Textbooks Aside, Most Russians Liked History Lessons – Poll

MOSCOW, August 9 (RIA Novosti) – Notwithstanding the political battle about Kremlin-proposed “unified” textbooks on Russia’s turbulent history, almost three-quarters of Russians say they “quite liked” their history teachers, according to a poll released Friday.

In April, President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a unified series of school history textbooks. Some experts and critics said the unified approach to such thorny issues as the rule of Josef Stalin would brainwash young Russians, and feared attempts to whitewash the country’s history.

Seventy-four percent of Russians told the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) that they “mostly liked” their history teachers and the way they taught the subject. Russians aged 18-24 constituted 78 percent of that figure, the poll said.

Only 17 percent of those polled said they “mostly didn’t like” their history lessons at high school.

Asked whether there are specific events in Russia’s history that should be given more attention than others in textbooks, 58 percent said that all events “should be covered equally.” Only 10 percent said that the Great Patriotic War – as the Soviet Union’s participation in World War II from 1941-45 is known in Russia – is worth extra attention.

The poll was conducted on July 20-21 using a nationwide sample of 1,600 adults across 130 residential areas in 42 Russian regions. The statistical margin of error did not exceed 3.4 percent.

In early July, Putin said that the number of history textbooks available in Russia – 65 – is “absolutely unacceptable” for teaching high school students, and said that a “canonical version" was needed.

In late June, the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, said it would consider a bill that would outlaw criticism of the Red Army’s actions during World War II with fines or a prison term of up to five years. The proposed bill is an apparent step to counter politicians and activists in former Soviet and Communist bloc nations who have criticized what they claim are war crimes by the Red Army, such as executions and mistreatment of prisoners of war and civilians, mass deportations and rapes in Eastern Europe, Finland and Germany.