Evenimentele din 1992 în manualul de istorie din școlile transnistrene / The events of 1992 in the history textbook of Transnistrian schools

Abstract

After the 1991 separatist region of Transnistria developed its own education system, provided with normative acts, including curriculum and textbooks. History education is part of the official discourse and focuses on Transnistrian interests. In many cases, textbooks are based on Soviet historiography, and Western neighbors are treated as enemies. The author of the present article analyzes, in particular, Chapter IX of the textbook for the ninth grade, which deals with the formation of the separatist republic and the Dniester War of 1992, which is described by the authors of the textbook as “Moldova’s military aggression against the Transnistrian people.” The facts presented in this textbook are unilateral, trying to demonstrate the “aggression of Moldova” on the districts on the left bank of the Dniester. Although, at the end of the topic, the authors consider that this military conflict was “a bloody war”, they insist more on the “sufferings, losses and victims” of the inhabitants of this region. There is a total lack of critical, comparative, and balanced approach to these sensitive events for the recent history of the Republic of Moldova. The discourse is aggressive and hateful, which is not acceptable, it is against international conventions and agreements between the representatives of the warring parties. The main problem in relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol is the lack of effective communication. But education should be one of the most important tools in conflict resolution.

Keywords

• republic of moldova
• history education
• textbook
• transnistria
• 1992