On May 20, Saratov State University hosted a meeting with the author and presenter of the TV show, Smart Pupils, MGIMO Professor Yurii Vyazemskii. He arrived to Saratov for the finals of the 6th regional humanities olympiad for schoolchildren, Smart Pupils of Saratov Region.
During his visit, the professor gave a lecture to the teaching staff and students of SSU. The event was attended by Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Development Alexei Koronovskii, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Igor Malinskii, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko, Director of Institute of Continuing Training Yurii Golub, the deputy deans and the deputy directors of the faculties and the institutes of SSU.
Yurii Vyazemsky's lecture was devoted to the giants of world literature, the influence of various cultures on the work of writers, and the peculiarities of literary translation.
The guest of the audience was introduced by the head of the Saratov regional branch of the National Parent Association Natalia Kriventsova. The conversation took place as a dialogue, Yurii Vyazemskii skillfully quoted Russian and world classics, switching the focus of the audience's attention from the words of one genius to the opinions of another.
‘Giants are people who have come up with a new literary mindset that is recognised in various cultures. These people create traditions and influence other. And thinking cannot exist without new images and paradoxes,’ Yurii Vyazemskii said.
Speaking about ancient authors, he recalled the literary and philosophical heritage of Aristophanes, Euripides, Aristocles, and Homer, who developed cultural strata for centuries.
The literary journey to the lectures of Yurii Vyazemsii continued in Italy with Dante Alighieri and his Divine Comedy. Then, the participants of the educational “tour” moved to Shakespeare's England. Spain, in the professor's view, is Miguel de Cervantes with his Don Quixote, and the literary heritage of Germany is directly connected with J.W. Goethe. France is Francois Rabelais, Jean-Baptiste Moliere. England carefully preserves the traditions of one of the founders of the detective genre, Arthur Conan Doyle.
Who are the giants of Russian literature, perhaps, the main question that worried the participants of the meeting. In Yurii Vyazemskii, these are Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, who influenced world literature and theatrical life, Leo Tolstoy and his world masterpiece War and Peace, Boris Pasternak and his complex lyrics. Alexander Pushkin is an entirely national genius who created the great Russian literary the language according to the lecturer.
Commenting on the difficulties of translating and interpreting classics in other languages, Yurii Vyazemskii said, ‘In order for literature in a foreign language to be accepted, it must be “digested” well. A lion is a well-digested ram. However, in the process of “digestion”, the author's metaphorical series, certain deep motives, and those allegories that form the key vector of the narrative may disappear.’
In the dialogue mode, students found out Prof. Vyazemskii’s literary preferences, his positioning as a writer, learned about the benefits of reading, as well as attitude to e-books and online learning.
He hoped that students would make sure to find time to read, as opposed to social networks and gadgets.
‘You definitely need to read something, something that captures you, something that is interesting, any literature, except posts and videos on social networks.’
To remind, Yurii Vyazemskii is a Soviet and Russian writer, philosopher, TV-presenter, author of the famous books Pontius Pilate’s Childhood and Ulysses’ Armament. Since 2006, he has been Chair of the Department of World Literature and Culture at the Faculty of International Journalism, MGIMO. In 1992, the first issue of his author's TV-show, Smart Pupils, was released. The TV-olympiad for schoolchildren is held in the humanities and social sciences. Finalists get the opportunity to enroll in Russian higher education institutions on preferential terms.
