The Ambiguities of Indoctrination in Russian Universities and Schools

 Russian Analytical Digest (RAD), No. 341: The Ambiguities of Indoctrination in Russian Universities and Schools

Author(s): Ivan Fomin, Julia Khairova, Egor Kozhevnikov, Ella Rossman, Nina Zakharkina-Berezner

Editor(s): Fabian Burkhardt, Vassily Klimentov, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perović, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder

Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)

Issue: 341

Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich; Research Centre for East European Studies (FSO), University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES); Center for Eastern European Studies (CEES), University of Zurich

Publication Year: 2026

This issue examines state ideologisation and its implementation in contemporary Russian education and society. First, Ivan Fomin et al. analyse the “Foundations of Russian Statehood” university course, arguing that Putinism relies on a “thin statism” rather than a coherent doctrine. Next, Ella Rossman explores the strategic incoherence of Russia’s “traditional values” ideology, showing how its ambiguous mix of Orthodox neoconservatism and Soviet legacies struggles with direct youth indoctrination. Finally, Nina Zakharkina-Berezner investigates the militarisation of Russian schools, detailing how some teachers employ adaptive strategies to maintain professional autonomy amid ideological pressure.

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https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/russiananalyticaldigest-341.pdf