For the 30th anniversary of the Central Election Commission, young Russians were prepared with “fairytale elections”: Baba Yaga or Karabas-Barabas

The primary school electorate at ROV is taught to vote the only way

The compilers of the school elective “Conversations about Important Things” distinguished themselves with an unusually creative approach to celebrating three decades of democratic elections in Russia. For primary school children, they prepared “elections in a fairyland” with the participation of magical candidates: Baba Yaga, Cinderella, Karabas-Barabas, Alice the Fox and Winnie the Pooh. It should be such a cool hour – tied to the fabulousness of electoral expectations.

We are all a little bit of elementary school children. Therefore, the fabulous election scenarios developed by specialists at RAO caused great excitement. After all, the authors not only presented the candidates by name – they provided each with an election platform.

Here Fox Alice addresses voters: “I will build you an ideal city, fields of miracles will be created throughout the country…” Well, just an ideal mayor in reality and his urban utopia. Mortgage roulette and stranglehold on the field of miracles of bank dividends.

Karabas-Barabas is also a candidate from the same opera, that is, a fairy tale. He makes promises almost like Shakespeare: “Life is a big puppet theater, in which each doll has its own place, its own purpose.” Concluding with the promise of “a big stage and a good salary.”

But the candidate Winnie the Pooh speaks as a typical representative of English-language literature and alien values. “I have excellent friends, and in general we are a friendly team: Piglet, smart Owl, Rabbit and that’s all,” Pooh agitates. “I’ll get everything, I’ll come to an agreement with everyone, I’ll do everything for you.” It is clear that our schoolchildren will not choose this, despite the populist “pot of honey and a balloon for every voter.” You’re being naughty, plush Vinny! The Owl and the Rabbit, and almost everyone, are not our friends and are no longer invited to visit. We have our own place and our own bears with sawdust in our heads. Your own correct bees, your own life, which never seemed like honey. There’s nothing to start…

Baba Yaga is already closer. All children are familiar with the powerful old woman, the mother of Russian psychopathy. After all, he will greet you and devour you at the same time. This is the domestic ambivalence that is close and familiar to everyone from the cradle. Charging her not to look at her nose with a hook, Yaga nods to her solid party experience and experience. “I will make Leshy work, and we will have healthy food thanks to a magic stove and a milk river with jelly banks, as well as a gingerbread house and an apple tree.” Here the compilers of the materials, of course, took the Brothers Grimm a little in the wrong direction. But in general, in schools, such food is purchased through tenders, as if Yaga and Leshiy had approved its menu… And then Yaga shouts: “Vote for me, magic in every home!” An excellent election slogan, by the way, there is no shame in using a real Central Election Commission.

And finally, candidate No. 1 on the ROV election list is a busy and successful Cinderella. She is the only candidate calling for unity: “If each of us works and helps others, our lives will become better.” Although it is strange to put such ideas into the mouth of a character who first worked hard for his stepmother, and then entered the royal family. And it stopped working altogether.

But without going into too much detail, Cinderella is, of course, “our president.” “Vote for me, and with our work we will transform our lives: the family hearth should warm every family!” — the fairy’s goddaughter formulates another elective thought, simultaneously falling into the main trend of our not only political, but also social life. The hearth is also visualized: caustic ash, huge smoky vats, endless “women’s duties”, from which only a fairy can save.

But if you still reduce the degree of fun about the “fairy-tale-folklore elections”, many questions arise. For example: why celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Central Election Commission for children who will go to their elections only ten years later? So that they too celebrate a kind of anniversary of election expectations?..

How good is it for children to so obviously put the only right candidate – Cinderella – as number one for developing “freedom of choice in elections”? Children are not fools, but they are not adults either to demonstrate political correctness. They will take it and choose the not recommended from above, but not boring, good friend of Vasilis and Ivanushek – Baba Yaga!

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29117 dated September 19, 2023

Newspaper headline:
Baba Yaga is “for”!