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Russia has a 'Ministry of Enlightenment' and people can't believe it

Russia has a 'Ministry of Enlightenment' and people can't believe it
Russian independent TV boss flees Moscow over media crackdown
Independent

Russia has a 'Ministry of Enlightenment' and it is as dystopian as it sounds.

The ministry is basically the country's answer to the ministry of education and the Kyiv Independent today drew people's attention to its existence when it revealed something the ministry is planning today.

On Facebook, the ministry announced it is holding a virtual lesson for children to explain why the war on Ukraine is necessary and about the "danger" of Nato today.

The post also said it would teach children how to "distinguish the truth from lies in the huge stream of information, photos and videos" that flood the internet.

As news of the department and its plans spread online, people reacted with bafflement and concern. People also rightly pointed out that one Adolf Hitler had his own 'Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda' which was responsible for controlling the content of the press, literature, visual arts, film, theater, music and radio in Nazi Germany.

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Here's a taste of what people made of the 'ministry':

The war in Ukraine has entered its second week with the UN estimating that one million refugees have fled the country. Ukraine also reports that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the conflict began.

While Russia might like to claim Nato is the aggressor and it is standing up for its rights in Ukraine, the reality is quite different and that was clear when only four countries sided with the UN at a meeting yesterday

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.

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