"Conversations about important things" on May 18 — topic and program of the lesson

On Monday, May 18, 2026, all schools and colleges in Russia will host the final lesson of this academic year from the series "Conversations about important things". It will be dedicated to the traditional values that form the moral guidelines of a person and the all-Russian civic identity. Izvestia tells about how the lesson will be held in different classes.

"Talking about important things" on May 18 — the topic of the lesson

The final lesson will be devoted to summarizing and analyzing the key meanings that accompanied the students throughout the school year. The lesson on "The values that unite us" will be a logical continuation of previous meetings and summarize the basic moral guidelines underlying Russian society.

The focus will be on the concept of values as an internal guideline that influences a person's choice, behavior, self-determination, and interaction with others. Students will discuss not only material, but also spiritual values — friendship, love, respect, mutual assistance, the desire for development and responsibility for their actions. It is these intangible landmarks that shape a person and make her life meaningful.

Special attention will be paid to the values passed down from generation to generation: a strong family, work, mercy, justice, love for the Motherland, respect for elders and caring for loved ones. Thus, during the conversation, students will be led to the answer to the main question of the lesson: what unites millions of citizens of our country and makes them a united nation, allowing for the sustainable development of the state.

An important part of the lesson will be the addresses of federal speakers — famous figures of culture, science and public life. Valery Gergiev, Director General of the Bolshoi Theatre, People's Artist of Russia, Tatyana Yudenkova, a leading researcher at the State Tretyakov Gallery, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Nina Demesheva, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, and other participants will express their position on the topic.

Each of the speakers will talk about their understanding of values through the prism of service to art, preservation of cultural heritage, patriotism, mercy and protection of the Fatherland. Their performances will allow students to see the practical implementation of these values in professional and social activities.

The lesson will also include interactive tasks, watching thematic videos and working with presentation materials. The recommended duration of the lesson is 30 minutes. Methodological materials and recommendations can be found on the project's website.

Putin said the importance of traditional values for Russia

"Conversations about important things" on May 18 — lesson program

For elementary school students (grades 1-4), the lesson will begin with watching a video clip that includes the highlights of the announcements with the participation of young Russian actors over the past academic year. This format will help children to remember previously studied topics and tune in to the discussion. Next, the students and the teacher will talk about the basic concepts of family, friendship, and work, and also turn to the plots of Russian folk tales to understand why even the most difficult tasks became feasible for their characters when they acted together.

For students in grades 5-7, the conversation will become more meaningful and will be based on their personal experience. The main focus will be on the uniqueness of each person's personality, as well as on the role of the family as the first environment in which basic ideas about values are formed. Students will discuss which guidelines help them in their daily lives — in family, school, and socializing with friends — as well as how they manifest themselves in specific actions and decisions. As part of the interactive tasks, they will be asked to identify which qualities contribute to successful teamwork and why it is important to take into account the interests of other people.

Family as a tradition: Putin opened the year of Unity of the peoples of Russia

The head of state said that he unites the citizens of the country

In grades 8-9, the focus of the lesson will shift to issues of informed choice and personal responsibility. Teenagers will discuss how values influence life decisions, the choice of a future profession and the formation of attitudes towards society. As part of the lesson, video materials and case studies will be used, the characters of which face difficult moral choices, which will allow students to better understand the topic. Special attention will be paid to the importance of labor as one of the basic values and its role in the development of the country.

High school and college students will work with more complex concepts. During the lesson, they will discuss how values are formed in the modern world, what role traditions play in this process, and how to maintain a balance between a person's individuality and public interests. The use of video materials and discussion tasks will allow for a deeper understanding of the importance of civic responsibility, respect for cultural heritage and willingness to work together.

"Conversations about important things" on May 18 — about the project

"Conversations about important things" is a series of extracurricular activities dedicated to the history, culture and geography of Russia, as well as topical topics from the daily life of schoolchildren. The project was launched by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in 2022 and has since become part of the educational program.

Classes are held every Monday in all schools and colleges in the country. Their task is not only to broaden the horizons of students, but also to form a civic position, respect for traditions and understanding of key values.

The previous lesson took place on May 4 on the eve of Victory Day and was dedicated to songs about the war. During the lesson, students got acquainted with the history of military songs, discussed their significance and role in preserving the historical memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War.