Changes in history textbook published after criticism of Kadyrov

The new textbook on modern history for grade 10, edited by Medinsky-Chubaryan-Torkunov, has been revised. The paragraph dedicated to mass deportations during the war period will be corrected, as reported by the Congress of the Peoples of the Caucasus, citing the Ministry of Education. Mention of specific peoples who were subjected to forced relocation and their “guilt” will be removed from the textbook.

The scandal surrounding paragraph 31 “Front behind the front line” of the newest world history textbook broke out back in September, when it was read in Chechnya.

The text read: “Based on the facts of cooperation with the occupiers of the Karachais, Kalmyks, Chechens, Ingush, Balkars, Crimean Tatars of the State Defense Committee in 1943-1944. decided to liquidate the state formations of these peoples within the USSR and subject them to collective punishment (deportation) – forced relocation to the eastern regions of the country.”

And, although the authors of the textbook further mention the “innocently repressed” who “had to endure many troubles and hardships,” this did not change what was written earlier.

“Thousands of representatives of repressed peoples made a huge contribution to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, fighting on all fronts against the occupiers,” said the speaker of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov. And he noticed that the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, personally ordered to “deal with this textbook.”

And now, a month later, the Congress of the Peoples of the Caucasus reports that the amendments have already been agreed upon. To work on the amendments, a working group was created, which included “representatives of all regions whose peoples were repressed.” As a result, mention of the peoples who suffered from Stalin’s deportation will be removed from the paragraph. And in general it will be remade.

How exactly, they say in a letter from the Ministry of Education, which was sent to the Chairman of the Congress of the Karachay People, Kade Khalkechev. Now the textbook mentions “12 innocently suffered nations.” And the entire paragraph on page 351 looks like this:

“A tragic page in the history of the Second World War was the mass eviction of peoples in 1941–1944, in conditions of proximity to the front and military operations, indiscriminately accused by the State Defense Committee of treason.

12 peoples were subjected to forced relocation (deportation), who lost not only their native land, but also the national-territorial autonomies that most of them had.”

It goes on to say that thousands of people were deported under escort to Siberia and Central Asia. And that together with “individual renegades and traitors” many “innocent people loyal to the Soviet regime” suffered. Including those who fought. The total number of deportation victims is not known.

The textbook that has already been published is the same for the entire high school, in accordance with the new education standards and previously made decisions.

Neither Vladimir Medinsky nor academician Alexander Chubaryan made public statements regarding the upcoming reissue. “The position of the authors” became known again from the words of Magomed Daudov. They say that the authors admitted that “one chapter was taken without changes from previous editions” and are ready to “put it in order.”

Only the third co-author, MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, commented on the situation. At first he said: “Of course, there will be some insertions and changes there.” Because “history continues, it has not stopped in place,” there will be edits “now, and next year, and the year after”… It is interesting that experts previously calculated the costs of reprinting such a textbook: for one million copies – 40 million rubles

“In the textbook… the paragraph about repressed peoples was rewritten,” Torkunov said today. Now specific nations are not mentioned there, but only their number, 12. And it is said that “justice was gradually restored in 1957-2014”…

“Speaking about the new “Medinsky textbooks,” that’s what they are commonly called, for grades 10-11, I can say that the information is given very concisely,” comments history teacher Veniamin Klimov. “For example, the Holocaust is mentioned cursorily, to say the least. There are “Righteous Among the Nations” who saved Jews, but it is not said how many representatives of this people died due to genocide. It is said: “in total” 11 million people (out of 18 million prisoners) died in concentration camps.

There is not a single line mentioned at all about the Roma people, who were subjected to persecution and extermination only on the basis of nationality. Neither the “Nuremberg Laws” nor the Marzahn concentration camp, from where the Roma were later taken to Auschwitz. Even the chapter about this is general: “Holocaust. Concentration camps. Forced labor migration and forced relocations.” I believe that the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma people deserve a separate chapter in the textbook.