The debate about getting into Soviet records: asking for control in understanding history.

The Association of Patriotic Historians in Russia wants to close access to Soviet-era archives. They believe that amateur historians, who are not controlled by the government, might cause confusion about the past.

The head of the association, a retired security officer named Valery Chervonov, thinks that Russia is not ready for people to study history freely. He says that in Soviet times, historians were allowed to see archives but were always supervised by someone who could 'explain' what they found.

Chervonov gives an example: if someone found out their grandfather was sent to a labor camp for telling a joke, the supervisor would tell them it was necessary for building communism. He says there were many 'understanding' people like this in the Soviet Union who made sure history was viewed in the 'right' way.

According to Chervonov, Russia today lacks the control to ensure history is studied 'objectively' and in line with the government's interests. Therefore, he believes such study is not necessary.

Chervonov believes that 'falsification' of history happens when there are too many different viewpoints that challenge the official narrative. He argues that allowing free access to archives would lead to this 'falsification'.