For the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the work of nursery groups for children under three years old has been resumed in Zaporizhzhia. Today, October 20, the doors opened for the first hundred youngest pupils. This was reported by 'Glavkom' with reference to the secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, Regina Kharchenko.
«100 children went to the nursery today. For the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Zaporizhzhia, we have resumed the work of nursery groups for children under three years old,» – she wrote.
Currently, there are nine kindergartens in the city, where thirteen nursery groups are open. The groups operate with a stay duration of up to three hours. In total, almost 120 preschool educational institutions are currently operating in Zaporizhzhia, of which 30 provide meals and operate full day. The city authorities emphasize that work on restoring preschool education continues.
Romanization of children in temporarily occupied territories
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian authorities have started an active Russification of children even at the level of kindergartens, introducing classes on 'language development', during which children are taught the Russian language and gradually Ukrainian words are being displaced. The goal of such classes is to instill Russian pronunciation in children from an early age and to destroy the signs of Ukrainian identity.
In Zaporizhzhia, after a decrease in military activity, it is possible to restore the everyday life of the city, including the functioning of kindergartens. At the same time, in the occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian authorities are trying to change the linguistic and cultural identity of children through the Russification of the educational process. Children become objects of influence in a military conflict situation, where the preservation of cultural heritage and linguistic identity of the nation becomes crucial.