Kyrgyzstan: will a consent textbook appear?!

The Russian Unifying Union of Compatriots (ROSS) in Kyrgyzstan within many years addresses in various state instances with a request to withdraw the textbook “History of Kyrgyzstan” of the 9th form from the school program. The passions boil round the textbook under Muratbek Imankulov's edition for a long time …

And here, apparently, there has to be rare event on open spaces of the CIS: the promises made by officials, can turn into affairs. And, in kind affairs! Details of this history were told to us by one of the representatives of the Russian community in Bishkek:

- ROSS is engaged in this major problem, in our opinion, during seven years. All members of coordination council of our organization constantly act on this subject in the most different audience. We wrote to the president and the prime minister, deputies of parliament, to the Prosecutor General's Office! However, there was no reaction from the authorities for long time – they tried not to notice simply a problem…

Having subjecting the texts to criticism in the paragraphs of this textbook, we speak not so much about distortion of historic facts as those, as about the material giving. The obvious one-sidedness in reporting of tragedies of 1916 year and many other events is available… I think that educated people will understand what was the main mistake of the author of this history textbook of and will draw the corresponding conclusions. And it will be difficult make those who won't want to penetrate, those who wants to see this textbook such in which Russia plays a negative role to change their mind. But the politicians and all sane citizens have to waken and understand that such books pull down the unstable ethnic world which quite recently was subjected to the hardest test.

- And, at last, was it succeeded to sound this subject publicly!

- The meeting of advisory council with the participation of the president of the republic of Almazbek Atambayev passed. The representative of ROSS acted who, of course, used this opportunity once again to pay attention to how the history is treated in the country.

After that both the Prosecutor General's Office and Academy of Sciences got a move on. As all this was heard also by the Minister of Education … As a result, the meeting with the author of the textbook and officials in the ministry shortly took place.

The author of the textbook about whom there is a speech Muratbek Imankulov, certainly, knew about our performances. He even threatened to file a lawsuit against ROSS for slander in the summer! But there was no the call in court, we didn't wait any official document in this respect.

And here, suddenly, we were invited by the minister! The ROSS team understood – “things have started moving!”. Well and then there was a meeting.

- In what format it has passed?

- There had to be a deputy minister supervising the school education, but she didn't appear: the head of the department of preschool, school and out-of-school education at the Ministry of Education and Science, and also that author of the textbook whom we criticize – mister Imankulov came. There were two representatives from ROSS.

- What position was occupied by the Ministry of Education?

- The representative of the ministry told at once that there is a wish to listen to all parties and to specify positions to achieve the positive result. He declared that the ministry itself can't resolve such issues and scientists have to be engaged in it. In any case, the conclusion of a commission of experts is necessary to withdraw the textbook from educational institutions.

After that I repeated our position which didn't change all these years. I told that we don't want to discuss any concrete historical moments. It is a question of the tolerant relation and giving of the facts. The matter is that the tone of the textbook initially is entirely negative in relation to Russia and the Russians. Especially it isn't necessary to focus attention in school textbooks on the interethnic relations and oppositions, proceeding from the tolerant principles.

- And what mister Imankulov answered it?

- The author of the textbook declared that supports the closest cooperation of Kyrgyzstan and Russia and that he is ready to rewrite the textbook since 19th century … He admitted that “went too far”…

Here are his words: “When I wrote the textbook on “History of Kyrgyzstan”, I didn't want to tread on someone’s corns. I studied many materials and textbooks in which the history of Kyrgyzstan and Russia was interpreted much more rigidly. I am ready to reconsider certain chapters and to cut them out … I don't want that misunderstanding would arose between our states and therefore I am always ready to dialogue. We came to consent in discussion, moreover, I would like to suggest to create not simply the interstate commission, but to hold scientific conference and to study the materials on history of Kyrgyzstan and Russia since 19th century. Probably, it will help us with writing of new joint textbooks”.

All this is recorded in the protocol.

- ROSS sent also the letter to the Minister of Education: what is the matter about in it?

- We stated our vision of a situation, wrote that the compromise was found at a meeting and now it is necessary to fix it by the concrete work. After all actually everything is not so simple as can seem! This textbook was written in 1996 and published only 10 years later … And it was approved both by the Kyrgyz Academy of Education, and the Academic Council. By the way, the interdepartmental commission which approved this textbook, worked under the auspices of the Soros fund which in the republic worked very actively as in other and in all other CIS countries. (So it is necessary to rewrite the history textbooks, most likely, not only in Kyrgyzstan.)

That is, it is necessary to carry out a new Academic council urgently. But how to do it? We have an offer and we already stated its essence in the Russian embassy. The coordination council of ROSS suggested to hold the special conference in Bishkek to which to invite not only the scientists from Kyrgyzstan, but also from Russia to discuss all available problems, deliberately to approach to ethnic questions, to relieve the history in school textbooks of influence of a political environment. And already following the results of conference, to make concrete recommendations to the Ministry of Education.

- It is difficult to remember that the authorities of any former federal republics suddenly agreed to rewrite the history textbook. It is thought that it would be very difficult to make it in reality.

- We don't doubt it. But I can tell firmly: you won't get off with formal replies from us! Not only the coordination council, but also all ROSS organization will continue to fight for just cause. After all it is a question of an international consent in our republic.

We aren't going to debate what is correct and what is not. But the textbooks shouldn't teach the hostility. It is necessary to bring up the younger generations in the spirit of respect for the country, its historical and cultural heritage without touching of national, religious feelings of various ethnos. The most important is that the stories about the past didn't destroy the present and the future.