Schoolchildren in Siberia are now required to stand and sing the Russian national anthem during morning assembly under a new decree.
Aisen Nikolayev, the head of the republic of Sakha, signed the decree Wednesday as part of a regional initiative aimed at turning each student into "a patriot who is ready to learn and work in the interests of his family, society and country." While Russian law only requires schools to play the national anthem once at the start of the school year, some regions require schools to do it more often.
Starting Thursday, all schools in the region will be required to perform the Russian national anthem every day before classes begin.
Video published online shows Nikolayev joining dozens of children at a local school gymnasium as they sing the anthem with their right hands over their hearts during morning assembly.
The practice is similar to one seen in the United States where children stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each day.
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