Anyone can be a hero: the militarization of children in Putin's Russia

Abstract Vladimir Putin's Russia places a great deal of emphasis on the patriotic education of its children and young people, which includes encouraging them to embrace the glorification of war and provide unconditional support for Russia's armed forces. The state's efforts to militarize Russia's youth have accelerated since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and increasingly rely on the appeal of heroism and heroes as role models to engage and inspire young people. War-related heroic behaviours are presented as an attainable ideal for youth that can be developed by participating in a range of exciting activities. This article focuses on the hero-making activities of two state-sponsored patriotic youth groups, the Youth Army and the Victory Volunteers, during the first 100 days following Russia's mass invasion of Ukraine. It draws attention to the embodied and immersive nature of these activities, and especially the emphasis on forging emotional bonds between young people and those who have experienced war. The efforts of the Youth Army and the Victory Volunteers to prepare future generations of Russians to accept the idea of war reveal the state's expectations that it will continue to need a war-supportive society into the foreseeable future.