ABSTRACT
Beginning with the rationale that the post-Soviet period was a challenge to the professional community of historians, this chapter identifies the radical, ethnocentric turnaround in historiography, and the prevalence of a “civilizational approach” in political discourse. The chapter goes on to discuss the political influences on the production of history narratives and textbooks, and nationalist historical projects. An “anti-colonial discourse” drew on both a reductionist view of history and an image of the “enemy,” almost always represented by Russia, and failed to discuss a complex and multi-dimensional reality. However, at the same time, the image of Russia in the textbooks highly depends on the current politics and the textbook authors select and discuss historical facts in such a way that could best meet the demands of the national idea. For example, Azerbaijani and Georgian textbooks highlight their stance against the Russian empire but also an evident neglection of ethnic minorities. Finally, the author interrogates the interethnic conflicts and relationships in the Caucasus to illustrate how educational literature in most of the post-Soviet states still suffers from ethnocentrism.
