TASS, May 20. Belgorod Region's largest university, National Research University "Belgorod State University" (BelSU), will double Russian History classes for all non-history majors and first-year majors starting September 2022, the university's press service said Friday.

"BelSU was one of the first in the country to introduce Russian History classes for all non-historical areas of study and first-year majors. And from the new academic year it will double the number of classes devoted to history for first-year students to 108 hours a year," the statement said.

As Rector of the University and head of the regional branch of the Russian Historical Society Oleg Polukhin noted, History class is one of the key areas of educational policy. To increase the number of hours allocated to the subject, the history and philology department of the university will introduce 3.5 positions, which will be filled on a competitive basis by young teachers - graduates of the university.

"We will provide the best conditions for in-depth study of Russian History, to help young people preserve their historical identity and form a love for their homeland," added the rector of the university.

According to the Dean of the History and Philology Faculty of BelSU Andrei Papkov, one of the most relevant topics for Russian students is the historical experience of forming the native territory of Russia in the XVI-XVII centuries, which almost coincides with the territory of modern Russia. The topic of the development of the southern outskirts of Russia in the XVI-XVII centuries will also be on the forefront, since it is connected with the appearance of Belgorod Oblast as a Russian region.

"We must not allow to falsify the history of shaping the territory of Russia as, supposedly, the result of its aggressive expansion. We must give students a reasoned characterization of each specific case of inclusion of this or that nation into the Russian state, so that they can be convinced that Russia had no expansionist goals at the time of formation of its territory," Papkov noted.