Russia's Military Historical Society preparing new textbook on Ukrainian history
Russia's Military Historical Society says it is preparing a textbook on Ukrainian history for publication in Russia, covering the subject from ancient times. The book is meant to promote what its authors call a 'truthful' account, including claims about the unity of the Old Rus people.
Mikhail Myagkov, research director of the Russian Military Historical Society, told a Moscow press conference that a new textbook on the history of Ukraine is currently being prepared for publication — not in Ukraine, but in Russia.
According to Myagkov, the book will trace history from ancient times and is intended to present what he called a "truthful" account. He said it would address the idea of unity among the "Old Rus" people and examine the origins of the term "Ukrainism."
Target audience unclear
Myagkov acknowledged a separate difficulty: how to deliver this version of history to schoolchildren living in territory still under Kyiv's control. He did not disclose which grade levels the textbook is aimed at, a publication date, or who is writing it.
Context
In 2023, Russia already overhauled its world and national history textbooks for grades 10 and 11, a project edited by Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Military Historical Society. More recently, in the summer of 2026, Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov presented a textbook called "History of Donbas and Novorossiya" for grades five through seven at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, describing it as offering a history integrated with Russia's own narrative and "objective information" in contrast to what he characterized as falsehoods in Ukrainian textbooks.
