Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, addressed students and teachers at a university in Moscow on the eve of the start of the school year. ^[1] Serbian actor Aleksandar Radojicic starred in the Russian sci-fi series 'It's Hard to Be God' at its premiere in Moscow. ^[2] Putin stated that telling children this story helps them understand the world and why Russia conducts the special military operation in Ukraine. ^[3] Putin used a metaphor comparing the invasion of Ukraine to orcas eating bears to explain the military operation to the students. ^[4] The series 'It's Hard to Be God' is considered an ambitious project with a large budget and lavish production, representing a significant breakthrough for Radojicic on the Russian market. ^[5] The series features a cast including Radojicic as the main character, Don Rumata Estorsky, in a story set in a distant future where humans help less developed civilizations. ^[6] The speech occurred in a context of increased military propaganda and recruitment offers at the beginning of the school year in Russia. ^[7] The creators noted that Radojicic passed a very difficult selection process among many candidates and decided to cast him despite initial concerns about a language barrier. ^[8]