A court in Russia's Bashkortostan fined school director Svetlana Khakimova 2,000 rubles (about $20) for keeping the book Hidden History of Tatars in her school's library. The book, written by Tatar historian Vakhit Imamov and published in 1994, was banned in 2019 after a local man complained that it incited "religious and ethnic hatred" and advocated Tatarstan's independence from Russia. The court deemed Khakimova guilty of distributing extremist materials, a charge that reflects increasing scrutiny of materials on Russia's non-Russian ethnic histories. This move is part of a broader trend in Russia where authorities are closely monitoring narratives around the country's diverse ethnic groups, especially those with histories of conquest and resistance. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities, click here.
School Director In Russia's Bashkortostan Fined In Feud Over Ethnic History Books
Tatar historian Vakhit Imamov (file photo)