FORMATION OF “SOUTH OSSETIA” IN HISTORY TEXTBOOKS (1991-2022)

Abstract

The article discusses the reasons and consequences of the creation of the “South Ossetia” Autonomous Oblast in the school textbooks of Georgian and world history. The work is based on the content analysis of school history textbooks published after the restoration of independence of Georgia. Attention is focused on the volume of material and presented documents. The main facts about what the authors of the textbooks pay special attention when discussing the mentioned issue are highlighted. Among them, the reasons for the creation of the autonomous oblast, the real intentions of Soviet Russia and the dissatisfaction of the Georgian population living in the territory of the region and the leadership of the Communist Party of Georgia at that time, which is caused due to the groundlessness of the creation of the autonomous region.

School history textbooks are given great importance for the correct transmission of history and also against various falsified versions, in particular for exposing the propagandistic myths of history used by the Russian government for neo-imperial political purposes, through which Moscow tries to justify the occupation and subsequent annexation of the territory of Georgia.

In the reviewed textbooks of Georgian and world history, the authors try to show the reader a complete picture - by describing the motives, process and results of the creation of the “South Ossetia”Autonomous Oblast. A number of textbooks show the outcomes that came to Georgia as a result of the deliberate actions of the Bolsheviks to create new administrative units in the conquered states under the motive of “protection of national minorities” by inciting separatism and using it to fight against the freedom and sovereignty of new, independent states, including Georgia.

Keywords: History textbooks; "South Ossetia"; Russian propaganda; Georgia.