In the preface of Lavrov, he first accuses the Baltic States, including Lithuania, of attempts to “use forged historical narratives to fuel anti -Russian and Russophobic moods.” He then explains how the monograph, in his opinion, fights with this phenomenon. “The value of this book consists in the fact that its authors tried in a versatile and scientifically justified manner to analyze the stages of the development of lands that were associated with Lithuania at various times,” writes Lavrov.
The monograph “History of Lithuania” was published by the International Relations Publishing House at the Moscow university MGIMO. The head of a team of nine authors was Maksym Grigoriew, director of the Project Foundation for Democracy's Problems and Participant of the War in Ukraine. Among the authors of the book is Gedrius Grabaukas, a former collaborator of the Lithuanian politician convicted of espionage to Russia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country Kęstutis Budrys told Lithuanian television this week that the book is a tool of hostile activities against neighboring countries. According to the politician, it undermines statehood, history, values and symbols of Lithuania, and also justifies Russia's imperialism and aggression towards its neighbors.
️Profesor Gintautas Mažeikis from the University of Witold Wielki believes that the book denies the existence of the Lithuanian nation and the Lithuanian language. “Denying the existence of Lithuania is very similar to denying the existence of Ukrainians as a nation,” says Mažeikis.
At the end of 2021, on the eve of Russia's full invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin published the essay of Vladimir Putin “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians”, available in Russian and Ukrainian. It was claimed that historically Russians and Ukrainians are one nation, and contemporary Ukraine is a false country created by Lenin. Three days before the invasion, Putin repeated his opinion that “the author and architect of Ukraine” is Włodzimierz Lenin: – As a result of the Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine was created, which can still be called Ukraine with the name of Włodzimierz Ilyicz Lenin with full justification.
