The Kremlin’s campaign to make education more ‘patriotic’ reaches English language classes with new ‘Glorious Russia’ textbook
The Russian authorities’ drive to revamp the country’s education system into a more explicitly patriotic endeavor has found a new frontier: the English language. Four schools in the Tver region are set to begin using new English textbooks whose content is designed to promote Russia’s “traditional spiritual and moral values.” While the initiative is currently limited in scope, other Russian regions are reportedly eyeing the new books. Meduza shares an English-language adaptation of Cherta Media’s overview of the pilot curriculum.
Four schools in Russia’s Tver region are launching a pilot project to teach English to high school students in a way that promotes Russia’s “traditional spiritual and moral values.” Textbooks for the new course have already been developed and printed.
The first book in the series, “English Language: Good News,” is intended for ninth-grade students and is largely generic in content. The main features distinguishing it from other English textbooks are a few “cultural pages” and a blurb that reads: “This book’s texts and exercises allow students to gain the latest knowledge based on real-life situations, traditional spiritual and moral values (love for the Motherland, values of family life, respect for the history of one’s country, and others), and cultural-historical traditions.”
The book for 10th and 11th-grade students, “English Language: Russia’s Glorious Heritage, 19th Century,” however, is packed full of ideological content. The cover has the phrase “Glorious Russia” in large letters, while the text itself is “integrated with the school history course and includes the main historical events and life descriptions of prominent Russian historical figures of the 19th century,” according to the official description.
“In terms of common sense, value for students, and even our historical traditions, this mishmash of history and foreign language just looks crazy. All it’s going to do is prevent language learning; it will lead to nothing but rejection from students,” said Sergey Kuznetsov, a teacher trainer from Moscow with 20 years of experience.
The Kremlin’s new history textbook
At the same time, he said, the danger of this initiative should not be underestimated. “I’ve already had to hear various arguments at methodology workshops about how if our children need English at all, they only need it to defend our spiritual values to foreigners and tell them about Russia’s greatness,” Kuznetsov told Cherta.
This idea was expressed by Alexander Kuznetsov, a priest at the Church of Alexander Nevsky at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, at a recent round table event dedicated to the new program. “Language, no matter which one, carries a cultural code. And it’s very important that our children, in the context of an intercultural dialogue, be able to represent their country, including in English,” he said.
Beyond the Tver region
Judging by the trajectory of Russia’s education system since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there’s a real chance the Tver region’s “patriotic” English learning initiative could become a nationwide one in the foreseeable future.
“Tver is the first region. Right now, St. Petersburg is looking at the Tver region with interest. Literally a week ago, the project was presented to Anna Yuryevna Kuznetsova, the deputy speaker of the State Duma. She supported the project,” said Natalia Moskvitina, the president of the Women for Life Foundation and one of the top lobbyists for a “patriotic” reform of English language teaching in Russia, in a recent interview.
Maria, an English teacher in Moscow who’s been in the field for nearly 40 years, told Cherta she hopes the initiative won’t reach Russia’s capital. “I think officials in Moscow will be reluctant to make fools out of themselves,” she said. “Even in Soviet times, nobody tried to impose ideology or values on English classes. But anything can happen in the regions. Officials there have more power and more desire to curry favor.”