Twitter Users Roast Russia's Ministry Of Enlightenment For Its Name And Livestreamed Propaganda

Russia’s Ministry of Education livestreamed a lesson today for children in Russia explaining their government’s reasons for invading Ukraine. The name of the Russian Education Ministry, translated literally into English, is the "Ministry of Enlightenment," and people online had a field day with the very dystopian vibe that name gives off by posting reaction and memes en masse.

⚡️Russia's Ministry of Enlightenment announced it will stream an ‘All-Russian Open Lesson’ on why “the liberation mission in Ukraine is a necessity” on Mar. 3 at 12 p.m. Moscow time.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 3, 2022

Russia's Ministry of Enlightenment (no joke) is going to tell kids "why the liberation mission in Ukraine is a necessity, what danger NATO is posing for Russia, and why Russia took the path of defending peaceful population of DNR and LNR".Also in the pack: telling lie from truth. pic.twitter.com/zpROQtxzvy

— Sergey Utkin (@usv1980) March 2, 2022

About to start: the Russian education ministry's Russia-wide "online lesson" about "why the liberation mission in Ukraine was necessary."

The version I'm watching is on the Ministry's page on VKontakte, the Russian Facebook clone. Not sure if it's also streaming elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/2EfysHwDxA

— Ilya Lozovsky (@ichbinilya) March 3, 2022

Responses to an initial tweet by the @KyivIndependent, a Ukrainian newspaper, included tweets comparing Russia’s Ministry of Enlightenment to Nazi Germany’s Ministry of Enlightenment, which similarly produced propaganda supporting the Holocaust and the Nazi war effort.

I gasped at Russia actually having a "ministry of enlightenment" just to google it and… what a homage, vlad, holy shit. pic.twitter.com/JkmJFy9Gwd

— leonardo de araujo 🌻 (@leocura_) March 3, 2022

Other users posted curses against Vladimir Putin and the Russian military, as well as reaction image memes.

Curse for Putin: Om Kreem Kreem Kreem Kalikei, Kleem Kleem Kleem,Sarva Shatrunam Praharaya Bhanjaya Maaraya Visfotaya;Kleem Kleem Kleem Kreem Kreem Kreem Phat.Vladimir Putin Maaraya Maaraya, Russian Military Naashaya Naashaya,Belarus Military Naashaya Naashaya. Hoom Phat Swaha. pic.twitter.com/N7eMxRl94F

— Son of Kāli Mata – The Divine Mother & Protector. (@24k_sungold) March 3, 2022

“Russia's Ministry of Enlightenment” – isn’t that an oxymoron? pic.twitter.com/gpbRRPo9Yp

— AmbitiousBlackWoman💛🇨🇮🇫🇷🇺🇸 (@APDeniseW) March 3, 2022

Other common reactions compared the name “Ministry of Enlightenment” to the names George Orwell gave government ministries in his dystopian novel 1984, while some readers compared the “Ministry of Enlightenment” to what they’d read in the Harry Potter series, and were mocked for it.

“Ministry of Enlightenment”
That is some next level Cold War holdover evil bureaucratic agency bullshit right there. https://t.co/mT1EHH29Vm

— Da’ Chris Smitty ⚡️🔔 (@oddinsights_tcs) March 3, 2022

Ministry of Enlightenment?

Did they get their government design straight out of 1984? https://t.co/uEdNVtytra

— John Mark Taylor 🇺🇦 (@prairiecentrist) March 3, 2022

Pro-tip: If you just heard about Russia’s “Ministry of Enlightenment” putting on a live class for children about how the war is completely justified and your first thought is that sounds like something from Harry Potter – you might wanna read some other books. Seeing this a lot.

— Chris King (@originalcvk) March 3, 2022

While the level of public opposition or support for the war among Russians is difficult to gauge, the Ministry of Enlightenment’s live lesson shows the Russian government is certainly concerned about shaping the narrative Russian children consume. Sanctions have already hit everyday Russians particularly hard, leading to high inflation, a run on banks and a decrease in the availability of many products. There have also been thousands of arrests of street protestors, and some celebrities and oligarchs have even spoken out against the war.

As the war continues, so do the attempts of various governments to control its narrative and convince both their own citizens and those living abroad of a particular version of events. Whether the Russian government will be successful in this latest effort to “enlighten” its citizens remains an open question.

Is the ministry of enlightenment partners with the ministry of funny walks? pic.twitter.com/l6WdkaJqJ0

— Jason Semerko (@Semerko1) March 3, 2022