Russia’s Magnificent 20th Century
History in Textbooks
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Russia has new, standardised textbooks for history lessons in its schools. The presentation of certain periods of the 20th century, from the First World War and the October Revolution through Stalin’s rule, the Great Patriotic War, the rise of the Soviet Union to world power, and the history of the Russian Federation up to the “Special Operation” against Ukraine, reflects the Putin regime’s view of history. The authors tell a story of success and sing the praises of the strong state. Darker aspects of history, such as the mass terror of the Stalin era, are glossed over or ignored. Regarding the present, it is said that the “Special Operation” in Ukraine is a defensive struggle against fascism and a hostile West. The books are intended to serve patriotic mobilization. They are an expression of the ideologisation and militarisation of education in Russia.
(Osteuropa 5/2025, pp. 27–43)