Russian parents are reluctant to give their children military-themed toys, which leads to a decrease in demand, despite the fact that most Russian toy stores have a dedicated section and that the Russian army itself is involved in their production, as part of its continuous indoctrination efforts, informs EFE, taken over by Agerpres.
“Parents do not want this negativity for their children. Although we still have military-themed toys, they are much less than last year. There is almost no demand,” a seller at a toy store in central Moscow told EFE on Tuesday.
“People are tired of war”
It is worth noting that the toy shops outside the central area of the Russian capital, an oasis in the face of the worst propaganda, according to EFE, really have more war-related toys.
“Our store was part of a British chain, which was sold when the war started (in Ukraine in 2022); maybe there is a connection,” says another seller at a former Hamleys toy store, now called Toys Pro. The salesman was blunt: “People are tired of war.”
Although toy guns have traditionally been a staple for all generations, the availability of this product in Russia has increased dramatically after 2022.
In Russia, where children receive their gifts on New Year's Eve, toys with which children can build something, often similar to Lego, have become particularly popular. These toys allow children to build modern tanks and even drones, like the ones that fly daily between Russia and Ukraine and have reshaped the landscape of modern warfare.
Thus, following the international sanctions imposed as a result of the war and the departure of Western companies, local and Chinese brands, such as Brick Labs, Igrolend, Bondibon and Mega, took over the market.
However, European companies remain, such as the Dutch firm Sluban, which produces models of military equipment used in the war in Ukraine, such as the Soviet BMD-2 tank, which Sluban sells along with various toy soldiers, including a modern drone operator. Their catalog also includes quadcopter drones, the packaging of which is designed with Russian text specifically for this target audience.
The Russian military also has its own line of toys, including toy guns and other products… for children. On the other hand, reflecting its cultural isolation, Brick Labs launched a line of building blocks based on Russian folklore, featuring characters from traditional tales, such as the witch Baba Iaga and the knight adventurer Bogatîr.
Military instruction for children
Russian authorities actively introduce children to the world of war through various channels. Among the organizations involved are federal agencies such as Iunarmiia (Youth Army), Rosspatriotsentr and the Russian School Movement, which coordinates numerous military education initiatives. Scholarships are also offered by security bodies such as the Rosgvardia Training Committee.
These organizations run sports activities and summer camps that, in reality, teach the basic principles of war. They cover not only first aid, but also how to act in a conflict and how to assemble a Kalashnikov rifle, for example.
The army, which is quite active in Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026, boasted in December that it had trained a total of two million children.
In the Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia, children are forced into schools to join this type of movement, where they are “persuaded” with better canteen meals and higher grades, the BBC previously reported.
Other initiatives, such as Strana Gheroev (Land of Heroes), focus their activities on re-enacting battles and excavating archaeological remains from the Second World War.
As part of this gamification of war, comics about WWII heroes can be found on Strana Gheroev's website. Among these characters is Lyudmila Pavlicenko, depicted with a cross painted in blood on her forehead, which says: “I am 25 years old and I have killed 309 fascist occupiers.”
