In Kolomna, fifth-grade students were invited to an interactive event described as a “Lesson in Courage” staged inside a makeshift military hospital. The event was shared on social networks by a staff member of the Youth Center “Selection.”
On November 23, the lesson welcomed schoolchildren from Sosnovy Bor. The culmination of the experience came with a dramatized tour inside an installation titled “The Work of the Kolomna Hospital During the War,” which featured bloody props and severed limbs sourced from AliExpress. The children wore medical uniforms and actively helped the depicted wounded, adding a hands-on element to the learning experience.
During interviews with the publication Rise, the organizers said that the children were prepared and that the interaction was carefully planned. They noted that the students enjoyed dressing up as nurses and doctors and engaging in the role-play. According to the organizers, the exercise allowed the young participants to practice basic medical care, including how to handle bandages and simulate patient care, in a controlled setting that emphasized empathy and teamwork.
One organizer explained that the activity aims to foster early exposure to humanitarian care. The children were encouraged to assist injured figures by applying period-appropriate simple bandages and using safe, non-threatening paint to simulate wounds. They learned to recognize that the scenes are plays and not real blood, with explicit warnings about what lies ahead in the sequence of rooms. The process begins with a laundry area, followed by a convalescent room with beds, and finally a hospital setting. The progression helps the children understand the order of care in a medical facility and the responsibilities of those who work in it. The center representatives observed that the children performed these tasks with enthusiasm, enjoying the opportunity to work with a variety of paints and bandages, and appreciating the chance to role-play medical duties in a historical context.
Throughout the session, the young participants watched a video titled “Let’s Rise” and listened to an audio tour of the “Glory” room, where artifacts brought back from the battles of the Great Patriotic War were on display. The experience provided a tangible link between history and present-day humanitarian action, illustrating how communities remember and honor those who served. The lesson in courage built on previous activities and included a rally-style simulation in another school, previously conducted in Nizhnevartovsk, aimed at reinforcing the same themes of courage, collaboration, and care under pressure. This broader program appears to be part of an ongoing effort to blend historical remembrance with practical, age-appropriate lessons about compassion and civic responsibility, rather than focusing solely on danger or conflict.
Observers noted that the program encourages students to contemplate the ethical dimensions of medical care, the importance of practical first aid, and the dignity of those who suffer in times of war. The simulated hospital environment, while staged, prompted discussions about how medical staff prioritize patients, how volunteers organize supplies, and how families and communities rally to support injured individuals. The event organizers emphasized that the goals extend beyond theatrical presentation; they seek to cultivate a mindset of service and resilience in young people, helping them understand the human aspects of illness and recovery in a safe, supervised space. This approach aligns with broader educational aims to build empathy, memory, and responsible citizenship among youth across the region, and it reflects a growing interest in teaching history through immersive, experiential methods that are suitable for children’s ages and comprehension levels.
In sum, the Kolomna activity and its neighboring programs illustrate a trend toward experiential learning that merges historical awareness with practical skills. By allowing children to participate in carefully supervised demonstrations of care and teamwork, organizers hope to instill confidence, reduce fear of medical environments, and reinforce the value of helping others in times of need. The event series, which also included earlier rally simulations, points to an ongoing commitment to engage young minds in meaningful, hands-on exploration of courage, compassion, and community service, while maintaining a respectful, age-appropriate approach to the sensitivities involved in depicting wartime experiences.