The Year of Literature closed at the Literary Character’s Ball at the Russian State Library Exhibition Center on December, 11. First Deputy Minister of Education and Science N.V. Tretyak and Deputy Minister of Education and Science V. Sh. Kaganow awarded the winners of “Russian Literary Heritage” contest organized by the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.

More than a hundred of higher education institutions from 30 regions took part in the contest. They presented digital educational programs, video lectures and videos, multimedia presentations and photos on biography and work of Russian writers and poets, programs on educational tourism and excursions around literary places.

Saratov State University project “Khlestakov, Ivan Aleksandrovich – main character of ‘The Government Inspector’ by Gogol” won the II place. Its author is Prof. V.V. Prozorov, Doctor of Philology, scientific advisor of the Institute of Philology and Journalism, Chair of the Department of Literary Studies and Journalism. The project tells about a famous literary character from Podkatilovka village, Saratov Province and ‘Khlestakov festival’ dedicated to him; the festival has been an annual event for twenty years already and includes various events: scientific readings, theatre plays, concerts, quizzes for school and university students. Every year the festival offers something new: fairs, TV shows, etc.

V.V. Prozorov says that Khlestakov is one of the most important characters in Russian literature. “This is a phenomenon of emptiness that one can fill with anything and act according to the circumstances in a most unpredictable manner. In real life we find so many varieties of Khlestakov; it is surprising how Gogol saw this readiness that is in everyone, this wish and ability to be something else. Sometimes it is an innocent state of mind and sometimes it is socially important and has some consequences, even dramatic ones. It makes the character very interesting and versatile”.

Literary festivals and holidays in Russia are not a rarity. There are Pushkin festival and Lermontov festival of poetry, Astafiev readings, Sholokhov’s spring festival and Turgenev’s summer festival. However, events dedicated to certain literary characters are not so popular. There is the Oblomov festival in Ulyanovsk although it is much younger that Saratov festival. So Khlestakov festival is a pioneer of this tradition.