logo
The Russian novels brainwashing teens into enlisting

The Russian novels brainwashing teens into enlisting

Telegraph31-05-2025
A new sinister genre of nationalistic fantasy fiction is on the rise in Russia, targeting the country's most impressionable demographic.
Teenagers and young men are being pulled into patriotic fervour by 'Z literature', which delivers a simple message: enlist, fight, and glorify the Russian state.
The books, a reference to the 'Z' symbol used to promote the invasion of Ukraine, have echoes of the heavy handed propaganda of the Soviet Union.
'What the state is trying to do to create a culture in which everyday life is militarised,' Dr Colin Alexander, senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University, told The Telegraph.
'It is normalising the idea that to be a good citizen, a good patriot, a good man, you go and fight in the war, because Russia is surrounded by enemies.'
Z literature books have illustrated covers showing soldiers mid-charge, framed by firestorms, tanks and Russian flags.
They purport a world where Russia is surrounded by enemies, its soldiers the only hope in the face of Nazis, with tales of brotherhood and glory in death as plot lines.
The books are stocked in mainstream bookstores, discussed in Russian media, appear in schools and have even been shared by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the deceased Wagner leader.
'The environment, the culture, is just suffused with this material,' said Ian Garner, assistant professor of totalitarian studies at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw.
'Militarism becomes normalised. And for some young Russians it becomes pretty much all they ever see.'
In the Soviet era, posters and busts of figures such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and heroic workers or soldiers were part of everyday life.
Children were targeted with toys and figurines depicting Red Army soldiers or cosmonauts.
Today, the focus is on shaping teenagers and young people with media, be it in paperback or online.
According to Dr Alexander, Z literature is targeted specifically at young men and teenagers who will soon be the focus of enlistment drives to boost Russia's presence in Ukraine.
He added that the content especially appeals to those who might be disenfranchised and vulnerable to ideologies that promise strength, belonging and a sense of purpose.
In the novel Colonel Nobody, by Alexei Sukonkin, a down-and-out young man changes his life for the better by joining the Wagner Group upon his release from prison where he follows a redemption arc, finding a new sense of brotherhood and ultimately sacrificing his life for the cause.
'There is often a sense of brotherhood, that you can turn into a good citizen, a good patriot, a strong man, a man who can provide for his family, a man who defends the country and the community,' said Dr Garner.
The books often carry the message that Russia is the only country fighting for a better world and that it is completely alone in doing so.
'The message is very clear in these books: Russia is fated to be attacked by outside powers,' said Dr Garner.
Mikhail Mikheev's White Z on the Front Armour follows this theme, with a brutal Russian agent, posing as a liberal journalist, infiltrating Ukraine after the full-scale invasion.
He travels across the country, killing evil characters and delivering one-liners including: 'You wanted Crimea, pigface?'
'The underlying narrative is always that Russia as a state, as a country, has been wrong in the past, and through these heroes, we can rectify Russia's greatness and its destiny,' said Jaroslava Barbieri, a doctoral researcher into Russian foreign policy and post-Soviet affairs at the University of Birmingham.
The characters in are often a mirror image of iconic heroes in Western action films.
Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk reads like a fever-dream rewrite of the 1985 film Commando, where a lone Russian hero, in true Arnold Schwarzenegger style, kills the enemy by the dozen to emerge in glory.
It depicts a world where everyone, including North Korea, has turned against Russia, which is fighting against Nazis in Crimea and ultimately ends the war by seizing the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
In PMC Chersonesus by Andrei Belyanin, a group of heroes undertake a mission to return artefacts and museum treasures to Crimea.
The trio, modelled upon Greek gods Aphrodite, Heracles, and Dionysus, encounter evil figures and even zombie Nazis.
The final mission involves stealing Scythian gold from the Netherlands, referencing real treasures awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts and never returned to Russian-occupied Crimea.
'The most extraordinary aspect of this sub-genre of science fiction is that we have these characters that travel back in time intending to rewrite history,' said Ms Barbieri, commenting on PMC Chersonesus.
'Imagine you've read about these artefacts, and then it will pop up somewhere in the news about cultural items that they claim are Russian.
'In this very subversive way, the sub-genre reinforces broader propaganda, disinformation narratives that will then be amplified through the media landscape.'
The books are part of a larger propaganda ecosystem that includes patriotic education, youth military clubs and pro-war digital content, all aimed at fostering support for the war in Ukraine.
Experts warned that the long-term outcome could be detrimental to ever achieving peace with Russia, as young people are trained to see violence as the answer to conflict.
'It means that Russia can't be liberalised. It can't be democratised overnight,' said Dr Garner.
Ms Barbieri added: 'Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers. The Kremlin isn't trying to appease aggression – it's cultivating it.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zelensky announces new anti-corruption Bill after public outcry and EU criticism
Zelensky announces new anti-corruption Bill after public outcry and EU criticism

BreakingNews.ie

time11 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Zelensky announces new anti-corruption Bill after public outcry and EU criticism

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he is sending a new anti-corruption Bill to Ukraine's Parliament on Thursday, in a further attempt to defuse tensions after he approved changes to corruption laws that brought a public outcry and sharp criticism from the European Union. Opponents of the contentious law passed by politicians and approved by Mr Zelensky earlier this week said that it stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. Advertisement Mr Zelensky said it was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption, though he did not provide examples of Russian meddling. In an abrupt change of course on Thursday, Mr Zelensky unexpectedly said that he had drawn up a new draft Bill on corruption that 'guarantees the real strengthening of the law and order system in Ukraine'. 'The most important thing is real tools, no Russian connections, and the independence of the (watchdogs),' he said in a Telegram post. The declaration appeared to bow to recent pressure that threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leaders after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. Advertisement The protests have not called for Mr Zelensky ousting, but they are the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war began. 'It is important that we maintain unity,' Mr Zelensky said in his post. The announcement also left some questions unanswered. Volodymyr Zelensky attending the parliament session in Kyiv on Thursday (Vadym Sarakhan/AP) Mr Zelensky had said on Wednesday that he met the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies and gave them two weeks to make recommendations on how the graft law could be improved before he presented another Bill to Parliament. It is unclear what becomes of that effort to seek their input. Advertisement Despite that assurance of new legislation, further street protests were scheduled for Thursday evening. The new pronouncement also left unclear whether Mr Zelensky intended to revoke the law that he approved earlier in the week after Parliament had passed it. He did not publicise details about the proposed new law. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war, which began on February 24 2022. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's frontline defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Ukraine is also facing a question mark over whether the United States will provide more military aid and whether European commitments can take up the slack, with no end in sight to the war. Advertisement Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern on Wednesday over the new law, calling it 'a serious step back'. The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticizsed parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and damages trust with international partners. Advertisement People look at a ruined city market following Russia's drone attack in Odesa on Thursday (Michael Shtekel/AP) Meanwhile, two women aged 48 and 59 were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight, authorities said. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a nine-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings, officials said. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said Thursday. An oil depot was hit, officials said, without offering details.

Starmer and Zelensky discuss anti-corruption in call
Starmer and Zelensky discuss anti-corruption in call

The Independent

time12 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Starmer and Zelensky discuss anti-corruption in call

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed the 'importance' of anti-corruption measures after the Ukrainian president faced protests over a controversial piece of legislation. Mr Zelensky said that he raised his plans to ensure 'the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure' with the Prime Minister after his government in Kyiv faced their first major protests since the outbreak of war three years ago. On Thursday the Ukrainian president announced that he would send a new anti-corruption Bill to the country's parliament. Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine earlier this week protesting against legislation that will tighten oversight of two anti-corruption agencies. The two leaders also spoke about sanctions on Russian energy revenues in a call on Thursday, Downing Street said. Giving a read-out of their conversation, a Number 10 spokesperson said that the men 'agreed international partners must continue to ramp up the pressure on Russia'. The spokesperson added: 'The Prime Minister underlined the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine, and the leaders agreed on the importance of the role of independent anti-corruption institutions at the heart of Ukraine's democracy. 'Both leaders underscored that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must come to the negotiation table and agree an unconditional ceasefire to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' Mr Zelensky said that they had a 'very good and substantive conversation' when they talked on Thursday. In a post on X he said that he 'spoke about the preparation of a bill aimed at strengthening the legal system and ensuring the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure'. The Prime Minister 'suggested involving experts who could contribute to long-term cooperation', Mr Zelensky added. Mr Zelensky and Sir Keir spoke in person last month when the Ukrainian leader was hosted by Number 10.

Netherlands with 40 other OSCE countries ask probe into Russia's POW treatment
Netherlands with 40 other OSCE countries ask probe into Russia's POW treatment

Reuters

time13 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Netherlands with 40 other OSCE countries ask probe into Russia's POW treatment

AMSTERDAM, July 24 (Reuters) - The Netherlands and 40 other OSCE member states have formally called for an independent investigation into the alledged torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on social media platform X on Thursday. "By invoking this so-called 'Moscow Mechanism', the Netherlands and partnering countries contribute to truth-finding and accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine", he said, without specifing which other countries had joined the request. The OSCE is an organization of 57 countries that includes former Cold War foes the United States and Russia as well as various countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store