Under the Overcoat: the past is unpredictable

On 1 September, Russian high schools transitioned to new "patriotic" history textbooks authored by one of Russia's staunchest conservatives, former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky. How do these textbooks mirror the core tenets of the Russian regime's ideology? What stance do they take on figures like Stalin, the dissolution of the USSR, and Russia’s war in Ukraine? What narratives will Russian students be exposed to based on these textbooks? How has the Russian and Soviet history curriculum changed in the past?ECFR’s new podcast on Russia, “Under the Overcoat”, will explore the deeper trends beneath the surface of daily politics. For a closer look at history, our host Kadri Liik is joined by ECFR visiting fellows Ksenia Luchenko, Kirill Shamiev, and Mikhail Komin. Bookshelf: The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian RevolutionSoldiers and the Soviet State: Civil-Military Relations from Brezhnev to Gorbachev | Timothy J. ColtonEverything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: The Last Soviet GenerationAlexei Yurchak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.