“The purpose of russian fakes is to create the feeling that there is no truth”: An interview with Rena Marutian, Doctor of Science in Public Administration, for the Museum of Civilian Voices founded by the Rinat Akhmetov

Historical manipulation is one of the types of information weapons used by russia in the war. Historian Rena Marutian spoke about examples of distortion of facts in the history of Ukraine and ways to strengthen critical thinking during a public event at the Museum of Civilian Voices founded by the Rinat Akhmetov.

Rena Marutian is a Doctor of Science in Public Administration, Professor of the Department of Global and National Security at the Educational and Research Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

The publication “Historical Truth” published a shortened version of the conversation. Please click here to read it: https://bit.ly/4jcyUS7

The interview with the scientist took place during the open filming of the project “Sukhanov Speaks” by Oleksii Sukhanov, a well-known journalist, actor, presenter, and ambassador of the Museum of Civilian Voices. Watch the full version of the conversation here: https://bit.ly/41UA6ny

History allows for subjective assessments, as not all events are supported by documentary evidence. Historians distinguish between facts and interpretations, but it is much harder for most people to maintain mental stability in a time of war.

“Stress is an additional ground for manipulation, and russia is using it. People ask me why russian fakes are so ridiculous. To blur the truth and create the feeling that there is no truth. After all, if there are 10 versions of the same event, it is difficult to understand which one is true,” says Rena.

The most effective way to protect yourself from manipulation is to limit your news consumption. It is also important to maintain information hygiene.

“How do you know what to read? A very simple way: The Institute of Mass Information makes a “white list” of Ukrainian media every few months. Now there are about ten resources that can be trusted. Choose three of them,” explains the historian.

Another effective way to protect yourself from manipulation is to track your emotional reactions to the news.

“If you read or watch a product and experience strong emotions – euphoria, anger, fear, sadness – you need to tell yourself to stop and not react. Perhaps tomorrow there will be a refutation or explanation of this information. After all, a person is controlled by the one who controls his or her emotions,” says Rena.

Read all the interviews that took place as part of the documentary projects on the website of the Museum of Civilian Voices https://bit.ly/4iMFY8h

The Museum of Civilian Voices founded by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation already contains more than 130,000 stories about the war. It is the world’s largest collection of stories of civilians affected by russia’s war against Ukraine.

The public interviews are part of the Museum of Civilian Voices series of cultural events aimed at preserving the memory of the war. Follow the announcements of the events on the social media of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and on the Museum’s website https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/.