UNITED NATIONS, May 13. /TASS/. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya cited geography and history schoolbooks from Ukraine during a session of the UN Security Council on Thursday, to demonstrate how the Kiev government was twisting and rewriting the country’s history.

"History and geography curricula were modified the most. I have here with me an 8th grade geography schoolbook edited by P.Maslyak and S.Kapirulina. According to it, the predecessors of the French, Spanish, Portugese, Turks, and even Jews came from Ukraine," he said. "Let me ask my French colleague: Nicolas [de Riviere, PR of France], did you know you are a Ukrainian? If you do not believe me, go read this textbook. So it says. It has cast-iron logic: since the French are galls, they came from Galicia, which is Ukraine."

"Did you know that according to this book, Ukrainians and Poles are of a Slavic origin, whereas Russians are Finno-Ugrians? Belarusians were also denied their "Slavic-ness". The book classifies them as a Baltic people," the diplomat continued.

Another history schoolbook, "History of Ukraine" for the 7th grade, "says that genesis of the Ukrainian people ‘dates 140,000 years back,’" Nebenzya said.

"A 9th grade history schoolbook edited by F.Turchenko and V.Moroko asserts that by the end of the 18th century, Ukrainians were ‘one of Europe’s largest peoples,’" he added.