New Russian Schoolbook Seeks to Legitimize Military Action in Ukraine

Moscow authorities have introduced a new educational textbook aimed at rationalizing the war in Ukraine and attributing blame to Western nations for Russia’s predicament. As per extracts disclosed by Russian media, the school material asserts that humanity’s survival was at stake if Vladimir Putin hadn’t initiated his “special military operation” against Ukraine. The textbook, titled “Russian History, 1945 – early 21st century,” was co-written by Vladimir Medinsky, a former Russian culture minister and current presidential adviser.

Notably, this marks the first officially sanctioned history book in Russian schools covering events as recent as the complete invasion of Ukraine, which commenced in February 2022. Beginning September, it will be taught in the final year of Russian secondary education, attended by 17 to 18-year-old students.

The textbook argues that Western powers are dedicated to destabilizing Russia and disseminating “unconcealed Russophobia.” It contends that the West is deliberately dragging Russia into conflicts, with the ultimate goal of dismantling the nation and gaining control over its mineral resources. The book also relies on familiar Kremlin narratives, depicting Ukraine as an aggressive state led by nationalist extremists manipulated by the West to act against Russia.

The textbook distorts historical facts. For instance, it frames Russia’s initial involvement in Ukraine in 2014 as a response to a popular uprising in eastern Donbas, without mentioning Russia’s military involvement in the region. The book cites the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO as a key reason for the full-scale invasion in 2022, suggesting that such an event would have prompted Russia to wage war against the entire NATO alliance, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences.

The textbook also inaccurately claims that Ukraine planned to turn Sevastopol into a NATO base and pursue nuclear weapons. Additionally, it misrepresents the linguistic demographics of Ukraine’s population, asserting that 80% spoke Russian as their mother tongue before 2014, when the actual figure was much lower.

In the context of mounting evidence linking Russian forces to atrocities in Ukraine, the textbook warns students about the proliferation of staged media content and fake imagery. The book critiques Western sanctions against Russia following the invasion, depicting them as efforts to undermine Russia’s economy and wrongly asserting that they violate international law.

Furthermore, the exodus of Western businesses from Russia post-invasion is depicted in a positive light, being characterized as a “fantastic opportunity” for Russian entrepreneurs.

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