Russian historian Kirill Alexandrov is a very mixed person. Some see him as an ardent fighter who defends the impartiality of studying history, the second as a successful PR man, and a third even consider his works to be extremist. It is very difficult to figure out which of them is right, especially if you don’t know anything about Kirill Alexandrov himself. Therefore, let us consider the most significant episodes of his life that can shed light on his worldview.
Kirill Alexandrov: biography of early years
Cyril was born on September 18, 1972 in St. Petersburg. His father was a military man, so from early childhood he taught his son to historical literature. Aleksandrov later admits that one of the brightest memories of his childhood is connected with the book by Arkady Vasiliev “At one o’clock in the afternoon, Your Excellency”. It was from her that he first learned about Vlasov and the riddles that hide his identity.
An important detail is the fact that Kirill Alexandrov studied in a specialized historical class of school No. 307. Perhaps this fact became key in the biography of the young man, since he subsequently chose this discipline as his main guideline. However, after graduation, it will be many more years before Alexandrov becomes a real historian.
But he took up social activities immediately after receiving the certificate. So, in 1989, Kirill Alexandrov joined the People's Labor Union of Russian Solidarists. Not afraid of pressure from above, he boldly communicates with representatives of the Russian emigration. Moreover, he transfers the majority of the information received from them to the masses, thanks to his work as a correspondent at Radio Lithuania Studio.
Kirill Alexandrov - historian
In 1995, Aleksandrov finally graduated from the Russian State Pedagogical University. Herzen, after which he enters graduate school at St. Petersburg University of Economics. He chooses the history of Russia and foreign countries as the main direction.
It was here that he was able to plunge headlong into the study of the life of Vlasov and his entourage. Later this topic will form the basis of his dissertation, “Armed formations of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia in 1944-1945. The problem of operational characteristics ”, for which he will receive a Ph.D. in historical sciences in 2002.
In the period from 2002 to 2005 he worked as a history teacher at school No. 154 in his hometown. Then he becomes a research fellow at St. Petersburg State University. And in March 2016 he again presented his dissertation on the Vlasov movement, only this time a doctorate, and successfully defended it.
Ambiguous criticism of the works of Aleksandrov
Kirill Alexandrov is a historian whose name provokes mixed reviews. So, some consider him a fearless enthusiast, and the second - an unscrupulous charlatan. The reason for this is his scientific work on the activities of Vlasov and his team. What in them so excites consciousness of people?
If we talk about the positive aspects, then Kirill Alexandrov used in his works the most accurate and relevant materials. In order to get them, he for a long time raked up the rubble in the archives of Soviet and foreign special services. Thanks to this, his dissertations are filled with facts hitherto hidden from the eyes of ordinary citizens.
However, despite the uniqueness of his work, there are several points that cause outright indignation among some historians. The reason is too loyal attitude towards Vlasov. On the pages of the dissertation there are many references to the atrocities of Comrade Stalin, but at the same time, the author overlooks the cruelty of the Germans and the Vlasovites themselves.
Nevertheless, both dissertations of Kirill Alexandrov were successfully defended. And this suggests that the historian carefully worked out all the material, eliminating all false facts. Therefore, it does not matter how other people relate to his activities - he knows his business for sure.
Scientific activity
First of all, Kirill Alexandrov is known as a specialist working with the history of Russia of the XIX-XX centuries. He gained most of his knowledge by studying the old archives of Russia, Germany, France, and the United States. Moreover, he worked with classified data under the custody of the FSB. In particular, Alexandrov was able to read almost all the cases related to the activities of General Vlasov.
Thanks to this, the scientist wrote more than 250 publications on the history of Russia. Most of the materials were published on the anti-Stalinist movement, as well as on the secrets of World War II. In addition, Kirill Alexandrov repeatedly conducted journalistic investigations for many historical magazines and newspapers.
Work on television
In addition, Aleksandrov is known as the author of a number of documentary television programs. He is also often invited as an expert on television. For example, he collaborates with Channel One, where he takes part in the “Serving the Fatherland” program. It is also noteworthy that in 1994 he helped German directors to make a film about the life of Andrei Andreyevich Vlasov under the name “Twice Cursed General”.