The Young Guard. How teenagers in Belarus are being groomed for a military future disguised as patriotic education

Children’s guidance under the supervision of security officers

“Patriotism”, says Iryna, who brought her daughter Daria, a sixth-grader, to the military-patriotic club Dobliesc' (Valour) in 2021. “A man who goes through army training comes back a completely different person. I don’t think you have to be a man to experience that. Even as a woman or a girl, you can still get a taste of it”.

The school encouraged the family to join the club. “I don’t know how much of it was their [the child’s] motivation, as opposed to that of the parents, in sixth grade. It was suggested that the child required more physical activity”, Iryna recalls. Other parents, whose phone numbers were obtained by the BIC thanks to the Rabochy Rukh initiative, also mentioned the promotion of military-patriotic education clubs at school. We called them, pretending to be the Maladaja Hvardyja secretary collecting feedback. For their safety, the names of the mothers and children have been changed in this article.

Dobliesc', along with 22 other clubs organised under the Ministry of Internal Affairs internal troops units, is part of the miascovy dabraсhynny fond “Maladaja hvardyja” (local charity foundation Young Guard). It was established in May 2024 as part of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s decree on the development of military-patriotic clubs. 

The organisation states on its website that its main tasks are the patriotic education of young people, the preservation of historical memory, and fostering love for the Motherland. The Foundation’s events are attended by Mikalai Karpiankou, the Deputy Interior Minister who dispersed the protests after the 2020 election; Viktar Sheiman, Aleksandr Lukashenko’s closest associate; Ivan Eismant, the chairman of Belteleradiocompany (Bieltelieradyjokampanija, the national state broadcaster); and other high-ranking supporters of the country’s leader.

“After being greeted and given attention, she would say, ‘Now I won’t wash my hands for a week’”, Volha, Maryna’s mother, shared, talking about her daughter’s excitement about the Tsyrkon (Zircon) club in Hrodna and her meetings with “higher authorities”. “She likes watching adults and straining after them”.

Combat weapons for children

We also called the clubs, posing as concerned parents. At Mazyr’s Berkut Club, classes were described as “preparing children for military service”. At the Dobliesc'-Lyelchytsy Club, we were told that teenagers learn to shoot combat weapons, operate drones and storm buildings, as well as dig trenches, all under the guidance of military instructors. “Essentially, these are the subjects and skills they will require for day-to-day activities”, the club representative stated.

We were astonished to learn that teenagers have access to assault weapons. Iryna, the mother of a Dobliesc' student, confirmed this. A Maladaja hvardyja representative initially denied it, but eventually admitted to shooting classes for high school students. “Real boys are always drawn to guns”, he said. 

“We’re teaching them how to be a man”, he described the training scheme succinctly.

The BIC found photos and videos of the Kalashnikov rifle shooting competition on the Foundation’s social media accounts. Siarhei Hrabennikau, the Foundation’s director, instructed the children, saying, “Live fire exercise is a very responsible thing”. We showed the video to Uladzimir Zhyhar, who is involved with the BelPol initiative. The former police officer confirmed that the weapon was live. “This is simply absurd”, Zhyhar emphasised, noting that in the past, it was only possible to touch a combat weapon after undergoing complicated tests.

The parents we’ve spoken to are cool about it. “I don’t see anything wrong with it”, said Aliaksandra, whose child attends the Lazuryt Club in Homel. 

“Russian world” and “pure hearts of patriots”

Ideological education accompanies physical training. In September 2025, a delegation from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, headed by its leader Leonid Pasechnik, visited schoolchildren from the Rys (Lynx) club. The Maladaja hvardyja’s Instagram account refers to the “Luhansk People’s Republic” as “fraternal”, noting that they have “shared heroes, shared history and a shared future”. 

The mothers of the children we spoke to did not oppose such acquaintances. “From what I understand, this is actually great”, said Zhanna, mother of a student at the Lazuryt club in Homel. Even the fighters from “special military operation”, as the war against Ukraine is called in Russia, would not worry her: “Well, what do I care? They are just people”. 

Some teenagers keep details of their patriotic lessons from their parents. “My son doesn’t share much with me. He said, ‘Mom, I can’t…<...> it’s all secret’”, another mother explains. 

The Maladaja Hvardyja Telegram channel broadcasts typical Russian and Belarusian propaganda, such as the idea that the “West’s goal is to invade Belarus”, that the “Baltic States are incubators of evil”, and that Ukraine develops a “cult of war”. The organisation frequently reposts content from STV anchor Ryhor Azaronak, who contrasts “the billions that the West spends on brainwashing” with the “pure hearts of patriots” in Belarus. 

From school to barracks

Membership in such an organisation entitles you to admission to military universities or military faculties at any higher education institution. At the Dobliesc'-Lyelchytsy Club, we were informed that 10 out of 14 graduates from last year have joined law enforcement. 

Natallia from Dobliesc' is one of them. She shares details of her professional journey on Instagram. In the summer of 2024, she posted photos on social media taken in the studios of the state TV channels ONT and STV, alongside the caption: “The President’s young guard has joined the information war”. A year later, she presented her enrolment papers at the military academy.

The Maladaja Hvardyja’s social media accounts are full of stories about alums from other clubs. All the parents we spoke to supported this choice: “Without the help of the Maladaja Hvardyja and the military unit, we will not be able [to enter any other university]. We just don’t have any chances”, said the mother of Daria, a member of Dobliesc'.

According to one of our interlocutors, the clubs prepare children for military life by familiarising them with archaic traditions. “My son says, ‘Mom, there’s hazing there, too’. He says that those who have been attending [the club] for longer are the ones in charge — the captains. Even though other guys are better at physical training and other things”. She immediately added that “he didn’t complain”, though.

The price of patriotism

Our informants, who identified themselves as the “Ciomny ahaniok” initiative, drew our attention to the Maladaja Hvardyja’s financial report for 2024. The Foundation declared sponsorship of just over one million Belarusian rubles ($312,500), of which it spent 724,000 ($223,000). The two largest expenditure items were salaries (308,000 Belarusian rubles, or approximately $95,000) and “sponsorship of military units” (192,000 rubles, or roughly $59,000). Around 300,000 rubles (approximately $92,000) were left unused. [*] [*]

Mikalai Karpiankou, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, is a key figure in the Foundation. He regularly attends Foundation events and lobbies for sponsorship. For example, it was revealed in June 2025 that he had approached JSC «Integral» (AAT "Intehral" - Kiruiuchaia kampaniia kholdyngu Intehral, Belarusian manufacturer of integrated circuits and liquid crystal displays) regarding this matter. 

Another prominent figure in the Maladaja Hvardyja is its leader, Siarhei Hrabennikau. According to CyberPartisans’ data, he served in three military units and now combines his work in the Maladaja Hvardyja with a position in the financial and economic department of the Main Directorate of the Commander of the Interior Ministry’s Internal Troops. Until October 2024, the fund was headed by Ala Verush, who is now an advisor to the Maladaja Hvardyja and a professor at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She is also a former analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, which was founded by Aleksandr Lukashenko.

An Yunarmiya equivalent

Political analyst Aliaksandr Klaskouski, of the Pozirk news agency, noted the similarity between the Maladaja Hvardyja and the Russian organisation Yunarmiya (Young Army Cadets National Movement). “Both regimes are sharing best practices, if you will, and I am being ironic saying ‘best’, in the area of what they call military-patriotic education of the youth”.

According to Klaskouski, the Maladaja Hvardyja represents just one aspect of the complete militarisation of social consciousness. “The main task here is to educate mindless defenders of the regime. Not the homeland, but specifically the regime. On the other hand, I would not overestimate the power of this indoctrination. After all, today’s youth... True, they are interested in holding this machine gun and shooting at targets, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all become little Karpiankous”.

Educator Dzmitry Zitser draws attention to the critical role of parents: “These children don’t usually join these clubs on their own. They have parents. To my great regret, their parents support them in this, or even send them there, which is worse still. This problem is even bigger than these clubs themselves”.

We sent the fond “Maladaja Hvardyja” a request for comment on the above information, but had not received a response by the time of publication.