Patriot games: the country hosts "baby parades" of preschool troops

Irina Gratsinskaya

The most grandiose "parade of preschool troops", unfortunately, failed. It was supposed to take place in the Tver region. The Likhoslavl district administration announced in advance on its website a concert with the participation of more than 100 kindergarten children in honor of Victory Day, but suddenly canceled the event when it attracted the attention of journalists and began to be discussed on social networks. The representative of the administration motivated the cancellation of the kindergarten parade by the fact that "the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor were received - to wait for the improvement of the epidemiological situation". According to the deputy head of the district, the event can still take place in June. The announcement says that "teams of little patriots will represent different types of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, along with military equipment made by artisan hands of employees of institutions and parents".

At this procession, children were supposed to portray border guards, tankmen, sailors, infantrymen, paratroopers and other military personnel.

"The infantry troops will demonstrate drill training, perform thematic dances with elements of theatricalization", - the message says. It was expected that this action will be attended by children aged 5-7 years from five kindergartens. The idea of holding the parade belongs to the head of the municipality Natalia Vinogradova.

But in Pyatigorsk, the "baby parade" still took place... More than 500 children took part in it. Slender rows of kindergarten children marched on the square near the Eternal Flame. The parade was hosted by the Head of Pyatigorsk Andrey Skripnik.

“I know that pleasant chores began long before the parade: the participants prepared costumes, rehearsed, tried to do everything creatively, beautifully, conscientiously. And today we see - we succeeded! - noted the mayor. “There are hundreds of young townspeople here, which means that the link between generations is alive and inseparable. This is the first such parade in Pyatigorsk, and it has every chance of becoming another good city tradition".

However, these events have caused controversy in social networks. "The main idea of those who suit... that children wear uniforms is a tribute to the generation that achieved victory. They say that the memory should be immortalized, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren should not forget about it. When an adult puts on a uniform, he can associate with the events that happened, with the memory. When a child does it, he gets used to this role. For a child, form is a militarization of consciousness, which promotes war, says that war is cool", - says Sergey Vaisman, PhD in Psychology.