A school history textbook with a chapter on the war in Ukraine has been released

A school history textbook with a chapter on the war in Ukraine has been released

“Sota” publication published photos of the chapter of the new textbook on the history of Russia for 10-11 grades, dedicated to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the preceding events. According to “Sota”, the photo was sent by a teacher from Arkhangelsk, Mikhail Kopitsa.

The textbook repeats many statements of Russian official propaganda related to the war in Ukraine. In particular, the United States and other NATO countries, which allegedly used Ukraine as a “shock fist” aimed at Russia, are subject to sharp criticism.

In January 2022, as stated in the textbook, it was allegedly reported in Moscow that Ukraine, with the support of the West, was preparing for a “full-scale military operation to seize Donbass and Crimea” in March. No proof of these assertions is provided (the Russian authorities did not provide them either). The so-called special military operation, that is, the Russian invasion that began on February 24, is called a “preventive measure.” At the beginning of the operation, as it is said, “the overwhelming superiority of our armed forces in the air and at sea began to show,” and the balance of forces on the battlefield “inexorably shifted in favor of our armed forces.” At the same time, the textbook is silent about specific operations, including the abandonment of Izyum and Kherson by Russian troops. But more pages are devoted to Western sanctions, which, however, it is argued, only strengthened Russia, whose people “rallied in support of their armed forces” and Vladimir Putin.

The chapter ends with slogans from Vyacheslav Molotov’s speech on the day of Germany’s attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941: “Our business is right! The enemy will be defeated! Victory will be with us!”

The authors of the textbook are State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Nikonov (grandson of the aforementioned Molotov) and adviser to the director of the FSO, Sergey Devyatov.

Earlier, another textbook was presented with a chapter on “special military operations” in roughly the same vein. Its authors were the former Minister of Culture (and the head of the Russian delegation at the unsuccessful negotiations with Ukraine) Vladimir Medinsky and rector of MGIMO Anatoly Torkunov.

Back in April 2022, Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov said that history textbooks would be supplemented “including with events related to special operations.” In August, Secretary of the General Council of “United Russia” and vice-speaker of the Soviet Union, Andrey Turchak, announced that Russia would publish a “proper history textbook” that would include chapters on the war in Ukraine.



Original Source Link