Russian schools to raise the flag every week

THE Russian government will splash out millions on national flags and coats of arms for schools across the country to hold weekly flag-hoisting ceremonies.

A decree by Mikhail Mishustin, the prime minister, to pay almost 1 billion roubles (£14 million) was made public yesterday to boost patriotism among young people in the middle of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s education ministry said it had approved what should become a standard procedure at all schools starting in September to instil patriotism in the midst of a war.

Sergei Kravtsov, Russia’s education minister, told state TV he had signed a decree for “the exact procedure of flaghoisting and setting it in place”.

Mr Kravtsov earlier called flag-hoisting an “important element of education”, saying: “The ceremony helps to instil a sense of patriotism and civic duty in young people.”

At least 11,000 schools in 31 Russian regions will receive identical sets of flags, flag poles and coats of arms this year, Mr Kravtsov said, while all other schools were expected to be fully equipped by the end of next year.

Students will be expected to raise the national flag every Monday.

Nationalist figures have urged the government in recent years to make flag-hoisting obligatory at Russian schools, citing the example of public displays of patriotism at schools in the United States.

The idea was first floated at a government meeting in April and President Putin immediately gave his approval, saying it was “the right thing to do”.