"They jailed them, but not everyone." A Gus-Khrustalny district teacher fired for his anti-war stance has no plans to leave Russia.
Doctor of philosophical science Vladimir Volkov, dismissed from two schools near Gus-Khrustalny, пgot dressed plans for life with the publication of "Tenet".
In the fall of 2022, Volkova, despite the shortage of teachers in rural schools, уwilled from two rural schools. He was required to resign voluntarily following complaints from parents: Volkov had spoken to sixth-graders about his views on Putin and the military actions in Ukraine. He was accused of "corrupting the youth."
"I've spent my entire adult life teaching at universities, writing articles and books. Now I teach online. It's pretty hard to fire me from the internet. Only if you throw me in jail. But even there, I'm sometimes offered work that requires internet access. I always express my opinions openly. I've never been shy about speaking and writing about what I think."
I don't fear reprisals—I've been through thick and thin in my long life. I know no one is waiting for me with open arms abroad; I have no relatives there, nor any close friends. But here, even if I can make even a few dozen or hundreds of people doubt and reflect, I'll consider my mission accomplished. It means my hard work on this earth wasn't in vain.
Don't think that all the oppositionists in Russia have been jailed. They have, but not all of them. Frankly, I enjoy walking on thin ice, when every step could be your last. And you never know when you'll fall.
Immediately after his dismissal, he recounted a similar incident several decades ago: he was fired from the teacher training institute for leaving the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and deciding to form his own party. Back then, he was also charged with "corrupting the youth."
Photo: Tenet
