‘Such unique times are rare in history’

Russian authorities unveil new high school history textbook that includes section on war in Ukraine

The Russian authorities have unveiled a new set of general history and Russian history textbooks for 10th and 11th graders. The books were presented at a press conference on Monday by Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov and Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who helped write them along with Anatoly Torkunov, the rector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, as well as Alexander Chubaryan, the research supervisor of the Institute of General History at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In the book for 11th graders, the chapters on history from the 1970s to the 2000s have been completely rewritten, while a new chapter has been added to cover events from 2014 to the present. An entire section is devoted to the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Photos of the section on the war were published by multiple state-run and pro-Kremlin media outlets. Titled “Russia today: The special military operation,” it covers topics such as relations between Russia and the West in the 21st century, “pressure from the U.S.,” “the falsification of history,” and the “rebirth of Nazism.” Among other things, the book says the idea of “destabilizing the situation inside Russia” is the “idée fixe” of Western countries.

The text includes a quote from Vladimir Putin in which he says that Russia launched the “special military operation” in order to “end the hostilities in Ukraine.” It also includes a photo taken in the Kremlin after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s partially occupied territories as well as one of Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, the first Russian to be posthumously named a Hero of Russia.

The textbook also includes descriptions of events happening right now, such as the ongoing withdrawal of Western companies from Russia due to the war. “Such unique times are rare in history. After the withdrawal of foreign companies, many markets are open before you all. That means you have fantastic opportunities for careers in business and for your own startups. Don’t miss this chance. Today’s Russia truly is a land of opportunities,” the book reads.

The new history books will be used in Russian schools starting on September 1, 2023, when the upcoming academic year begins. According to Kravtsov, new history textbooks will be issued for 5th–9th graders next year.