Teachers from Russia's Voronezh Oblast have gone viral after being misled by Belarusian prankster Vladislav Bokhan into crafting tinfoil hats as part of what they believed was a patriotic defence exercise.

Bokhan, posing as an official of the ruling United Russia party, sent detailed hat-making instructions to teachers under the guise of the “Helmet of the Fatherland” workshop, claiming the tinfoil headwear would protect against Nato satellite interference and electronic warfare. Adding to the ruse’s credibility, he used AI to create documents that mimicked official Russian bureaucracy, complete with fabricated warnings about potential consequences for non-compliance.

 

Many teachers in the region took the instructions seriously, with some even involving students in the exercise. Images and videos released by Bokhan on social media showed educators wearing the hats, with some describing the project as a patriotic gesture. One teacher reportedly sought a certificate of participation, while another lauded it as a way to “instil unity and national pride in the face of external threats.”

In response, the Voronezh Education Ministry issued a statement acknowledging the teachers’ “patriotic spirit” while also highlighting their gullibility. Officials urged educators to be cautious about unverified directives.

“Teachers have already been reminded of the rules of information security,” the statement said. 

This is not Bokhan's first success with pranks targeting Russian educational institutions. In 2022, he persuaded a school in Moscow’s Klin district to adopt a slogan resembling Nazi propaganda, substituting the Cyrillic “В” with the Roman “V.” In 2023, he convinced school leaders in Arkhangelsk to post posters proclaiming him a “United Russia hero.”