The original Russian-language letter of the Deputy Minister of Education, No. OK-1799/03 of 22 June 2026, reproduced in full with its 27-page annex. It asks the regions to pass three lists on to schools "for use in stocking school libraries with fiction" and in teaching the subjects Literary Reading and Literature. The lists are works included in the federal educational programmes, works recommended for extracurricular reading, and works "of patriotic orientation created by contemporary writers". The letter notes that the third list was first sent on 14 August 2025 (letter No. OK-2287/03). The file has been re-saved with document metadata removed; its content is unaltered.
The third list grades contemporary "patriotic" books by age: 6+ for primary school, 12+ for Years 5 to 9 and 16+ for Years 10 and 11. Its sections run from medieval princes and the "commanders of Holy Rus'" to the Second World War. For Years 5 to 9 and for Years 10 and 11 alike, it ends with a section titled in the Latin-letter "Z" of the war against Ukraine: «Zа наших», "for our guys". The eight books under that heading include Shadows of Donbas: Small Stories of a Big War, Heroes of the SVO: Symbols of Russian Courage, Donbas, the Heart of Russia and an anthology of poems about the war. Elsewhere the lists add books on Sevastopol and Crimea as "Russian", a children's book on how Admiral Ushakov "made the Black Sea Russian", Vladimir Medinsky on the "myths of the USSR" and Zakhar Prilepin. Neither the programme list nor the two reading lists contains a single Ukrainian author: there is no Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka or Franko, and the word "Ukraine" does not appear. Because the letter is about stocking school libraries, these lists also shape what children in occupied schools can find to read.
If the document does not display in your browser, click here to open the PDF directly.
The letter (page 1)
«…список произведений патриотической направленности, созданных современными писателями (был направлен ранее письмом от 14 августа 2025 г. № ОК-2287/03). Просьба довести указанные списки до сведения образовательных организаций для использования в работе при комплектовании школьных библиотек художественной литературой…»
"…a list of works of patriotic orientation created by contemporary writers (sent earlier by letter No. OK-2287/03 of 14 August 2025). Please bring these lists to the attention of educational organisations for use in stocking school libraries with fiction…"
List 3, section «Zа наших» ("For our guys")
| Page | Author and title | Age marking |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | O. Roy, «Тени Донбасса: маленькие истории большой войны. Неотправленные письма» (Shadows of Donbas: Small Stories of a Big War. Unsent Letters) | 12+ (Years 5–9) |
| 28 | M. Fedorov, «Герои СВО. Символы российского мужества» (Heroes of the SVO: Symbols of Russian Courage) | 12+ (Years 5–9) |
| 28 | N. Ivanov, «Суворовец Воевода» (Suvorov Cadet Voevoda) | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
| 28 | O. Izmailov, «Донбасс – сердце России» (Donbas, the Heart of Russia) | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
| 28 | A. Mozhaev, «За чертой» (Beyond the Line) | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
| 28 | V. Povolyaev, «Путь кочевника» (The Nomad's Path) | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
| 28 | T. Rodionova (ed.), «Сборник стихов о СВО — «Поэzия русской зимы»» (A collection of poems about the SVO: "Poetry of the Russian Winter", with the Latin "z" in «Поэzия») | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
| 28 | A. Shorokhov, «Бранная слава» (Martial Glory) | 16+ (Years 10–11) |
Other entries of note
| Page | Entry | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | F. Konyukhov, «Как адмирал Ушаков Чёрное море русским сделал» (How Admiral Ushakov Made the Black Sea Russian), 6+ | List 3, primary school, section "On the great people of Russia". |
| 27 | V. Shigin, «Севастополь. Город русской славы» (Sevastopol: City of Russian Glory), 12+ | List 3, Years 5–9, section "Guarding the Russian land". |
| 28 | A. Shaglanov, «"Севастополь останется русским!" Оборона и освобождение Крыма 1941–1944» ("Sevastopol Will Remain Russian!" The Defence and Liberation of Crimea, 1941–1944), 16+ | List 3, Years 10–11. |
| 28 | V. Medinsky, «Война. Мифы СССР. 1939–1945» (War: Myths of the USSR, 1939–1945), 16+ | List 3, Years 10–11. Medinsky is a presidential aide and co-author of the federal history textbooks. |
| 28 | Z. Prilepin, «Взвод. Офицеры и ополченцы русской литературы» (The Platoon: Officers and Militiamen of Russian Literature), 16+ | List 3, Years 10–11, section "On the great people of Russia". |
| 12 | Z. Prilepin, «Собаки и другие люди» (Dogs and Other People), by choice, Year 11 | List 1, the federal programme list, upper secondary (base level). A footnote says the changes to the upper-secondary lists were made in line with a draft Ministry order approving a new federal standard for upper secondary education. |
| 15 | Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov), «Гибель империи. Российский урок» (The Fall of an Empire: The Russian Lesson), Year 11 | List 1, upper secondary (advanced level). |
Note
A search of the full text finds no work by Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka or Ivan Franko in any of the three lists, and the word "Ukraine" (Украина) does not occur. Nikolai Gogol, a Russian-language writer born in the Poltava region, appears in the programme list.