Mikhail Puchkov commented on the case of abuse at a kindergarten in Gorodets.

      29 November 2025, 10:32 Society

      The Minister of Education and Science of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Mikhail Puchkov, commented on the situation related to parents’ complaints about cruel treatment of children in one of the kindergartens in the town of Gorodets. According to him, the incident that has caused widespread public resonance requires a thorough and objective investigation and is not as straightforward as some sources portray. He wrote about this in MAX.

      Recall that parents told journalists that children returned home with bruises, burns and even fractures, while educators allegedly did not provide necessary assistance. It is also reported that a female teacher may have used rough force and forced children to eat despite individual contraindications. The Investigative Committee of Russia for Nizhny Novgorod Oblast has opened a criminal case under the article on torture, and the prosecutor’s office has begun its own check of compliance with legislation in the provision of educational and upbringing services, as well as the conditions of the children’s stay in the institution.

      Puchkov confirmed that the case of a child’s injury, the photographs of which are circulating on the Internet, did indeed take place. However, he said the matter concerns an incident from 2022, when a child caught his finger in a door due to the educator’s inattention. As a result of an internal investigation at that time, the educator was issued a reprimand, and apologies were offered to the parents of the injured child.

      “Why a three‑year‑old case is being presented as a fresh incident that, it is claimed, ‘became the last straw,’ and who benefits from this remains to be determined,” he noted.

      The minister also added that there had been both complaints against the educator and a collective appeal in her support. He recommended that the teacher apply to the commission for the protection of teachers’ honor and dignity operating under the ministry. Puchkov urged against drawing hasty conclusions based on incomplete information and stressed that the situation is under his personal control.

      In turn, the Ministry of Education and Science of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast told NIA “Nizhny Novgorod” that an unscheduled inspection is being carried out following a parent’s complaint. As part of the investigation, written explanations have been taken from the educator and the head of the preschool institution, and the chronology of events is being established. Appropriate decisions will be made based on the results of the inspection.

      Additionally, earlier a criminal case was opened over abuse of toddlers in one of the kindergartens in Pavlovo.

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