Russian teachers tricked into wearing tinfoil hats to protect against 'foreign enemies'

A prankster has tricked teachers in Russia into wearing tinfoil hats after posing as an official from Vladimir Putin's party and telling them it would protect them from NATO satellites

Russian teachers have been pictured wearing tinfoil helmets to “protect against foreign enemies” after being pranked.

Vladislav Bokhan, an exiled activist from Belarus caught out the teachers who thought they had been given an official government directive sent to schools in the Voronezh region.

They were told that the tinfoil hats which were “helmets of the fatherland” would “protect against foreign enemies”. Bokhan posed as an official from Vladimir Putin ’s United Russia party calling on the teachers to get involved and send photos and videos of them sporting the hats.

Specifically the tinfoil helmets were supposed to protect them from “hostile radiation from NATO satellites”. And seven schools did take part and can been seen with the aluminium hats which have Russian flags attached.

Bokhan has shared on social media a video along with the message he sent them saying: “Let the helmet that you make with your own hands become a means of protection against foreign enemies of our wonderful country.”

He also stated: "Evil NATO members are planning to irradiate the Russian people physically and biologically. Therefore, our teachers will have to learn to resist this with the help of primitive means of protection, like a tinfoil hat.

"The goal of the master class is to strengthen patriotism, increase awareness and skills of teachers in the field of practical classes in civil defence, the ability to work with improvised materials to make primitive means of protection against the threat of the use of satellite and electronic equipment by NATO, and to develop skills in working with foil."

Bokhan said the reason for the joke was to “measure” the extent of the fascism in the country saying only “a city madman in rags” would believe the hats would protect them. He added: “But in Russia even teachers can believe that - apparently educated and wise people to whom we entrust our children.”

One of the teachers in the Bokhan’s video states: "Making tinfoil hats is not only an interesting and creative activity but also an important patriotic act, symbolising a readiness to defend one's homeland from foreign threats.”

The video which Bokhan uploaded to YouTube and Telegram has gone viral with thousands of views and many commenting with some pointing to how ridiculous it was while others suggested it shows how fearful were the teachers that they carried it out.

“Are they obeying out of stupidity or simile fear?,” said one person and another wrote: “Kinda sad tbh, a profession such as being a teacher falling for this just make my heart hurt a little, a lot of teachers from every country deserve better." (sic). While a further said: "This is the most epic troll I've ever been lucky enough to see. I'm still wiping tears from my eyes."