The Politics of the Class of 2025

In 2025, a new group of students will graduate from high school. Kholod spoke with a queer student of the class of 2025 to reflect on her upbringing in a Russia characterized by its crackdown on dissent and what the future looks like for teenaged Russians.

Daria, whose name was changed for this story, said she remembers when the famous dissident Alexey Navalny was arrested – she was in seventh grade. Fellow students in her Moscow school debated: some protested his arrest, others defended it. But, Daria thought, "[when] I become an adult, I'll think about it." In her mind, as long as she didn't pay taxes, she had no business getting involved in politics. In Daria's household, the television was only used to watch downloaded movies, never for news. Her family was not connected to politics. Her dad worked in the auto industry and her mom was a stay-at-home parent.

In 2022, the now-17-year-old was confronted with "collective shame, shame for my country, and anxiety for its future and mine." Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine horrified her to the point where she doesn't even remember February and March of 2022. "I needed to know who was right and who was wrong," she said. She quickly understood that Russia was responsible for the war.

Daria met Ukrainians and like-minded queer and anti-war Russians through online groups. She said that she, her friends, and other dissenting Russians have created their own "bubble," where they can talk about the war in Ukraine. But, as soon as she leaves her community, she said she sees a different picture: "I see how teenagers are sometimes supporting violent things, they have conservative views."

In school, Daria's classmates support Putin and are fascinated by the war. Younger students play pretend soldiers. Daria said the boys in her class voluntarily shaved their heads to be ready to join the army when they graduate from high school in the spring.

Her classmates' rhetoric infiltrated her own home. Daria recalled how her brother showed her a TikTok and tried to convince her that in Ukraine there are "evil and terrifying khokhols [a slur for Ukrainians] that needed to be killed." Then, he said that the full-scale invasion was a war to "defend Donbas." Her whole family intervened to convince Daria's brother that he was watching harmful propaganda.

Pro-war views are not just popular among male teens. Daria recalled how a friend with whom she had an interesting discussion about queer literature later posted that she would be attending a concert by the pro-war singer Shaman. Daria doesn't understand how some queer people joined the pro-war side. "How does it all fit in her head?" she asked.

Daria has struggled academically and emotionally since 2022. She stopped studying and started cutting class. She stopped going to her favorite after-school activities. She was even showering less frequently. She struggles to complete household tasks. The Muscovite teen wants to study abroad, but her mental state is impeding the completion of her applications. She believes that she may have depression, but is scared to go to a psychiatrist. She blames the war for her mental health problems.

"Adults expect us to continue to work as usual, studying and preparing for the Unified State Exam," Daria told Kholod. Her parents advised her to focus on her own life. Yet, in school, she must attend "Conversations about Important Things," a class where teachers often bring "war heroes" who fought in Ukraine. "Conversations about Important Things" is tough to skip, as attendance is monitored more than in regular school. Teachers ensure students will pay attention by taking away their cell phones. 

The war has also affected Daria's ability to build a future in Russia as an LGBT person. She can't date openly because of her sexual orientation. She also won't be able to have a family. Daria is even scared of buying an apartment. Therefore, she said, her only option is to leave the country.

Daria considers herself lucky. Her parents have supported her decision to leave Russia. She can discuss politics openly with them. She discusses fictional characters in online chatrooms to distract herself. She has also started writing poems about the war, which she hopes to publish someday. Yet Daria worries for the future of other LGBT kids. According to the teen, when the next generation of queer kids looks for information and affirmation "they will find that it is abnormal, unhealthy, and they will no longer see any representation in Russia."