How much Russian history did you learn in school?

[Annie]

This is a question I don't think I've seen here before. Obviously, we are ALL interested in Russian history or we wouldn't be here. But unfortunately I don't think it's usually taught in most ordinary school history classes. Was it in yours? I don't mean specialized courses in college, but ordinary school history. When you say yes or no, also say what country you went to school in and what decade, this might make a difference as to who got what.

I was in school in the 70's. As I've said before, I had a sixth grade homeroom and science teacher, yes science, who had a thing for the Romanovs. Her name was Janet D'Alton, with the apostrophe. (if you're here please PM me!) It was her who told me the story and got me so interested and started my search for more on them.

In high school, my freshman world history teacher was also the Russian teacher. He loved Russia and promised to teach us Russian history, but he started literally at the beginning of civilization and by the end of the year hardly got to touch on Russia at all. He would talk about it on his own time and gave me a lot of information too. He was a big believer in Anastasia's escape, and had a lot to do with my former belief in AA. The book "The File on the Tsar" was new at that time and he was very enthusiastic about it. But back to the topic, I wasn't taught Russian history as part of the normal ciriculum.

Now to my kids, who are teenagers now. At this point, the IF has not been mentioned in any of their classes in any grade. When my oldest was in fifth grade, the teacher showed an interest in it, and told me I could come in one day and teach a class on the IF and the revolution, but she ended up claiming not to have time due to the SOL test reviews (which do not include much good history) My son is very interested in studying Russian history and Russian language when he goes to college next year, but it was mostly me who got him interested.

I think this is sad. There should be more taught on this in regular schools. Please let us know what you learned in your school. Thanks.

[Elisabeth]

I learnt no European history to speak of when I was in school. I studied it in my free time, because I enjoyed it. Robert K. Massie's books about Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great were very influential for me. I regret to say that I was catatonically bored by the history of the Americas, which were the only subjects my history and civics teachers ever seemed to address. I always had the impression that the gym teacher was filling in for the "real" history teacher, and was only one lesson plan ahead of the rest of us. One of the guys in my high school class was really bright and was always correcting the teacher, which needless to say made him very unpopular with the rest of the students. I admired him. He knew all of the American presidents backwards and forwards whereas all I knew (and know) was the genealogical tables of the Tudors, Stuarts, and last Romanovs, which was pretty useless information at the time. It wasn't until I got to college that I found other people who shared my interest in European and especially Russian history. I don't know if my experience in high school and before was at all typical... I certainly hope not!

[Georgiy]

New Zealand in the late 80s, when I was in 6th Form (Year 12) we did the Russian Revolution for a whole term, and finished up by having a party at our teacher's house (she was just out of teachers college and lived at home - her parents wisely having gone out for the evening). She took us all in the schools mini-van, had a minor prang on the way, rented Dr Zhivago on VHS, and we all brought along Russian food (I made some Paskha which is Russian Easter food, like a very, very rich cheese cake). It was a lot of fun.

I think there was a lot of European history taught in those days, esp. at high school, though who knows what it's like these days. NZ has become very PC since, and I imagine there is also these days a stronger focus on New Zealand history.

I also did the Russian Revolution at University (stage one). I remember our lecturer saying "I really do think Anastasia died as a somewhat demented old lady, who had lots of cats, in the United States".  Maybe she would have a different opinion now.

[JaneEyre5381]

I didn't learn too much Russian history in school either.  The longest any of my history teachers ever dealt with it was in my High School senior year Advanced Placement European History class.  However, he always asked me to correct him, and when I started disputing information in the textbook, he simply gave up and told me to just teach the section of the course.  I didn't take him up on the offer, because I'm not too fond of being in front of people, but I did offer to help him with his information, which he apperciated.  

I have been a history buff since I was a small child, so I just read anything that was history related (Russian and British histories being my favourites).  Now I'm a history major, so I have more of an opportunity to study Russian history on an advanced level.  I have been lucky to have an outstanding professor who knows her Russian history very well, to put it mildly.  How much do we talk about the Imperial Family?  It just happens that my professor is not too fond of the Romanovs for her own personal reasons, and my High School AP Western Civ teacher didn't know anything out of the basic information, so really not a lot of timie has been devoted to the subject.

My first three and a half years of primary school were spent in Russia, and since it was in the late 1980s that I started my school career, we were mostly taught to hate the Tsar and to love Lenin and Stalin.  It could be said that my very first impression of the Romanovs was not a positive one.

Dasha

P.S.  Apologies if the post is slightly disorganized.

[Phil_tomaselli]

Raised in Britain in the 1960's and 1970's I can safely say no Russian history (not even the Revolution) was taught at any of the schools I attended though (curiously) we did cover the Ruso-Swedish war (battle of Poltava??) as part of a history of Sweden option at A level.

[olga]

The only Russian history I'll be studying is next year for TEE. Russia just isn't part of the school curriculum here. However next year will have a whole semester on the Revolution.

[Lanie]

I took AP European History in 10th grade and I ended up teaching the part about the Russian Revolution, Nicholas II as the teacher had NO clue what he was talking about--none at all.  In US History our teacher mentioned AA "living in Los Angeles"--ookay.  I corrected him, as well as other historical mistakes he made through-out the year...maybe that's why he wanted me on the academic decathlon team (now THAT was a trip).

[Annie]

Thanks everyone. This is worse than I thought! Not only is it not being taught much, the things that are being taught are taught WRONG! How sad so many people are misinformed and will never know better.

This also shows what a dramatic and magnetic subject it is that most of us took our own time and explored it on our own.

[Silja]

I went to school in (West) Germany in the eighties and nineties (grammar school), and the Russian Revolution was part of the curriculum.

[Annie]

I went to school in (West) Germany in the eighties and nineties (grammar school), and the Russian Revolution was part of the curriculum.

Did they teach it objectively, or that the Tsar was evil?

[JD]

Well he said West Germany...but I would be interested to hear how the Communists taught it.

[Jmentanko]

We spent an entire unit on the Russian Revolution this year. I was quite glad about this.

My school really doesn't focus enough on the social sciences -- and it shows. At the beginning of the year I'd have to constantly correct the teacher about the bigger points of the German and Italian unifications. I'd let the finer points go because I'm so nice. But once we hit the Russian Revolution I gave up correcting the guy completely because I didn't want to totally undermine his "knowledge." So yeah, I haven't really learned anything but at least I can catch up on sleep after lunch. But don't worry, I still have the highest mark.

[olga]

But once we hit the Russian Revolution I gave up correcting the guy completely because I didn't want to totally undermine his "knowledge."

What sort of things did he say?

[Jmentanko]

What sort of things did he say?

Oh, rather stupid things really. "Alexei is short for Alexander." "20% of the people were members of the aristocracy." "The Romanovs began with Alexander I." "Nicholas ordered the shooting on Bloody Sunday." "Russia was not at all industrialized by 1914." My notes actually said that NII ascended the Throne in 1884! The worst thing though was they way he pronouced "RaspuTEEN." I feel so cheated of an education.  

[sushismom]

I don't believe I was taught any Russian history. At least I don't remember learning any other than where Russia is located.