Truth or fake: How children in Khabarovsk were awarded diplomas with Ukrainian symbols

In a Khabarovsk kindergarten in so-called russia, preschoolers were awarded certificates with Ukrainian symbols. The incident was widely reported by the Ukrainian media. 

 It’s the truth.

This curious incident happened on December 8, 2023, when russian kindergarten No.137 played host to a pioneer ball competition, a sports game from the soviet era, its rules akin to volleyball; several kindergartens took part. Certificates and cookies were awarded to the winners.

Outraged parents, discovering Ukrainian symbols on their children’s certificates, began writing insults against the competition organizers on social media. 

On a russian website, one mother recounted her child’s inquiry about the difference in the certificates. She explained to her child that someone had made a mistake, that it was the flag of another country… it happens. The mother decided not to complain, but she did tell the teacher. The school authorities promised to look into the matter.  

“I’m outraged. I’ll hand in this certificate tomorrow. I don’t need this,” she wrote. 

After heated discussions, the local authorities decided to intervene and discovered that the physical education instructor of kindergarten No.122 had downloaded a template of the certificate from the internet, printed it out and brought it to the kindergarten competition.

The template is indeed widespread and is ranked among the top results on Google.

The mayor’s office noted: “This is an unacceptable situation. The certificates have been confiscated, and a thorough investigation has been launched. We will organize conversations and examinations for all educational institution staff to assess their knowledge of russian symbols. These certificates have now been confiscated, and the incident is being investigated.”

Today, the kindergarten administration released a new photo on one of its platforms, showcasing children holding certificates bearing the symbols of the aggressor country. 

Reminder. This isn’t the first time such incidents have occurred. On August 30, 2022, a kindergarten in Chita awarded certificates with Ukrainian symbols to the children during the Mister and Miss Summer 2022 contest. The head and the kindergarten teacher were fired. The organizers of this year’s competition will probably share a similar fate