"Our task is not to seek out enemies or to forget what happened, but to find out the real history, describe it and remember it, to make our children know it", Nursultan Nazarbayev noted, addressing historians and descendants of victims of political repression participating in the international project "Remembrance for the Future". The Day of Victims of Political Repressions will see forums and meetings taking place in the Kazakh capital. The main aim of these events is to pay tribute to those wrongfully convicted and victims of political repression and to think about what we should do in order not to misrepresent history. The correspondent for the Izvestiya-Kazakhstan newspaper, Nikolai Limov, spoke with the director of the Center of post-Soviet studies of Moscow State University and editor-in-chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, Alexei Vlasov, about academic historical cooperation in the CIS, the problem of falsification of history, the formation of national identities in states within the terms of democratization of society and many other things.
- Alexei Viktorovich, as a participant in the international project 'Remembrance for the Future' could you express your opinion on the present situation in many post-Soviet countries, where the history of our recent past is being interpreted differently, often diametrically oppositely?
- What should we do if there are such attempts? Until recently, Ukraine was consistently accusing Russia of being the main cause of the holodomor (famine) of the 1930s. So does the past depend on the ruler's will?
- As you noted, these accusations were being made until recently. It meant that, when the former power left, the artificial stereotypes of several historical events also disappeared. As for the ruler's will, unfortunately history is very often used as an ideological tool. The border between science and ideology is disappearing here. It is natural for Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh historians not to agree on some questions. But when history is being misrepresented in the interests of political forces, there is no excuse. Why is this happening? Because many countries make claims to nobility from their pasts, but they are trying to obtain it using a common history which was only possible to obtain within the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union for example. An artificial opposition of common and national histories is being created. In a sense it is logical, but it is also important to maintain a balance, not to raise oneself at the expense of others. This is why I really like the position of your leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. In a speech on the Day of Victims of Political Repression he noted that history cannot endure the squaring of political accounts, it needs to be objective. This serious and reasonable attitude of Nursultan Abishevich allows Russian and Kazakh historians to have a calm discussion about the most tragic pages of our history, in spite of having different points of view on some events.
- But there are different conflicting opinions on the past in Russia as well.- Sure. When I say post-Soviet countries, I also mean Russia. But Russia has a strong scientific school of historical studies. So it is more about qualification, the level of competence. This is why Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani historical schools need to cooperate. The historical forum in Astana is a good opportunity to discuss the styles and methods of national historical schools.
- Are the forums and meetings enough to coordinate common efforts?- There are not enough platforms for dialogue. We need to extend our cooperation in all spheres, starting at the lowest level. For example, the system of archeological excavation was destroyed, when Russian students could come and take part in excavations in Kazakhstan, Ukraine or other countries. Accordingly, nobody comes to Russia. There are no such possibilities now. The number of conferences in which representatives of different scientific schools take part has dramatically decreased. We are not informed enough about what is going on in, let us say, Kazakh historical studies. That is why we need to create new platforms for dialogue, to search for points of contact and organize common projects. Only here do I see a guarantee of modernization, as people say now. Modernization of historical studies should be completed through integration.
- Is this possible in the near future?
- There is an interest in joining efforts. I see that Kazakh scientists would like to move in the same direction. I am very pleased it is Kazakh scientists that are becoming our closest partners. Our countries' integration is taking place not only in terms of the Customs union or other economic or political commonwealths, but also in the scientific communities. This is an historic educational integration. The idea of eurasianism, a community of our nations, is alive and in demand. And this is great!
- What do you think about the international project "Remembrance forthe future"?
- This event is very important and necessary, first of all from an historical point of view. That is why the distinguished and eminent historians gathered here will discuss common moments in our history in a calm atmosphere without heatedness. And there is no ideological pressure from without. Addressing the victims of political repression, the president of Kazakhstan said: "We do not want to accuse anyone or blame history. We just want to know the truth. Knowing the truth we will know what to do to prevent this happening again". This is the essence of the project "Remembrance for the future" and history as a science.
Izvestiya-Kazakhstan.
