Students made to wait in freezing cold for anthem ceremony
The principal of a gymnasium in Mulino village, Volodarsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Region, did not allow late students into the building during a lineup with anthem performance, leaving them in temperatures as low as -24°C (-11°F).
Feb 22, 2026 0
Schoolchildren were forced to wait outside in extreme cold during a morning ceremony.
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Students of Gymnasium No. 1 in the village of Mulino complained about the actions of principal Oksana Andronik. According to them, on a day when the air temperature dropped to -24°C (-11°F), and it felt even colder, about 20 late students were forced to wait outside for the end of the morning lineup for about ten minutes.
‘After yesterday, I didn«t go to school at all because I got sick: I have a fever and a sore throat. And another girl from my class is also sitting with a fever,’ one of the students said. According to him, one of the children suffered frostbite on the face.
Principal Oksana Andronik explained her actions as educational. ‘I am a patriot of my country and respect the anthem of the Russian Federation. I believe that one cannot move during the anthem. So how else to foster love for state symbols in children?’ she stated, noting that, according to her information, the children stood outside for no more than four minutes.
The education department of Volodarsky District did not support this approach and began an official inspection. Explanatory notes were requested from the principal and the duty teacher.
‘Of course, I somewhat disagree, weather conditions must still be taken into account. All sorts of situations happen, especially when it«s so cold. But respecting state symbols is also necessary,’ commented Olga Roguleva, deputy head of the education department.
Minister of Education of Nizhny Novgorod Region Mikhail Puchkov also spoke on the incident, calling such educational methods unacceptable.
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