July 31, 2023

Forced to Work for the War Industry


Forced to Work for the War Industry
An artist's impression of Shahed 136 drones swarming an airport. Khamenei.ir, Wikipedia Commons

Students of the Alabuga Polytechnic College in Tatarstan are being forced to assemble Iranian Shahed drones. These drones are widely used by Russia to strike Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.

According to journalists, several hundred college students, most between the ages of 15 to 17, are allegedly involved in the assembly of these drones using Iranian components. Many of these students are reportedly subjected to long working hours, including weekends and holidays, leaving them with very little time to focus on their studies.

Furthermore, college management has allegedly imposed restrictions on discussing the drone assembly project. They threaten students with deductions and exorbitant fines of up to two million rubles (approximately $22,000) if they speak out. The students also claim that the security service at Alabuga monitors their communication by checking their phones before they commence work.

"Everyone is afraid. I’m not allowed to say that at all. The management intimidates us very much about this," says one of the students.

These revelations concerning the Alabuga Polytech College point to a larger pattern of concerning practices. The pressure on students at Alabuga Polytechnic is very high; in April, a first-year student committed suicide. According to peers and relatives of the deceased, the student's suicide could have been driven by the fear that their family would have to reimburse the college for unfinished studies.

In addition, journalists discovered that students are compelled to participate in so-called “patriotic actions,” which include digging trenches and paintball sessions simulating battles from the Great Patriotic War. Losing teams are allegedly subjected to being shot with paintball guns. Sergey Alekseyev, a top manager of Alabuga, describes the paintball games as a means to "weed out weaklings at the beginning." 

The situation at Alabuga Polytechnic is not isolated. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, students from various regions of the country have allegedly been forced into “patriotic actions” or recruited to work for military purposes. In 2022, some students were reportedly involved in manufacturing military gear, including clothing, thermal underwear, sleeping bags, and other equipment for the Russian military. During mobilization, students were coerced into distributing summonses.

You Might Also Like

Taken from Home to Belarus
  • July 24, 2023

Taken from Home to Belarus

Children from Russian-annexed Ukraine are being sent to camps in Belarus. Many don't return.
Strangers on a Train
  • July 09, 2023

Strangers on a Train

A Russian journalist recounts a very telling encounter in a train from Tula to Moscow.
Scared and Suspicious
  • July 04, 2023

Scared and Suspicious

Nearly half of Russians distrust official information regarding the war in Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
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.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

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