New "hedgehogs" are being trained: in the Tyumen region, 100 rural teenagers have been recruited for a "military-patriotic" project named after a young man who died in the "SVO"
In the Nizhnetavdinsky district of the Tyumen region there are 100 rural teenagers attracted to the "Hedgehog" project, which was developed by the youth patriotic association "Shield of Russia." The project got grant from the governor of the Tyumen region of 1,5 million rubles.
Training program and career guidance
The project is aimed at in-depth basic military training. According to Project manager Dmitry Shibanov said that "conversations with SVO participants and representatives of law enforcement agencies will introduce a career guidance component to the project."
Program details are given in a message in the VKontakte group of the "Shield of Russia" association:
24-hour forced marches are planned, using the shoreline of our Tavda River to practice tactical maneuvers on the water, learn how to use watercraft, and set up field camps in the waters. Meetings and master classes from combat veterans and security forces are also planned.
Teenagers from Nizhnyaya Tavda, Berezovka and Velizhany will take part in the project.
Origin of the name and ideological basis
The project's title stems from the biography of a native of the Tyumen region who, with no military experience or training, volunteered for the SVO, hiding it from his family. The young man, who took the call sign "Hedgehog," was killed on his second mission.
The organizers call this story “the emotional core and ideological basis of the entire project.”
The context of the militarization of education
The militarization of schools in Russia is in full swing. This academic year, half of the hours allocated to the "Fundamentals of Security" course will be devoted to Basic military training (previously 20%). Students are taught drone control and shooting skills, and are prepared for admission to military academies after graduation—or for contract service with the Ministry of Defense.
"Shield of Russia" positions itself as a "youth-patriotic organization" engaged in "specialized training of citizens for military service."
