I want to talk about the major changes in my older child after a year of living in Russia

I want to talk about the major changes in my older child after a year of living in Russia. I brought my child back after they finished 7th grade at a gymnasium in Germany, completely dispirited, with no desire to continue studying and no idea what they would do with their life. Naturally, the child was no longer taking part in any Olympiads there, because despite winning Olympiads in 5th–6th grade, they received no fair recognition from their German teachers 🤷‍♀️. What’s more, when they spoke out against LGBT policies in one lesson, a complaint was filed accusing them of “intolerance,” and suddenly they became a terrible student in every subject, even those in which they had won Olympiads.

And now my child came home and said firmly: “I want to choose computer science for my exam, because I want to study in a physics and mathematics program in grades 10–11” 🙏
And they’ve also signed up to take part in three Olympiads, on their own, voluntarily.

I should say that not once during the year did I put pressure on my child. Of course I helped them, since they entered the same grade, and I had many fears that they wouldn’t be able to cope with Russian school at all... but I didn’t pressure them. Besides, I couldn’t even dream that they would want to go into a physics and mathematics program, knowing that they had missed a lot, and that only their own desire could carry them through such a challenging specialized class. 
But my child said: “Don’t worry, Mom, we have great teachers and they’re firmly in my corner 🔥 and I can handle it.”

That’s the story. I’m writing this and feel like crying with happiness, remembering those dull eyes and seeing what’s in front of me now 🙏: a grown man, confident in his abilities, responsible, with a goal in mind and mischievous little sparks in his eyes.