Schools across Russia establish “special military operation” museums with VR simulations of war-torn Ukraine, Verstka reports

At least 12 regions in Russia have set up interactive museums in schools dedicated to the so-called “special military operation” museums in schools, where students participate in quizzes about the war in Ukraine and view battle-damaged buildings through VR headsets, according to a report by the independent exiled Russian publication Verstka.

The IT company “Digital Space” («Цифровое пространство»), which previously developed VR simulators for school subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology, was behind the software for these exhibits.

According to Verstka, these “museums” can operate on regular computers, interactive screens, or VR headsets, depending on the school’s resources. The company’s website states that museums dedicated to the “special military operation” have been installed in schools and youth centers across 12 Russian regions, but social media reports and procurement data suggest that their actual number is growing.

Regions with these exhibits include the Leningrad Region, Tatarstan, Orenburg, Kaliningrad, and Sakhalin. In the Vladimir Region, over 100 miles east of Moscow, a mobile version of the museum rotates between different schools, with over 800 visitors using its services in one month, according to a report by local pro-war organization Poiskoviki Vladimirshchiny. The company's representative, Andrey Chizhov, stated that since 2023, the firm has supplied equipment and software to approximately 250 Russian schools.

The “museum’s” exhibits include 3D models of weapons and military equipment, video messages from Vladimir Putin, articles on so-called “Nazism in Ukraine,” and a timeline of the war, which concludes with a slide claiming: “Kharkiv is a Russian city, the enemy will be defeated,” with the date listed as “coming soon,” rather than a specific time.

They also highlight certain “benefits” of taking part in the war — such as reduced interest rates on real estate purchases through Russia’s military mortgage program.

Students can also use VR headsets for 360-degree virtual tours of exhibits such as a war-damaged house in Siverskodonetsk (known as Sievierodonetsk until 2024) and the interior of captured Ukrainian military equipment.

The technology also allows school students to complete interactive quests with questions such as “Why did the Russian army withdraw from Snake Island?” and “Which of the following sources can be considered reliable?” — with the following options: independent outlet Meduza, independent outlet Novaya Gazeta, or state-run TASS (with TASS being implied as the “correct” response).

Meduza and Novaya Gazeta have been highly critical of the Kremlin and have faced severe restrictions in Russia as a result. Meduza has always been an exiled outlet, operating from Latvia since 2014. Novaya Gazeta was originally based in Russia, but after its forced shutdown, some of its journalists launched Novaya Gazeta Europe from exile in Latvia.

Meduza was declared a “foreign agent” in 2021 and an “undesirable organization” in 2023, effectively criminalizing any cooperation with it in Russia. Incidentally, The Insider shares both designations with Meduza, having been declared a “foreign agent” on July 23, 2021, and an “undesirable organization” on July 15, 2022.

Novaya Gazeta’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside Maria Ressa, a journalist from the Philippines, for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.

TASS, meanwhile, is a state-owned news agency. It is fully owned and operated by the Russian government and reports directly to the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, which falls under the authority of the Russian Presidential Administration.

The creation of “special military operation” museums in Russian schools began in the spring of 2023, following a directive from Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Putin ordered that war-related artifacts be transferred to schools across the country for display and that students be educated about the history of the war.