The unveiling in early October of the “Hello, School” sculpture in Dzerzhinsky, near Moscow, sparked a fresh argument over what society expects a modern teacher to look like. Sculptor Aleksandr Rozhnikov depicted a young female teacher holding a Soviet primer and a phone for a selfie. Online critics objected to the short skirt, visible body contours and the overall image, saying it did not fit the “moral character” expected of a teacher.
“The work was done in a realistic manner. Nothing improper even crossed my mind,” Rozhnikov told Argumenty i Fakty, adding that the project had been approved by the local administration.
The dispute over the monument coincided with a broader debate about teachers’ private boundaries. State Duma deputy Vladislav Davankov told TASS that teachers should enjoy the same rights as other citizens and that swimsuit photos do not destroy the authority of the profession.
In practice, however, social media posts often become grounds for pressure. The article recalls the cases of Yulia Ryvkina, Viktoria Popova and Tatyana Kuvshinnikova, who faced dismissal or refused to return to school after scandals over old photos, a modeling shoot and pictures from winter-swimming competitions. A similar case occurred in 2024 in Tyumen, where a young teacher was fired after posts from her private Telegram channel were leaked.
Sources interviewed by Novaya Gazeta Europe — teaching student Karolina, tutor Kristina Kharitonova and teacher Lyubov — say constant scrutiny drives young specialists away from schools and into private tutoring, although parents and students continue to monitor tutors’ personal pages, appearance and habits there as well.
After a widely discussed video about a pupil’s mother trying to photograph a teacher in a fitness club changing area, lawmakers proposed protecting educators from disciplinary action over matters unrelated to their professional duties. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov later said a commission would be created to defend teachers’ honor and dignity.