15 Dec 1959
Was born Tamara Eidelman — historian, teacher, writer, and blogger. Popularizer of history. Since 2003 — Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation. Since 2022 — a "foreign agent" (according to the Ministry of Justice). Mother of a public figure. Mitya Aleshkovsky. Author of the books "How Propaganda Works" and "The Right to Life: The History of the Death Penalty."
Enemies are sought everywhere. It's safe to say that people—and not just in our country—are practically waiting for someone to finally point out the villains who threaten them and their loved ones. (How Propaganda Works)
When something arises for which one can execute, the idea follows that there is something for which one must execute. (The right to life...)
She was born into a family of historians. Her father, Nathan Eidelman, was a Pushkin scholar, a specialist in creativity Herzen, the author of books about the Decembrists and Karamzin. Episodes from his book "The Edge of Centuries. The Doomed Monarch Paul I"—about the last days of the emperor's life and assassination—form the second plot line in Solovyov's "Assa." “This too was a leap towards freedom, a perverted one,” "Tamara later explained the appearance of Paul I in the 1987 drama. She repeatedly emphasized that it was her father who instilled in her a love of history—through stories about people who influenced the course of history.
We often criticize Alexander I for his indecisiveness and caution—he wanted to implement reforms, but he didn't. He was afraid. And this truly had very tragic consequences for Russian history. On the other hand, this is a man whose father and grandfather were killed in conspiracies. And one can imagine how many times he woke up in his palace at night, listening for anyone coming to see him. (lecture "How to get rid of dictators")
She graduated from the History Department of Moscow State University in 1981. For 35 years—from 1986 to 2021—she worked as a history and social studies teacher at a Moscow school, and then at Gymnasium No. 1567.
She has published articles on teaching issues in magazines and participated in TED Talks. She has hosted radio programs about books on Mayak and Radio Rossii. She is the author of children's audio courses on history on Radio Arzamas and the "Direct Speech" lecture series for schools. She blogged for 10 years on the Echo of Moscow website.
In 2019, she launched the YouTube channel "History Lessons with Tamara Eidelman." It currently has over 1,7 млн Subscribers, nearly 1000 videos are available—educational lessons on various historical topics—"The History of Russia," "Mysteries of Ancient Civilizations," "World War II," "Stalin," "Conversations About What's Important," and much more:
The Roman orator Cicero said that history is the teacher of life. Since then, everyone has constantly argued that history teaches no one anything. Our history lessons aren't the kind you'd find in school; they're stories about issues and events that we all need to reflect on—and thus learn from. (from the channel description)
Since 2014, she has spoken out against the annexation of Crimea, and in March, she became one of the organizers of the Peace March. She was detained along with her daughter while picketing outside the Ministry of Defense. At the police station, she lectured those around her on the history of civil disobedience. Three hours later, after waiting for no action from the police, she left the station through a window.
We opened the window, and about five people walked out. It was our right; they can't keep us for more than three hours... Unfortunately, the rest stayed. And then only a few were released, while most were kept overnight. (from an interview with Novaya Gazeta)
On February 24, 2022, she was abroad. She decided not to return to Moscow. She continues to run a YouTube channel and engage in educational activities.
Psychologically, it's long been known that when many around you say that black is white, you start saying the same thing too. That's why any opposition is so important. It only takes one dissenting voice, and people realize the magic is wearing off. (from an interview with "Eyewitnesses")
In the fall of 2022, the Ministry of Justice added the historian to the "foreign agent" registry. In the summer of 2024, a criminal case was opened against Eidelman for "rehabilitation of Nazism." Allegedly, "Nazism propaganda" was detected in the video "Stolen Victory Day," which discusses how propaganda exploits the history of World War II for its own ends.