Foundation for Historical Outlook

The Foundation for Historical Outlook (Russian: Фонд исторической перспективы, ФИП; also rendered as the Foundation for the Study of Historical Perspective) is a Moscow-based non-commercial public organization founded in 2004 by the historian and politician Natalia Narochnitskaya, a doctor of historical sciences and former member of the fourth State Duma of the Russian Federation. The foundation describes itself as an intellectual centre created to counter what it calls falsifications of Russian history and to help shape a positive image of Russia in European and world public opinion. Its stated mission is to build an information and analytical field in which strategic questions about Russia's present and future are examined in inseparable connection with the restoration of the historical memory of Russian civilization and the strengthening of national self-awareness. The foundation says its work rests on the principles of nationally oriented conservatism. From its earliest projects the foundation addressed what it framed as the painful points of Russian politics — the falsification of history, colour revolutions, and the strengthening of Russian sovereignty — and it claims these projects generated wide public resonance. It grew by cooperating with leading Russian intellectual centres and by 2009 had begun a series of large scholarly, informational, analytical and publishing projects; by 2014 it described itself as an authoritative structure in the field of historical policy in Russia. Its output spans books, articles, periodicals, internet resources, bulletins and multimedia, often produced jointly with academic and state-linked partners and sometimes supported by Russian state grant funds. Publishing is closely tied to the foundation's research, sociological, political-science and educational projects. Notable series and projects include the 'Actual History' book series produced with the Veche publishing house, the multimedia project 'The Return of Stolen Meanings' on coverage of the Great Patriotic War in the English-language press from 1941 to 1945, the project 'History of Russian Statehood', the grant-funded project 'Sim Pobedishi! Russian Society and the Army in Moments of Trial' launched in August 2023 with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and preparations to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. The foundation also runs internet outlets, including the online newspaper 'Stoletie' and the official site of its president. The foundation has also drawn criticism and controversy. Estonian Wikipedia describes it as a Kremlin-funded and Kremlin-directed Russian history propaganda foundation, and notes that in 2008 it organized research in Estonia and Latvia on the situation of national minorities, work carried out in Estonia by a human-rights information centre that Estonian security police have called an agent of Russian influence. The resulting book on minority-rights problems in Latvia and Estonia was presented in Moscow in July 2009 and at the European Parliament press centre in Brussels in December 2009. The foundation has also published books defending the former Soviet partisan Vassily Kononov and criticizing the Hague tribunal of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic. After the 2015 annexation of Crimea it ran the project 'Crimea in Russia's Historical Memory', and it launched projects on the Second World War and on national identity in the Eurasian Economic Union states. Its president is Natalia Narochnitskaya and its director-general is Vladimir Romanov.

The Foundation for Historical Outlook (Фонд исторической перспективы, ФИП) was established in 2004 as a non-commercial public organization by Natalia Narochnitskaya, a doctor of historical sciences, political scientist and member of the fourth State Duma of the Russian Federation. According to the foundation's own account, it brought together representatives of the Russian intellectual community convinced that without knowledge of Russia's history, without comprehending its historical experience and national specificity, it is impossible to understand the present or move into the future. Its founding purpose was to create an information and analytical field in which strategic questions about the country's present and future would be considered in inseparable connection with the restoration of the historical memory of Russian civilization and the strengthening of national self-awareness. The foundation framed its work as uniting specialists and experts in international relations, geopolitics, history, information and the media. Its first projects addressed what it described as the most important and painful points of Russian politics — the falsification of history, colour revolutions, and the strengthening of Russian sovereignty — and the foundation says these generated wide public resonance. It then expanded cooperation with leading Russian intellectual centres and by 2009 had begun implementing a series of large scholarly, informational, analytical and publishing projects. By 2014 it described itself as an authoritative structure in the field of historical policy in Russia, with a remit covering a broad range of international, political, economic and cultural problems. Publishing became a central activity, closely tied to the foundation's research, sociological, political-science and educational projects; in most cases the published texts are the final stage of work by experts and scholars engaged by the foundation. In 2012 it continued work on the 'Actual History' series together with the Veche publishing house. The foundation also runs internet outlets, including the online newspaper 'Stoletie' and the official website of its president, and it organizes conferences and public presentations. Internationally, the foundation became known for research and publications on the Baltic states and on historical controversies. In 2008 it organized research in Estonia and Latvia on the situation of national minorities; in Estonia the work was carried out by a human-rights information centre that Estonian security police have described as an agent of Russian influence. The resulting book on problems of minority rights in Latvia and Estonia was presented in Moscow on 28 July 2009 and in Brussels at the European Parliament press centre on 10 December 2009. The foundation also published a book defending former Soviet partisan Vassily Kononov, presented in St Petersburg in November 2011, and a 2010 book criticizing the Hague tribunal of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic. After Russia's 2015 annexation of Crimea, the foundation carried out the project 'Crimea in Russia's Historical Memory', which sought to portray Crimea as a historical and organic part of Russia. In the same year it launched the project 'The Second World War: Facts and Interpretation', aimed at opposing what it called Western attempts to use history for political purposes, and a project on national-state identity in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, launched in Belarus and Kazakhstan, which it described as developing ways to counter revision of the historical memory of those countries and to strengthen a Russia-friendly national identity. In 2020, marking 75 years since the end of the Second World War, it planned the book series 'The Truth of Victory'. In August 2023, with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, it began the grant project 'Sim Pobedishi! Russian Society and the Army in Moments of Trial', and it has been preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. Estonian Wikipedia characterizes the foundation as a Kremlin-funded and Kremlin-directed Russian history propaganda foundation. Its president is Natalia Narochnitskaya and its director-general is Vladimir Romanov.

• 2020

  Planned the book series 'The Truth of Victory' to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War.

• 2015

  Ran the project 'Crimea in Russia's Historical Memory' and launched projects on the Second World War and on national identity in Eurasian Economic Union states.

• 2014

  Described itself as an authoritative structure in the field of historical policy in Russia.

• 2012

  Continued work on the 'Actual History' series with the Veche publishing house.

• 2010

  Published a book criticizing the Hague tribunal of Slobodan Milosevic.

• 2009

  Began implementing a series of large scholarly, informational, analytical and publishing projects.

• 2008

  Organized research in Estonia and Latvia on the situation of national minorities.

• 2004

  Foundation for Historical Outlook founded by Natalia Narochnitskaya as a non-commercial public organization.

• Presentation in Moscow of the Russian-language edition on minority-rights problems in Latvia and Estonia.

• Presentation of the English-language edition at the European Parliament press centre in Brussels.

• Presentation in St Petersburg of the book defending former Soviet partisan Vassily Kononov.

• Began the grant project 'Sim Pobedishi! Russian Society and the Army in Moments of Trial' with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

A nationally oriented conservative intellectual and publishing foundation dedicated to countering perceived falsifications of Russian history and shaping a positive image of Russia abroad.

• 'Actual History' book series

  Book series produced jointly with the Veche publishing house; work continued in 2012.

• 'The Return of Stolen Meanings' multimedia project

  Multimedia project on coverage of the Great Patriotic War in the English-language press from 1941 to 1945.

• 'History of Russian Statehood' project

  A project on the history of Russian statehood.

• 'Sim Pobedishi! Russian Society and the Army in Moments of Trial'

  Grant project launched in August 2023 with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

• 'The Truth of Victory' book series

  Book series planned for the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, featuring works by leading Russian scholars.

• Online newspaper 'Stoletie'

  Internet newspaper operated by the foundation.

• Book on minority-rights problems in Latvia and Estonia

  Result of 2008 research; Russian edition presented in Moscow in 2009 and English edition in Brussels in 2009.

• Book defending Vassily Kononov

  'Politics versus History: The Case of Partisan Kononov', presented in St Petersburg in November 2011.

• Book criticizing the Hague tribunal of Slobodan Milosevic

  'A Parody of Justice: The Hague Court against Slobodan Milosevic' (2010).

1. 1Фонд изучения исторической перспективы — official websitefiip.ru
2. 2О Фонде — official websitefiip.ru
3. 3Публикации — official websitefiip.ru
4. 4СМИ о нас — official websitefiip.ru
5. 5Foundation for Historical Outlook — Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Ajaloolise Perspektiivi Fond — Estonian Wikipediaet.wikipedia.org