A conflict between a Sochi kindergarten and parents has affected regional ministry officials.
A court in Krasnodar has ruled illegal the actions of Krasnodar Krai Ministry of Education officials who ignored violations of parents' rights to freedom of speech and opinion at Sochi's Kindergarten No. 121.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the conflict between parents and the administration of Sochi's Kindergarten No. 121 has been ongoing since the spring of 2025. The parents of the children have repeatedly demanded that a criminal case be opened for child abuse, but law enforcement agencies found no evidence of a crime in the actions of the teacher, who resigned voluntarily. In January, the Sochi administration told parents that psychologists had not identified a "negative emotional-psychological climate in the group," while officials ignored the recording of the child abuse incident.
In March 2025, the mother of a child at a kindergarten in Sochi accidentally filmed a video showing a teacher abusing children. She grabbed one of the girls, shoved her face into a plate, and then passed the food to another child. The video was first posted in a parent chat, then republished by several Telegram channels. More than 100 parents sent a collective complaint to the prosecutor's office, the education department, and the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, demanding that a criminal case be opened, an internal investigation be conducted, and the teacher be banned from working with children. The Kuban prosecutor's office stated that those responsible for the inappropriate treatment of children have been punished, and the psychological climate at Kindergarten No. 121 is normal. Parents believe that the teacher's dismissal and disciplinary action against the kindergarten director are insufficient.
The Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar ruled in favor of Elena Baranetskaya, the mother of a child at Sochi Kindergarten No. 121, in her dispute with the regional Ministry of Education and Science. On April 9, Judge Maria Starikova upheld Baranetskaya's claim in full, finding the inaction of officials who ignored the introduction of "censorship" at the preschool illegal for months.
In response to parental outrage over the teacher's abuse of children, kindergarten director Natalya Lazarenko introduced a local regulation, "Regulations on the Ethics of Communication in Parent Chats." Clause 3.7 of this document effectively introduced censorship: any issues that could "negatively impact the institution's reputation" were permitted to be discussed only in person and only in the presence of the administration.
Elena Baranetskaya considered this a direct violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech, but for six months, the regional Ministry of Education responded to numerous complaints with only formal replies, although the prosecutor's office later filed a protest against this measure, declaring it illegal.
Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Krasnodar Territory failed to appear at the final court hearing on April 9, without providing a reason. Their position was outlined in written objections submitted to the court. The ministry insisted that the kindergarten is a municipal institution, and that it should be overseen by the Sochi mayor's office, not the regional authorities. Officials also claimed they had no right to overturn the kindergarten's local regulations due to its "educational autonomy." They also attempted to dismiss the case on a formality, claiming that Baranetskaya had missed the three-month deadline for appealing their responses and had failed to prove how the "Ethics Regulations" had harmed her son.
Despite the ministry's arguments regarding the "inappropriate defendant," the court found the regional authorities' inaction unlawful. A reasoned decision will be issued within five days, the court office told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
Participants in the trial noted that the court granted Baranetskaya's demands in full. However, Elena Baranetskaya does not rule out that officials will attempt to challenge the verdict on appeal.