Kremlin cults and myths: What Russian textbooks teach in occupied Ukraine — and why they are dangerous
New anti-Ukrainian local history textbooks have arrived in schools in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, teaching children that the Zaporizhian Cossacks betrayed Russia, the Holodomor was fabricated and Ukrainians never existed as a people.
Anti-Ukrainian textbooks are now being used in schools in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. They teach children that the Zaporizhian Cossacks were betraying Russia, the Holodomor was a fabrication, and Ukrainians never formed a distinct people. According to these books, the Polish name "Ukraine" was invented to insult the region.
The textbooks also claim that the Bolsheviks added eastern and southern regions to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic because without them, the republic lacked a politically active proletariat. The books go so far as to claim that Ukrainian nationalists attempted – and failed – for decades to impose Ukrainian culture on eastern and southern Ukraine.
This, in turn, allegedly led to social unrest, prompting locals to seek aid from supposedly peaceful Moscow. This summary is based on textbooks published in Moscow and delivered to schools in Russian-occupied mainland Ukraine in mid-September. Thousands of Ukrainian children aged 10 to 13 will now study these materials. These textbooks effectively deny the existence of a Ukrainian people, which is a violation of international humanitarian law.
Ivan Horodyskyi, a lawyer and international law specialist, stated that this violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which requires the preservation of educational institutions in occupied territories and prohibits their militarization. The textbooks portray supporters of Ukrainian national identity as eternal enemies of Russia, whom "Russian heroes" sacrifice their lives for.
The textbooks for occupied territories were developed locally for the first time, as opposed to previous ones produced by local universities. This change was mandated by Moscow, which aimed for standardization. The new history curriculum for fifth- and sixth-graders includes textbooks on the history of Donbas and Novorossiya. These books were rushed and were not ready until after the school year had started.
This is the first attempt to teach Russia's official account of the current war to very young children. The textbooks focus heavily on events from the 20th century, particularly the war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They avoid describing Ukrainians as a nation, instead portraying them as traitors serving Western powers. The Zaporizhian Cossacks are regularly contrasted with the Don Cossacks, who remained loyal to the tsar and traditional Russian values.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
