First Textbooks on Modern History

The second half of 1997 saw the publication, at last, of textbooks on modern history for the basic school (Modern History. Part I: A Textbook for the Seventh Grade of the Basic School Novaia istoriia. Chast' I: Uchebnik dlia 7 klassa osnovnoi shkoly], L. N. Zharova, I. A. Mishina, M. V. Ponomarev, V. A. Rogozhkin, A. A. Fedorenko Moscow: Center for Humanities Education, 1997]; and Modern History, 1500-1800: A Textbook for the Seventh Grade of General Education Institutions Novaia istoriia, 1500-1800: Uchebnik dlia 7 klassa obshcheobra-zovatel'nykh uchrezhdenii], A. Ia. Udovskaia, P. A. Baranov, L. M. Vaniushkina Moscow: Prosveshchenie, 1997]). Their lack had created a dead-end situation in me seventh and eighth grades. Since they came out in press runs of 50,000, they are not going to make it into all the schools. What is important, however, is that a beginning has been made. Let us hope that these will be followed by reprintings as well as the publication of new books.