March 02, 2026

Children Celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day


Children Celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day
Children participate in a flashmob to celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day.  Russian state media.

February 23 is a major state holiday in Russia: Defender of the Fatherland Day. The celebration focuses on the Russian military and was originally created to commemorate the Red Army’s founding. Today, Defender of the Fatherland Day celebrates both active and retired members of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as those who served in the Soviet military.

This year, several key celebrations included children in the festivities. The Victory Museum in Moscow staged a large patriotic flash mob to support soldiers participating in the Special Military Operation, namely Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

​Over 2,000 schoolchildren and university students formed the group’s core. They sang a militaristic children’s song, “We are United! Invincible!,” as they marched in place in the museum’s grand memorial hall.

​The Victory Museum’s collection focuses on the Second World War, but has expanded its exhibits to include objects from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Visitors can find captured vehicles, which are intended to “create a complete picture of countries’ participation,” meaning those allied with Ukraine. The new exhibit also includes stories of the “heroic deeds,” the story of “Operation Z”, and a section on “faith,” with military priests’ belongings and trophy items taken from Ukrainian churches.

​If visiting the Victory Museum and a flash mob were not enough to rally children into the holiday’s spirit, there was also a special concert of children’s marching bands in Moscow. An assortment of traditional songs was recorded to be sent to lift morale and thank those currently deployed in the war.

​Another group, the Young Army, participated in a large televised concert at the Russian Army Theater. The youth organization, funded by the Russian government, prides itself on training future soldiers. Their performance wrapped up a program that prominently featured the famous Alexandrov Ensemble, which performed classic folk performances, and even a North Korean military song as an expression of friendship.

​Thus, while more somber wreath-laying ceremonies and official addresses were conducted to mark the holiday, it was the youngest and most naive patriots who took center stage.

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