The new history textbook for high school students, which arrived in schools at the beginning of the school year, has caused outrage among residents of the Caucasus due to its offensive interpretation of the reasons for Stalin's deportation of 1943-1944. As a result, the authors of the textbook agreed to amend one paragraph.

The new line of history textbooks for high school students, which has gained notoriety under the name "Medinsky's textbook", was prepared in just four months and in the summer already drew criticism from historians due to its errors, propaganda tone and disproportionate number of Putin quotes in the text. The authors of the textbook are presidential aide, former minister, professional PR technologist Vladimir Medinsky and MGIMO rector, historian and political scientist Anatoly Torkunov.

In the 10th grade textbook, in the chapter “Accomplices of the occupiers,” there is the following paragraph: “Based on the facts of collaboration between the Karachays, Kalmyks, Chechens, Ingush, Balkars, and Crimean Tatars with the occupiers, the State Defense Committee (GKO – ed. note) in 1943-1944 decided to liquidate the state entities of these peoples within the USSR and subject them to collective punishment – ​​forced resettlement (deportation) to the eastern regions of the country. As a result, not only bandits and accomplices of the enemy were repressed, but also many innocent people. The settlers had to endure many hardships and deprivations. Justice towards them was restored after 1953.” Thus, the authors of the textbook practically repeated the official justification that the Stalinist regime resorted to in order to justify the inhumane expulsion of entire peoples from their homeland. It is also striking that Stalin, who was responsible for this crime, is not mentioned in the paragraph.

On September 20, the Chairman of the Russian Congress of the Peoples of the Caucasus, Aliy Toturkulov, expressed his indignation. “…Along with Banderovites, Vlasovites and others, repressed peoples are listed, to whom they officially apologized and signed laws on full rehabilitation. The publication of a textbook with the old slander of Stalin's times has inflicted another insult on millions of Russian citizens who lost up to 30-50% of their representatives in deportation and at the front. Every year we mark the mourning date, remember the criminal deportation, mourn the innocent dead... Why rub salt into the wounds? Who wrote this paragraph into the textbook? For what purpose? Do we need another whipping boy or is a mine being deliberately laid under the unity of the peoples of Russia in such turbulent times? History is the self-awareness of the people! We know the real history and the true, criminal motives for the deportation. Who wants to force our children to read blatant slander about their people?"

After this, other public figures and officials in Chechnya, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Ingushetia also drew attention to the textbook. Judging by the comments on social networks, their indignation was unanimously shared by representatives of all ethnic groups that survived the deportation.

There were reports that Ramzan Kadyrov ordered the textbook to be removed from schools.

On September 23, the speaker of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov, said that, on the instructions of the head of the republic, he brought the issue of the need to rewrite the chapter to the head of the presidential administration and to Medinsky, and he "admitted that this chapter was taken unchanged from previous editions, and assured of his readiness to put it in order."

On September 25, the head of Karachay-Cherkessia Rashid Temrezov announced on his Telegram channel that the chapter on the deportation of the peoples of the USSR in the Russian history textbook would be changed and revised. According to him, this is being done by a working group, which includes the heads of the regions whose peoples were repressed, and the leadership of the Ministry of Education.

In October, co-author of the textbook Anatoly Torkunov said that amendments would be made to the history textbook, but only one paragraph.

On November 10, Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov, who arrived in Grozny on a working visit, personally read the corrected version of the section of the book on Stalin's deportations to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.

"All errors have now been corrected and the rude formulations made in the previous version about entire peoples who were subjected to Stalin's repressions have been removed. In a word, justice has prevailed!" Kadyrov reported on his Telegram, not without satisfaction.