Conversations about Important Things

Conversations about Important Things (Russian: Разговоры о важном, romanized: Razgovory o vazhnom, lit. 'Conversations about that which is important'), or Important Conversations for short, is a name for a series of compulsory school lessons in Russia that covers various topics from the Russian government's perspective, such as national identity, public holidays, and world events. Important Conversations lessons take place every Monday morning during the school year, following the flag-raising ceremony. Important Conversations was developed by the Institute for Education Development Strategy, on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Education, and was part of a 17-year long effort by the Russian government to introduce "patriotic education" to schools in Russia. The first Important Conversations lessons took place nationwide on 5 September 2022, and are generally considered to be part of the Russian government's information war in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian war since 2022, which they call a "special military operation". The Russian government has defended Important Conversations, claiming that it promotes "national unity, patriotism and traditional values". However, many teachers and parents have resisted the initiative as an attempt by the Russian government to introduce political propaganda and militarism into the education system. In response, teachers and students (along with their parents) have faced reprisals for not participating in Important Conversations lessons, in the context of the ongoing crackdown on protests against the invasion.