s leadership is playing a long game—one in which the future of Russia’s youth will play a central role.
