February 13, 2025

Full Immersion in the War


Full Immersion in the War
An interactive exhibit in a school in Nizhny Novgorod. Group in Vkontakte.

Schools across Russia are opening interactive exhibits about Russia’s War on Ukraine, according to the independent publication Verstka. These virtual “museums” immerse children in the conflict by presenting alleged examples of Nazism in Ukraine, predicting the capture of Kharkov, and offering virtual tours of Russian-occupied territories.

The museums were created by a decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the spring of 2023. Initially, the exhibits featured helmets, ammunition, and other artifacts of the war—sometimes even “trophy” items taken from deceased Ukrainian soldiers. More recently, the Nizhny Novgorod-based IT company Digital Space developed a VR component that can be installed on standard computers or integrated with virtual reality headsets and large-screen panels, depending on a school’s budget.

According to Verstka, the online platform includes “2,000 pieces of content” related to the war. The content spans more than 120 thematic sections, soldier testimonials, over 40 immersive 360-degree video segments, and more than 50 models of military equipment.

Before children begin the interactive portion, they are shown video addresses from Putin and presented with materials on alleged Nazism in Ukraine, NATO support, and information warfare. They also see a timeline of the conflict that ends with a segment reading, “Kharkov is a Russian city, the enemy will be defeated,” with “Coming soon” instead of a date.

Students can then take virtual tours of occupied Ukrainian territories. In one example, Verstka said, users view the city of Severodonetsk through a destroyed apartment building, with a tank positioned between entrances. The platform also displays 3D models of weapons, tanks, and aircraft and touts the “benefits” of participating in the war, such as favorable mortgage rates for service members.

After exploring the materials, students are invited to complete a digital “quest” with questions on topics such as why the Russian military withdrew from Zmeiny (Snake) Island, the goals of the war as outlined by Putin, and how to determine reliable sources of information — comparing independent and non-trustworthy outlets such as Meduza with the "reliable" state-run news agency TASS.

Those who answer correctly gain access to an additional “hall” in the virtual museum. There, they can choose a role — soldier, volunteer, or civilian — in a series of “role-playing mini-games.”

According to Verstka, the virtual museums have been installed in 250 schools across 12 regions, stretching from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin. Digital Space employee Andrey Chizhov told the publication that requests for such equipment from schools are “persistent.”

You Might Also Like

Fabricating a Terrorist
  • August 28, 2024

Fabricating a Terrorist

A Ukrainian refugee in Russia received threatening messages from a Telegram account. Then she was arrested for terrorism.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

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.

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