September 10, 2023

Setting a Course for "Statehood"


Setting a Course for "Statehood"
A Russian flag, symbol of the Russian Federation. The Russian Life files.

On September 6, Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the presidential administration presented a new curriculum for a class called "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood." The course would be interdisciplinary and would create "a coordinated system in which Russian youth will live and develop."

According to Russian state news outlet Izvestia, the course is "only the beginning of long-term systematic work" to help the "younger generation" understand the place of "oneself and one's country in the modern world."

While specifics are vague, such as which grades this course will serve and whether this will take the place of an existing school subject, it is clear that the course will be discussion-based and will address subjects such as Russia's values as a civilization, Russia's national interests, and how these interests intersect with those of the West.

This development comes as Russia continues to promote nationalistic themes in its curriculum in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. However, it's unclear how this "Fundamentals" class would fit into existing initiatives like the extracurricular "Conversations About Important Issues."

You Might Also Like

The Wrong Kind of Patriotism
  • November 30, 2022

The Wrong Kind of Patriotism

A student in Karelia was reportedly disciplined for wearing a sweatshirt with an American flag on it.
Patriotism Ed
  • September 20, 2022

Patriotism Ed

New classes are popping up in Russian schools to discuss the invasion of Ukraine.
A Flag that Rocks
  • August 27, 2022

A Flag that Rocks

The governor of Samara Oblast enlisted the help of students to create a 200-foot-long Russian tricolor out of painted stones for Russian Flag Day.
A Patriotic Statement Piece
  • June 30, 2022

A Patriotic Statement Piece

Russian schools have been given a billion rubles to purchase state symbols to decorate their walls.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955