“There’s already a top-down infrastructure: there's a General Staff in Moscow, regional headquarters, municipal headquarters, and Youth Army detachments in every school.” Colonel Sergety Olubez, the Head of Youth Army in Vologda, explains the complicated infrastructure underpinning Russia’s powerful and steadily rising patriotic movement. The Youth Army accepts children from 8-18, and teaches them skills preparing for warfare. The Ministry of Defence Budget for 2024-6 granted the Youth Army 9 million dollars. The Patriotic Educational Centre is run by people from Russia’s armed forces, inculcating discipline, patriotism, and order. Ksenia, 15, is a member of the Golubev family and wants to become a war correspondent. A safe choice, given that “in the long history of Russia, there's only been 300 years when we’ve not been at war. No matter what, there will be armed conflicts”, she explains. 15-year old Valia wants to report on the Kremlin. Does she think they will have the same president? “Of course. We don’t want anyone else”.