This presentation will explore the remilitariation of Russian society through the example of Junarmia (Young Army), a mass youth organization formally established in 2016. From the perspective of military sociology, the armed forces are not only instruments of state power but also mirrors of society, and provide insights into a state’s potential type of armed forces in the coming decade. Junarmia offers an illuminating case study, with members wearing uniforms, training in drill, survival, and firearms use, and participating in patriotic education as well as charitable activities. It recalls the authoritarian youth organizations of the 1930s, signaling a deliberate effort by the Russian state to instill martial values from childhood. At the same time, Junarmia can be interpreted as a response to the civilizational crisis accelerated by the digital revolution and as part of Russia’s pursuit of digital sovereignty, thus embodying global anxieties about resilience, cohesion, and preparedness. Comparisons are drawn with recent initiatives and debates in Western Europe, specifically France and the UK, regarding universal youth service. This possible renaissance of youth militarization and civic service raises more fundamental questions about the relationship between security, governance, and the formation of future generations.

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Maciej Gurtowski holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in sociology from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. His research interests focus on national security, the impact of technology on society and the state, social resilience, and crisis and disaster management. He is currently an expert at the Academic Centre for Strategic Analysis (ACAS) at the War Studies University in Warsaw, a think tank founded by the Ministry of Defense in Poland. In this role, he prepares policy analyses and strategic reports for decision-makers, including governmental institutions. Previously, he worked as an economic security analyst at the National Security Bureau of the Republic of Poland. He is co-author of the methodology for estimating the economic and social costs of corruption, developed for the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland, and also contributed to the design of a community policing initiative that enabled citizens to collaboratively map dangerous areas in their neighborhoods. He further supported governmental efforts to strengthen public preparedness by co-authoring a widely distributed civil defense and civil protection handbook for households. At present, he serves as research project leader of a national research grant entitled “The New Civic Service Model for Poland”, which explores the design of a modern civic service institution.