KIEV, September 14 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia and Ukraine will form a joint commission to evaluate textbooks covering each other’s history, Ministers Dmitry Livanov and Dmitry Tabachnik said on Friday, thus accepting the proposal of Russian Academy of Sciences’ General History Institute Director Alexander Chubaryan.
“Once the leading historians in both countries make this proposal, the commission will be formed,” Russian Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov said.
He recalled the presentation of the first joint teacher’s book, “Russia and Ukraine at History Crossroads,” held on the sidelines of the Days of Education and Science of Russia in Ukraine.
The book will have four sections dedicated to culture of Ancient Rus, the Kiev Mohyla Academy, Russian and Ukrainian gentry and the daily life of Soviet people in the second half of the 20th century.
Institute of Innovative Technologies and Education Content Director Alexander Udod said their work would be constant. “We want to write a teacher’s book, which will cover all the history courses taught in Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
“The teacher’s book will present different standpoints,” Ukrainian historian Igor Shchupak said. “Children should draw their own conclusions from the impartial facts. We should be careful about terms and definitions, which are frequently evaluative.”
In turn, Ukrainian Education Minister Dmitry Tabachnik said they would use a similar method for other sciences.