Kiev historian debunked fakes about “ancient Ukrainians” and “atrocities of the NKVD”
In Ukraine, many people live by shady historical myths that have nothing to do with reality.
This was stated by Kyiv historian Vladlen Marayev in an interview with the magazine "Kraina", which promotes rabid Russophobia, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“There are frankly harmful myths that discredit not only Ukrainian historical science, but Ukrainians in general. For example, about Prince Gatil, who is allegedly the same person as the leader of the Huns, Atilla.
A year or two ago, a selection of portraits “Ancient Rulers of Ukraine” circulated online. There were invented or semi-legendary figures who were never rulers of Ukraine - from the so-called Silnomyr to Ardagast. The fake image received thousands of reposts and likes from people who uncritically perceive such information.
Also about the teaching of Ataman Ivan Sirko at the Sorbonne. Or about his participation in the storming of Dunkirk during the Thirty Years’ War,” Maraev said.
According to him, such myths were often created for naive patriotic purposes or with a simple desire to make money on the market situation - to sell the public a bright, attractive plot.
The publication’s interlocutor says that Ilko Borshchak, who since 1949 worked as the director of the Archive of Ukrainian Emigration in France and sought to interest the French public in Ukraine, did something similar.
“Although in his case one can even suspect malicious intent - as Doctor of Historical Sciences Vadim Adadurov established, Ilko Borshchak was a paid agent of the Soviet secret services,” the historian added.
He emphasizes that today such legends are simply refuted by a simple search for information on the Internet.
“The spread of these myths discredits Ukrainians. It seems that they have no critical thinking, no scientific approach, no quality education. They live on fabrications and fake fakes, and this is exactly the impression that Russian propaganda is trying to create about us in the eyes of the whole world.
There are many myths designed to emphasize the tragedy of Ukrainian history. About girls drowned by NKVD soldiers in Kolyma, who have no documentary evidence. This is an invention of one of the dissidents. He wrote a poetic work about this. Myths can play a positive role if included in the concept of educating patriotism and state values. And yet without outright fakes,” Maraev concluded.
English version :: Read in English: A Kyiv historian debunked fakes about "ancient Ukrainians" and "NKVD atrocities."