Russian historian Alexander Dyukov – persona non grata in Lithuania for whitewashing Soviet crimes

In his words, Dyukov is not recognized as a historian by the academic society, but he has exceptional access to Russian archives.

According to Anušauskas, Dyukov’s book On the Eve of the Holocaust, whose Lithuanian translation was presented on Thursday, relies on long-known documents, but their interpretation is doubtful and aims at justifying the Soviet deportations of 1941 and other Soviet repressions of people in Lithuania.

“Dyukov has set up a foundation for the revision of history, whitewashing Stalinism and the Soviet times. Most probably he alone knows who is funding this foundation. I believe it definitely involves the special services,” Anušauskas, who himself authored a book on the Soviet terror, The Terror of 1940-1958, told BNS on Thursday.

“What Dyukov is trying to present as his historic works are documents that are well and long known for us, with the majority of them drawn up during KGB interrogations. They are used to purposefully demonize the Baltic states’ role during World War Two, demonize the resistance movement,” Anušauskas said.

In his words, the theme of the Holocaust is used in Dyukov’s publications in order “to cover up totally different things” and the fate of the Jews is dealt with disingenuously, just as it was during the Soviet times when the Jewish tragedy was consciously suppressed.

“They most often use the Holocaust to cover up totally different things, they care about the Holocaust as much as the KGB did during the Soviet times when the Jewish tragedy was stifled and suppressed,” the politician told BNS.

Dyukov writes in his book, presented in Vilnius, that the 1940-1941 events that followed the Soviet occupation of Lithuania do not in fact match “the propaganda pattern of “good guys” fighting “bad guys”, and that the Soviet security services “in fact had a legitimate goal” to crack down on the anti-Soviet movement in Lithuania.

On 14-18 June 1941, the Soviet occupation government in Lithuania authorised the first wave of deportations, sending to Siberia some 17,500 people, including members of the political, military and economic elite, former President Aleksandras Stulginskis, former Prime Minister Pranas Dovydaitis, many ministers, hundreds of teachers, 76 priests, leaders of ethnic minorities.

According to Anušauskas, Dyukov is trying to justify the deportation of Lithuanians by using the Holocaust which happened later. In his opinion, quite the opposite is true, that those Lithuanians who were deported by the Soviets could have convinced, through their authority, part of the population not to cooperate with the Nazis.

Dyukov has been declared persona non grata in Lithuania. He was not allowed to enter Lithuania after flying to Vilnius on Wednesday night to attend a presentation of his book. He was stopped by Lithuanian border guards and returned to Moscow on the next flight.

Vaigutis Stancikas, translator who translated Dyukov’s book from Russian to Lithuanian, comments that the Russian national was not allowed into Lithuania because he “disagrees with Lithuania’s official position” on history.

Povilas Masilionis, director of Gairės publishing house that published the book in Lithuanian, says he does not consider the book a piece of propaganda. In his words, the book’s translation and publication in Lithuania was funded by Dyukov’s foundation which allocated 10,000 litas (EUR 2,885).