INTERPRETATION OF THE STATE POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ALEXANDER III IN SOVIET AND MODERN SCHOOL HISTORY TEXTBOOKS

Abstract

Aim. To characterize how school textbooks apply ideology to interpret official state policy of the Russian Empire during the reign of Alexander III according to their publication in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, respectively. Methodology and Approach. The authors make a comparative analysis of the content of Soviet and modern textbooks of Russian history, specifically their assessment of the reign of Alexander III. Results. The authors empirically verify the ideological correlation of school textbooks’ interpretation of state policy during the reign of Alexander III, as well as depth of presentation of historical material, with prevailing contemporary attitudes at publication in the Soviet versus post-Soviet period. Theoretical and/or Practical Implications. The ideological factors that influenced school textbooks’ assessment of the Russian Empire’s state policy during the reign of Alexander III during the Soviet versus post-Soviet periods are determined.