Nikolai Fyodorovich Bugay (; born 19 December 1941) is a Russian historian who has made a number of controversial claims while attempting to justify deportations of ethnic minorities in the USSR. Despite his controversies, he remains in academia and is an adviser of the Department of Interethnic Relations of the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia.

Early life

Born in Starotitarovskaya,

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...

, Bugay graduated from the

Kabardino-Balkarian State University Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU); ''Kabardino_Balkarskii gosudarstvennii universitet imeni H. M. Berbekova'', often abbreviated КБГУ, ''KBSU'') is a coeducational and public research university located in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balk ...

in 1968.

Career and controversy

In 1977 he was the scientific secretary of international relations of the

Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...

and head of the Group of History of National Relations in the USSR (Russia). In March 2002 he Was chosen to be consultant, advisor to the Regional Development Department of the Government Office of the Russian Federation. Since January 2005 he is advisor to the Department of Inter-Ethnic Relations of the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation. Bugay has published numerous works attempting to justify Stalinist repressions, mainly the deportations of ethnic minorities, including the

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, and

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. He came under heavy criticism for quoting a telegram by Beria out of context to completely change the meaning on page 147 of his book about deportations in the Caucasus. In full context, the quote shows Beria decided to look for information about alleged Balkar desertion ''after'' deciding he wanted them deported, but by omitting a fragment Bugay implied that Beria researched Balkar desertion and then decided he wanted the deportation - a critical timing difference completely changing the meaning and rational of the deportation. After being called out for the misleading writing in 2003, he did not get demoted in academia and remains in multiple influential positions in Russian historical societies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bugay, Nikolai 1941 births Living people People from Temryuksky District Soviet writers Soviet historians 21st-century Russian historians 20th-century Russian historians Recipients of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class