Russian schoolchildren to use updated history books as new school years gets underway

New history textbooks for high school students have come under fire for alleged bias and distortion of events.

Transcript

00:00 The new academic year has begun in Russia. From now on the curriculum will be the same

00:06 across the country. Russia`s history has been rewritten in a new textbook. Critics say it`s

00:12 biased and distorts events from the time of Stalin to the war in Ukraine. Parents in Moscow

00:17 gave their reaction.

00:18 We expect the truth, that the children will be told as it was in reality. Even if something

00:30 is bad, it should be as it really was.

00:31 I heard something about distorted facts in the textbook about history, if I`m not mistaken.

00:32 But I didn`t delve into this topic, so I won`t say anything about it. But of course I wouldn`t

00:33 want the facts to be distorted historically.

00:34 I think that qualified specialists who were engaged in the composition of this textbook

00:35 have done a good job. And the guys will be interested to study the history of all the

00:50 events that have been happening in our country, in the neighboring regions and countries.

00:59 The new history textbook was written in record time, and its authors made no attempt to hide

01:04 its ideological orientation.

01:20 There are other changes, too. From September the 1st this year, the initial military training

01:24 or CMT module returns to schools, giving children in all senior classes training in how to use

01:30 a Kalashnikov.

01:31 [WHOOSH]