Russian authorities have finalized the ideological component of the higher education system. Vladislav Kononov, a Kremlin administration official, explicitly stated in an interview with Kommersant that knowing the names and “heroic deeds” of those fighting in the war against Ukraine is a mandatory requirement for passing the Unified State Exam (EGE) in history. According to him, “alternative theories” are not permitted, and preparation must strictly follow the new state-approved textbooks.
Key facts of the new requirement:
- Mandatory Name List: Questions now include 11 specific figures, such as “Akhmat” special forces commander Apti Alaudinov, Wagner Group pilot Kanamat Botashev, and others like Olga Kachura and Damir Islamov.
- Compulsory Selection: The history exam was previously made mandatory for admission to all social and humanitarian majors, including law, sociology, journalism, and conflict studies.
- The Ultimatum: Kononov’s “don’t learn — won’t pass” warning effectively bars applicants who are unwilling to reproduce the official state narrative from pursuing higher education in the humanities.
Analytical summary: The transformation of the history exam into a tool of political loyalty completes the nationalization of historical memory. Requiring the memorization of biographies from the ongoing conflict turns an academic assessment into a test of ideological reliability. Forcing future lawyers, sociologists, and journalists to master a “canonical” list of figures means the country’s humanitarian elite is now being built on a foundation of militaristic propaganda. This creates a system where access to social mobility depends entirely on a student’s willingness to broadcast imposed political dogmas, effectively purging critical thinking from the educational process.