Russia targets Harry Potter and Minecraft, Seeks to Replace Western Themes with Patriotic Programs

In the wake of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a more extensive underground war of information and disinformation has been brewing underneath.

Sources of entertainment like movies and games are becoming utilized to push one ideology over another to children.

In a recent announcement, Russia’s State Duma has expressed dissatisfaction with using Western-themed entertainment in children’s camps nationwide. The Control Committee head, Oleg Morozov, voiced concerns over the increasing popularity of themes like “Harry Potter” and “Minecraft,” which he claimed do not align with Russia’s national interests. He believes more patriotic alternatives should replace these programs as they promote foreign ideologies.

Calls For Shift in Ideology

Morozov specifically critiqued thematic shifts in camps that incorporate elements from Western entertainment projects. He suggested that children’s camps should distance themselves from such content in favor of promoting “military-patriotic” shifts. These programs would focus on fostering patriotism and national pride among Russia’s youth, drawing on Soviet-era traditions.

Morozov pointed to Soviet-era programs as the ideal model, arguing that Soviet camps successfully instilled discipline, patriotism, and unity values, making them an appropriate foundation for today’s youth programs. He suggested that this shift would be a crucial step in moving away from the influence of Western culture and reinforcing Russia’s traditions.

He also proposed mandatory events in children’s camps centered around patriotic films and games that reflect domestic traditions and values, offering an alternative to Western-centric entertainment like Harry Potter and Minecraft that is currently prevalent.

According to Morozov, the end goal is to nurture a sense of national identity among Russian children by exposing them to content rooted in their culture and historical heritage.

Information War Between Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine is accusing Russia of using video games to spread Russian propaganda. It stated that the country used games like Roblox and Minecraft in recent times by Russia in a bid to bypass sanctions. Russia is also developing domestic games that incorporate Russian traditions to maintain stability.

Minecraft, in particular, has been used to stream YouTube videos in order to bypass restrictions in Russia. This works because since the request for the video originated from a Minecraft server, Google does not limit the bandwidth and hence does not slow it down.