Geographical cultural code and modern technologies: experts discuss the new geography textbook
What the new geography textbook will be like and which principles will underpin its content were discussed at a special session held at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the Forum of Geography Teachers and Students of Specialised Universities. During the discussion, the experts focused on how to make the study of geography more coherent and relevant for modern schoolchildren. Particular attention was paid to maintaining a balance between fundamental knowledge and new data, as well as to ways of presenting information that will help increase pupils’ interest in the subject and develop a deeper understanding of natural, economic and social processes.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin instructed that a unified state series of school geography textbooks be created on 13 December 2025 following the XVII Congress of the Russian Geographical Society and a meeting of its Board of Trustees. Leading universities, specialised research organisations, the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Academy of Sciences are involved in developing the new textbooks. According to the President, a unified series of geography teaching materials should be provided for basic general education programmes in Years 5–9 and secondary general education programmes in Years 10–11.
The moderator of the discussion, Secretary of the Russian Geographical Society Commission on Geographical and Environmental Education Lyudmila Travina, said that the new textbook series was not merely another stage in updating teaching and methodological resources, but a response to a national objective that would determine the direction of geographical education for years to come.
"Geography helps pupils see the scale of the world, learn to navigate space and understand the relationship between natural and social processes. How future generations of schoolchildren perceive the world will directly depend on what the new textbooks are like. We face a special task: to use geography to form a coherent picture of the world and a strong foundation of civic identity among pupils. This is why the geographical cultural code of a citizen of the Russian Federation will form the basis of the new textbook series. It will help children understand their place in the country and feel a connection with its nature, history and people," she said.
Lyudmila Travina added that the new series of geography textbooks would be built around three key areas: strengthening interdisciplinary links, introducing modern technologies — including digital maps, geographic information systems, satellite images and artificial intelligence — and fostering deep and conscious patriotism among schoolchildren.
"The tasks set by the President to create a unified state series of school geography textbooks are connected with ensuring our country’s worldview and technological sovereignty. Textbooks for the senior years will be prepared first. An order approving the updated federal state educational standard for secondary general education has now been adopted. The document is currently being registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia. Draft federal programmes for Years 10–11 have also been developed. They will soon be published on the regulation.gov.ru portal for public discussion and on the website of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation for pedagogical review. These will include a geography programme," said Svetlana Kolchenko, Deputy Director of the Department of State General Education Policy and Development of Preschool Education at the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
Svetlana Kolchenko paid particular attention to the textbook development procedure, which includes expert assessment, testing in schools, inclusion in the federal list and preparing teachers to work with the new teaching materials.
During the "New Geography Textbook" session, Ilya Gurov, First Deputy Executive Director of the Russian Geographical Society and Academic Secretary of its Academic Council, spoke on the topic "The Geographical Cultural Code of a Russian Citizen: The Foundation of School Geography Education". He explained that the new textbooks would be based on the concept of a geographical cultural code — a system of images, meanings and values that connects people with the space of their country and fosters a sense of responsibility for it.
"Before beginning work on the textbook series, developing standards and revising programmes and atlases, we wanted to hear the opinions of the people who would use all of this. We surveyed teachers from 81 regions, experienced specialists whose average teaching experience exceeds ten years. They believe that the role of the geography of Russia in Years 10–11 should be increased. A separate introductory geography course should be introduced in primary school. A total of 73.66% of respondents report a shortage of teaching hours, particularly in Years 5–9. We also studied public opinion. Almost 100,000 people took part in the survey. Most believe that education should place greater emphasis on the geography of Russia. We conducted an expert review of textbooks. The experts concluded that much of the content is based on outdated information and approaches. Many textbooks included in the federal list appear to be stuck in the 1990s, and some even in the 1980s. They contain errors, the material is unbalanced, and links between different subject areas are weak," Ilya Gurov noted.
He said that the unified state series of geography textbooks was intended to address these issues. In his view, particular attention should be paid to the vivid and imaginative aspects of geography, striking visual design and the creation of a unified digital environment that brings educational materials together and is convenient primarily for teachers.
Viktor Dronov, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Acting First Vice-Rector of Moscow Pedagogical State University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education and Professor, spoke about current problems in the content of school geography education and possible ways to resolve them. In his view, modern education should be based on a triad comprising knowledge and activity, values and motivation, and clearly planned outcomes. Particular attention should be paid to motivating pupils, an aspect that is often underestimated in practice.
Alexander Lobzhanidze, President of RAUG, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, member of the Academic Council of the Russian Geographical Society and Head of the Academician V. P. Maksakovsky Department of Economic and Social Geography at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow Pedagogical State University, devoted his speech to the topic "The Modern Textbook: From a Source of Knowledge to a Navigator in the Educational Environment". He invited teachers to discuss what the new geography textbook should become and who it should primarily be created for: the pupil, the teacher or the parent.
"The new textbook is needed primarily by the pupil, but it must also become an essential tool for the entire educational process. It is a space for dialogue between the author, the teacher and the child. A modern textbook should be scientific yet accessible, pedagogically adapted and responsive to different ways of perceiving information. It should not merely present facts but encourage schoolchildren to think, ask questions and discover the world independently," Alexander Lobzhanidze emphasised.
He also noted that a textbook should not become a reference book of facts. Its main purpose is to develop geographical thinking and help every schoolchild build their own educational trajectory.
The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Russian Geographical Society were partners of the "New Geography Textbook" session.
The Forum of Geography Teachers and Students of Specialised Universities was one of the key events held in conjunction with the "Geography Lessons" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA. It brought together more than 800 participants from all federal districts of the country, including school geography teachers, university lecturers, students specialising in relevant fields, teaching methodology specialists, school heads and representatives of education authorities. The forum focused on the development of geographical education, including modernising the content of the subject, creating a new geography textbook, discussing digital technologies, enhancing the prestige of the teaching profession and fostering patriotism through expeditions and educational activities.
The forum was organised by the National Centre RUSSIA with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Russian Geographical Society, the V. S. Lednev Institute for the Content and Methods of Education and HSE University.
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Delegations from different regions of the country travelled to the National Centre RUSSIA for the Forum of Geography Teachers and Students of Specialised Universities.
