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Tensions in Russia’s Educational Standardization Project (Literature Curriculum Focus)



Author(s)

YA Ru

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DOI:10.17265/2161-623X/2025.06.007

Minzu University of China, Beijing, China

 This article examines the implementation of Russia’s national project for a unified educational space, focusing on the pivotal roles of Federal Basic General Education Programs (FOPs) and Federal State Educational Standards (FGOS). Through a detailed analysis of recent revisions to the literature curriculum standards (FGOS), the study identifies two core policy objectives driving standardization: reinforcing state-aligned traditional values (patriotism, national identity, historical memory) and enhancing educational efficiency and equity (reducing teacher/student workload, bridging regional disparities). However, the analysis reveals significant tensions in practice. Curriculum restructuring—prioritizing Russian classics, multi-ethnic literature, and war narratives while reducing foreign (especially Western) contemporary works—faces challenges including misalignment with the national university entrance exam (EGE) requirements, pedagogical difficulties in teaching lengthy canonical texts (e.g., War and Peace), and ideological debates surrounding specific mandated authors (e.g., Fadeev). Furthermore, the conspicuous absence of non-Western literature, despite the official “Pivot to the East” strategy, highlights a gap between geopolitical rhetoric and curricular content. The Russian case demonstrates the complex interplay between centralized educational standardization, cultural-political objectives, and the practical realities of classroom implementation in a globalized context.

educational standardization, national curriculum policy, literature education, traditional values, Russia

YA Ru. (2025). Tensions in Russia’s Educational Standardization Project (Literature Curriculum Focus). US-China Education Review A, June 2025, Vol. 15, No. 6, 435-440.