Russian propaganda about annexed peninsula uses religion

One of the ways to influence the immature consciousness of children in the annexed region of the Crimea is to involve priests in the process of identity change, Iryna Sedova claims in her article for ZN.UA. As an example, the author cites cadets of the Cossack classes in Crimea who take the oath with the involvement of priests of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Besides, the oath of Simferopol gymnasium No.10 contains the oath of allegiance to the Russian Federation. Thus, in the minds of Crimean children, religion and Russian identity are linked together.

The Russian military propaganda is being linked to religion by glorifying Russian Admiral Fyodor Ushakov as a Saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church glorified him among the saints in 2001. After that, the parishioners of the Russian Church began to worship Ushakov. In addition, Russian propaganda uses this technique to glorify the Russian army, calling Ushakov the ancestor of the Russian black sea fleet.

"If the child comes from a religious family, then we can also talk about authority, only in the religious world. If they were told, for example, that Admiral Ushakov is a Saint, then the child will have no reason to doubt it," the author of the article quotes psycholinguist Yulia Krylova-Grek.