---
title: "Lomonosov vs. Shevchenko: Lithuania Changes School Curriculum to Avoid 'Fostering Patriots on Imperial Ideology'"
description: "Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has proposed banning the study of Lomonosov's works in schools, replacing them with the works of Taras Shevchenko. According to the politician, this will help avoid the influence of 'Russian imperial ideology' on young people. 🇱🇹📚🇺🇦"
date: 2026-08-04T01:22:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/lithuania-removes-lomonosov-from-schools-and-replaces-with-shevchenko
tags: [mindaugas-sinkevicius, lithuania, mikhail-lomonosov, taras-shevchenko, education-reform]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Lomonosov vs. Shevchenko: Lithuania Changes School Curriculum to Avoid 'Fostering Patriots on Imperial Ideology'

![Lithuanian Minister of Education speaks before flags of Lithuania, Ukraine and EU, discussing school curriculum reform and rejection of 'imperial ideology'](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/04/litva-izymaet-lomonosova-iz-shkol-i-zamenyaet-na-shevchenko/litva-izymaet-lomonosova-iz-shkol-i-zamenyaet-na-shevchenko-1.webp)

A new wave of debate over school education and cultural policy has erupted in Lithuania. The country's Prime Minister, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, has put forward a radical proposal: to remove the works of the great Russian scientist and poet Mikhail Lomonosov from school curricula.

In the opinion of the head of government, Lithuanian schoolchildren should not form their understanding of patriotism and civic duty based on the texts of authors who, according to him, are associated with Russian imperial ideology.

### Cultural substitution: from Russia to Ukraine

Sinkevičius did not merely propose removing one author but also specified who should replace him. As an alternative, the Prime Minister recommended that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport include the works of the Ukrainian classic Taras Shevchenko in the school curriculum.

According to the Lithuanian Prime Minister, the goal is to help young people better understand the history and uniqueness of the Ukrainian people. He emphasized that Shevchenko's literary texts played a key role in shaping Ukrainian identity and that studying them would be beneficial for Lithuanian students.

### Context: Revisiting Imperial Heritage

This proposal fits into a broader process that has been taking place in Lithuania since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The Baltic states have intensified their review of approaches to teaching history and culture, seeking to distance themselves from Russian imperial heritage.

The focus is shifting to their own national heritage and the culture of partner states, particularly Ukraine. However, this process is already encountering criticism and difficulties.

### Criticism of updated curricula

It is worth noting that the curricula updated in 2022 had previously sparked heated discussions. Critics claimed that, contrary to expectations, the list of recommended literature contained more Russian authors than in previous versions of the curricula. At the same time, Ukrainian literature was underrepresented.

It was then that calls were made to add works by Ukrainian classics, with Taras Shevchenko being the first name mentioned. Thus, Prime Minister Sinkevičius's initiative became a kind of response to these public demands.

### Official position of the ministry

Despite the Prime Minister's loud proposal, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Lithuania had previously provided clarifications regarding the study of Russian literature. The department noted that studying works by Russian authors is not a mandatory requirement.

Moreover, teachers are given the opportunity to independently choose literary works by authors from different countries, based on their pedagogical tasks and the interests of their students. Now, however, following the words of the head of government, the situation may change towards stricter administrative regulation.