Russia Introduces September Reforms: New School Curricula, Digital Ruble, and Animal Registration

In September, Russian schools will begin teaching high‑schoolers a social‑studies textbook edited by Medvedev and fifth‑graders a new “Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia” course. Some schools will add Arabic as a second foreign language and introduce behavior grades for students in grades two through eight, though adoption will vary. Adults gain new financial tools: the digital ruble, limited legal cryptocurrency purchases, and a self‑ban from gambling via the Gosuslugi portal. Families with more than one child may receive a mortgage‑payment holiday, and workers can now clock up to 240 overtime hours annually, double the former cap. Farmers keeping more than ten chickens, ostriches, or even a single deer or camel must register the animals.