"They want a different story. But you can only make up a different story"

Chairman of the State Duma Security Committee Irina Yarovaya introduced to the State Duma a new version of the bill providing for up to 5 years in prison for “justifying Nazism.” In accordance with the bill, sanctions are provided for denying the verdict passed by the International Military Tribunal, as well as for denying the activities of the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition countries in maintaining international peace and security during the Second World War. Punishment will also follow for “dissemination of false information about the activities of the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition along with accusations of crimes, including the artificial creation of evidence of accusation.”

For the “rehabilitation of Nazism,” if the law is adopted, those responsible will face a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or imprisonment of up to three years. If the violator used his official position or the media, the fine may increase to 500 thousand rubles, and the term - up to five years.

Historian Nikita Petrov told PublicPost about what awaits the historical community and all Russians if the bill is adopted.

Nikita Petrov, historian, deputy chairman of the Council of the Scientific, Information and Educational Center of the Memorial Society:

“The very wording of the law is so delusional and the very aspirations of its authors are so obscurantist that the consequences of its adoption will be the saddest. To the point that many authors will stop speaking on the historical topic related to the end of the Second World War. Because all the problems associated with coverage war, rests precisely on its end - when the spheres of influence were divided (of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition - editor's note), when the Soviet Union carried out the Sovietization of the countries of Eastern Europe, accompanied by repression and massive violation of human rights. This will be the subject of prosecution with. sides of power.

This law will introduce administration in historical science. Where the truth is revealed in discussions, in research, in the publication of documents. And here it turns out that the publication of documents on this topic will not be welcomed, because a huge number of them, already declassified, really speak about the crimes of the Soviet army, especially the Soviet security agencies, SMERSH, NKVD task forces, crimes that were committed in the Red Army army territories. All this will now be outlawed through the efforts of Deputy Yarovaya. The laws that the Duma passes tarnish Russia, tarnish its reputation as a sane European state. In my opinion, all this is done out of poverty of mind. Several years ago, in 2009, when deputies had already come up with a similar initiative (the author of the first version of the draft law was former State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov - editor's note), Medvedev made a rather cunning move. A commission was created to counter the falsification of history. It was a kind of hardware response: “Here, there is a commission.” Thus, the conversation about such a stupid, retrograde, repressive legislative initiative was closed.

But this commission also did not work, because, of course, it is customary to fight falsifications not with those that are to the detriment of Russia, but with those that are for the glory of Russia. Much more historical falsifications have been made precisely on the basis of praising the Soviet order, the Soviet mentality, the Soviet experience... And there are much fewer falsifications with the aim of denigrating Russia: to denigrate Russia there is no need to resort to falsifications - there are so many facts testifying to the negative and criminal past of the Soviet Union that Yarovaya is not satisfied with this and is trying to shut the mouth of historians by force.

This is also a very interesting symptom. This means that Yarovaya and those who stand behind her are not satisfied with the story itself, which in itself is an already accomplished thing. They want a different story. But we can only make up another story.

So the only way out that remains for them is, on the one hand, to invent a story, and on the other, to prohibit the study of the one that actually exists."