Nikanor Tolstykh from Vorkutin (far right in the front row) is among the participants in the meeting with President Vladimir Putin. September 1, 2021.
Schoolboy Nikanor Tolstykh, who on Wednesday, September 1, corrected the mistake of Russian President Vladimir Putin at an open lesson as part of the Knowledge Society marathon at the Ocean Children's Center in Vladivostok, one of the best in Vorkuta.
The main curator of the teenager in Vorkuta is considered to be his teacher of Russian language and literature, Elena Groznykh, who considers Nikanor Tolstykh “not just a gifted student.” “This is a child who definitely knows his path in life. I have the impression that he has clearly paved his way, the path to the stars, even through some hardships, but he will achieve his goal,” the publication Moya Vorkuta quotes Elena Groznykh. …
The newspaper notes that Nikanor Tolstykh, an 11-grader at school No. 35 in Vorkuta, participates in all kinds of competitions and gatherings practically on a professional level; in May of this year he won the competition for Cosmonautics Day.
The Vorkuta schoolboy entered into a dialogue with Putin several times: first, Nikanor answered the president's question about the founders of the Far East. The schoolboy introduced himself to the president as a representative of “the Far North itself”, said that he was fond of history, but he knew the history of the Far East “not so good as to speak freely,” while he recalled Erofei Khabarov, the founder of Khabarovsk, as well as captain Nevelskoy.
Then, when Vladimir Putin suggested asking him questions, the Vorkuta schoolboy suggested including interactive QR codes in all history textbooks from the federal list, and adding obligatory debate lessons on a number of topics to the methodological recommendations for history teachers.
When Putin, in conversation about the Northern War, called her Seven Years, the Vorkuta schoolboy again took the microphone and corrected the president, “quickly telling” the children that the Northern War lasted 21 years. Vladimir Putin thanked the student “for the amendment.”
The reaction of the headmaster of school # 35, where Nikanor studies, caused a great resonance. First, Yulia Ryabtseva, in a comment to the telegram channel “Rise”, stated that she considered his act “a certain arrogance” and that the student should not have corrected the president. But then she told “Komsomolskaya Pravda” that her words were distorted and fanned a scandal. “Yes, I am proud of him. But in today's conditions I will not say anything,” – said the headmaster. The Vorkuta schoolboy, who became famous throughout the country, also refrains from making any comments.
