In Russia, calling Vladimir Putin a thief became an act of defiance, and this short report shows how even children took up the slogan. The film captures young Russians repeating the chant associated with opposition protests, a phrase that spread after anti-corruption investigations and demonstrations accused the president and his circle of enriching themselves at the country’s expense. What is striking is not only the words themselves, but who is saying them, and how casually a slogan of protest had entered everyday life.
The report looks at the mood among a new generation of Russians who grew up entirely under Putin’s rule. Many of them have known no other leader, yet they are questioning the system around them, using social media, street protests and humour to express dissent. The children’s chant is presented as a small but telling sign of that shift: opposition is no longer confined to a small group of activists, but is being voiced by ordinary young people in schools and on the streets.
This clip matters because it shows how political change often starts with language. A single word, repeated by children, can unsettle a government that depends on respect and fear. The film is brief, but it captures a moment when Russia’s official image of unity and loyalty was being challenged from an unexpected direction.