American pressures, confrontation with the West, military operation in Ukraine and unprecedented sanctions: the brand new history of Russia invites itself into its schoolbooks from September 1 to explain to the youngest the state’s point of view on this conflict.
Written in about five months, a record time for students in the last year of secondary school, a new history textbook, which covers the period between 1945 and the beginning of the 21st century, was presented Monday, August 7 in Moscow by Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov.
“It is important to make school children understand the objectives” of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, launched in February 2022 and which officially aims to “demilitarize” and “denazify” this former Soviet republic, declared Mr. Kravtsov, during a press conference.
He recently denounced to Vladimir Putin “a real ongoing war against history”, accusing the “enemies of Russia of cynically using the credulity of our children to divide peoples and sow discord”. “The manual disseminates the state’s point of view”, but “in a simpler, more human way” compared to previous school books, said Vladimir Medinsky, adviser to the Russian president, to the press.
With its blue cover on which we see in particular the Kerch bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow, to Russia, “this manual will be available in all schools in the country on September 1”, assured Sergei Kravtsov.
The book particularly praises the Russian military who “saved the peace” in 2014 on the Crimean peninsula, attached to Russia after a referendum not recognized by Kiev and the international community.
And he denounces the sanctions imposed on Russia, including the freezing of its assets abroad in 2022 by Westerners, described as worse than Napoleon. In the 18th month of the Russian operation, it is presented as having consolidated society in Russia, and an important place is given to the exploits of its soldiers, the “heroes”.
“After the end of the special military operation, after our victory, we will complete this manual,” Mr. Kravtsov promised the press.