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From obscurity to projectors: Putin has given a turn in communication in one year about his ‘special operation’ in Ukraine, that is, the invasion of that country by the Russian army and the bloody war that is taking place on February 24 the first anniversary. This week will be a holiday in Russia, from the 22nd to the 26th, and numerous events around the army and the homeland will be organized throughout the country.
By Anissa El Jabri, RFI Moscow correspondent
For a long time, Russian television ostensibly ignored the Russian offensive in Ukraine. The change in strategy is obvious: the authorities are taking pains to refine the script with which they are going to celebrate the first anniversary of what the Kremlin calls a “special operation”, in reality, the invasion of Ukraine a year ago with 200,000 troops that has left thousands dead.
Meetings with parliamentarians were held last week to discuss Putin’s speech this Wednesday before the Duma, which will be broadcast on all the country’s television stations. A concert is also scheduled for that day at the mythical Luzhniki stadium.
The content of the concert in that legendary stadium, with the presence of the president, remains a mystery.
That stadium was where the annexation of Crimea was celebrated. There Putin declared last March: “The Russians will spit on scum and traitors like a mosquito that has landed in their mouths.” The Russian president was referring to opponents of his decision to send soldiers to Ukraine.
For his part, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, declared on Sunday: “The special operation affects our lives and the lives of the entire continent.”
The Russians expect a cascade of decisions in the coming days. In any case, parliamentarians have been asked to be available to legislate.
Little by little, the government is advancing in the mobilization of minds. Since the beginning of the school year, all schools have been running what are known here as “conversations about what’s important”, that is, courses on history and patriotism. The Ministry of Education said on Sunday that it is “working” on a format for parents.