Development of the 2014 “Crimean spring” concept by Russian historians in the study guides for general educational institutions

The article is the first special study of the issue of 2014 “Crimean Spring” events' presentation as a practical problem of school pedagogics. The author analyses educational literature and discussions conducted by educators and historians on the ways of presenting the events of 2014 within school history lessons. The factual materials on the event in focus together with methodological support are demonstrated. The author came to a conclusion that historians specializing in the history of XVII-XVIII centuries prevail among the authors of schoolbooks written about the “Crimean Spring”. Among educators covering the topic are educators of patriotism and religious traditions inspired by traditional conservatism. The most challenging problems are the terminology, didactic materials, and the issue of the cause and effect relationships between the “Crimean Spring” and the anti-constitutional coup in Kiev. The authors are prone to underestimate the role of the local non-governmental organizations in the struggle for self-determination of the Crimea. As a result such approach creates an impression of the fight waged by the external forces for the possession of the peninsula.