Russia’s ongoing military occupation of parts of Ukraine has led to a multifaceted strategy aimed at subjugating Ukrainian society, with education playing a central role in this campaign. According to a recent report by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), the Kremlin is offering substantial financial incentives to Russian teachers, cultural workers, and coaches to work in occupied Ukrainian territories, seeking to reshape the region’s identity and foster allegiance to Moscow’s regime.
The initiative, an extension of Russia’s ‘Zemskyi Uchitel’ (Rural Teacher) program, which originally targeted underserved regions within Russia, has been adapted for use in newly occupied Ukrainian areas. The program’s official launch in 2024 coincided with Russian educators’ arrival as early as 2022, with over 100 teachers relocating to Crimea through the program, as reported by Ukraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights. Most of these teachers came from Russian regions including Krasnodar, Altai Krai, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Saratov, Tyumen, Ivanovo, and the Republic of Udmurtia.
Kateryna Rashevska, a researcher at the Regional Center for Human Rights, emphasized that these teachers often lead courses in Russian language, history, and ‘basics of life safety and defense of the Motherland’ — classes focused on conscription and military training. These educators are also involved in reprogramming Ukrainian children, attempting to raise them as Russian patriots and future members of the Russian armed forces.
In parallel, Russia is exerting pressure on Ukrainian teachers in occupied areas to adopt the Russian curriculum. Those who refuse face severe consequences, as highlighted by Mariia Sulialina of the Ukrainian NGO Almenda. She described how a school principal in Berdiansk was deported for refusing to open the school under Russian standards. Teachers are now required to praise President Vladimir Putin and report ‘extremist behavior’ among students, often defined as pro-Ukrainian views, thereby reinforcing Russian narratives and suppressing Ukrainian identity.
Human rights experts have condemned these efforts as a form of colonization, violating international law, including Article 49 of the Geneva Convention and Article 8 of the Rome Statute. Despite these legal protections, experts like Rashevska have pointed out that the International Criminal Court has not prioritized cases of colonization, even though the federally coordinated programs involving teachers, cultural workers, and coaches create a clear chain of command. She warned that Russia plans to move another 10,000 teachers into occupied areas in 2025, emphasizing the continued threat to Ukraine’s cultural and educational independence.
The broader implications of this strategy extend beyond education, affecting the social fabric of occupied regions. As Russian authorities continue to implement policies that erode Ukrainian identity, the international community faces mounting pressure to address these violations and support Ukraine’s efforts to resist cultural and educational subjugation. The situation underscores the deepening conflict and the complex interplay of military, political, and social forces at play in the region.