psuphilology

PSU Student from China Researchers War Literature, Gets PhD

The Faculty of Philology at Perm State University congratulates the graduate student Song Tianyao (China) on the successful defense of her PhD thesis in Russian Literature.

According to Professor Svetlana Burdina, tutor of Song Tianyao, her research might be regarded as significant, since, for the first time and in one paper, as it tracesthe influence of Russian military prose on Chinese literature of 20-21 centuries.

Throughout her studies and research activity at PSU, Song Tianyao worked as an assistant at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, and taught Chinese to students in Philology, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages and Literature (2018-2021). She previously graduated from Shandong University (China) in 2012, and further studied philology at Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (Moscow).

The thesis by Song Tianyao, titled “Artistic Reception of B. Vasiliev’s Military Prose in China”, has already received recognition by scholars from Tver and Moscow, Russia – praising her level of training,decent quality of translations and excellent command of the Russian language.

“The members of the dissertation council and thesis critics have been attracted by Song Tianyao’s revelation that a prose by a particular Russian writer became a ‘prism’ for the Chinese appreciation of war – serving a source for further interpretation in literature and film scripts,”

noted Dr. Boris Kondakov, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, PSU.

The thesis defense took place at the Dissertation Council for Philological Sciences of Tver State University. The tradition of defending a PhD thesis at some other university, other than the university of initial research, is quite frequent in Russia. As elsewhere globally, departments of Russian universities specialize in particular research problems. This leads to discipline-based dissertation councils– building research collaborations and acquiring graduate’s interests across the country.

To Remind,

In autumn, 2021, 15 students from the Chengdu Institute of the Sichuan University of Foreign Languages (China) came as future teachers of the Russian language to study at PSU. Their arrival had been inspired lead by another PSU alumnus, Li Wenxu, who graduated from the Faculty of Philology, PSU in 2018.

“In their research, students from China particularly compare Russian and Chinese literature, examine the influence of the former on the latter, and study the literature of ‘eastern’ Russian emigration in 20th century,”

says Ekaterina Klyuikova, Deputy Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Philology.

“Here at PSU, I learned to appreciate Russian military prose and rural writers. In Perm, I felt a real Russian spirit I missed to appreciate in the capital cities. The local culture brings us closer to nature and tradition,”

says Song Tianyao, PSU post-graduate in Philology.

A Story of PSU Student in Search of Homeplace – to and from Dubai, Back to Perm

Olga Averkieva, a senior teacher at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Perm State University (PSU) has brought together the stories of nine characters who had left Perm but came back to discover their own way in local arts, business and social life, as a set of documentary shorts – uniting them into the “Back Home” Film Project.  

The fifth short episode shows Lidia Skornyakova, a graduate student of the Faculty of Philology, PSU. Having had entered the University once, studying Journalism and Philology here, she then worked as an exhibition manager and art critic for the Yeltsin Center, Ekaterinburg, Russia, and later moved to Dubai, UAE. Yet, she got back to Perm… Following Lidia, in her own words:

“This is a brief story how I learned to be happy – getting back to where I once belonged. I was born in Perm. After school, I entered the Faculty of Philology at Perm State University. I initially went to study journalism, but got bored, and switched to philology, since I had always been into foreign languages. By 2011, when I was supposed to graduate from the Faculty of Philology, I experienced life crisis. That time, I found escape to be the only way to resolve my problems. I decided that moving to a different city and connecting myself to a different activity would make me different, too – and so shake my previous burdens off. I got carried away by an idea of becoming an art critic. I went to the city of Yekaterinburg, 3,5 hours car drive from Perm, and started looking for a job. My first serious professional occupation was the one at the Yeltsin Center, dedicate to the 1st Russian President and his era. The project had just been launched, encouraging each one of us to do our best. I remember myself getting into the thick of it, quite intensely. “

“The first time I went abroad was in 2012, a trip to Thailand. It all seemed a different planet to me, contrasting to my own environment and family’s vision that travels are for the rich people, as they don’t mind wasting money on nonsense; “What for? At which expense? Why not buy something practical, like kitchen crockery, instead?” After leaving the Yeltsin Center, I flew to Dubai. And, while I was moaning there to a female friend of mine, saying I didn’t want to return neither to Perm, nor Yekaterinburg… since after the Yeltsin Center everything seemed so low-scale and much too common to me… my friend told me: “Go, try find a job here! Elsewise, what’s the use of studying English for so many years?’ So, I did go and did find one. I became a real estate consultant with a 1,5 year contract. Gradually, I started getting tired of Dubai, feeling lack of cultural activity and native language communication in its deeper sense – looking for ideas and things to discuss instead of everyday routine, you know? I was missing performances, plays, theaters. The situation at my work did not get better, either. First, I realized that selling real estate was not my cup of tea. And, secondly, there was a moment when they decided to fire everyone right on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t like the idea of waiting for my turn, and flew back to Perm. ”

“Gosh, finding myself back home in Perm, I rushed headlong to the local stage scene and shows, at last! I did everything I could: the Philharmonic, the Organ Hall, the Cultural and Business Center, the Opera and Ballet Theater, and many other places, almost every day. I started thinking of where to study. And, as I stepped onto the University campus, something clicked – as it always did, and does every time I get in here: my goodness, how cool is the vibe, that’s  the place I’ve been missing! The Master’s Degree in Chinese was well announced, so, I passed the exams, and our Dean Dr. Boris Kondakov called me to say: Welcome to the Faculty, glad to have you back! “

“When I started my Master’s, I had been working, already. An old friend of mine had offered me to take part in a cool project by the Morse Code Creative Agency – a company dealing with museum design. As a result, I started a project that I am finishing now, telling the story of Perm basketball. I see it as my personal ‘Yeltsin Center’. Most importantly, not only did this project give me a new starting point, but a new perspective of my own life, too. Previously, I considered Perm quite a boring place: not obviously true, rather because I never showed interest in it. “

“Having started working at the Yeltsin Center, I discovered that the Perm people had often been the driving force behind changes outside the city. Like, when I lived in Dubai, I discovered a whole diaspora of Permians. This came as a shock, since I always regarded Perm as a small place, some kind of a province, almost a backwater in the middle of Russia. But, no! Many people are aware of Perm State University where I am currently studying at. Perm has its own sociological and linguistic schools – which are not imaginary, like a play of Perm scholars’ egos, but the internationally recognized ones. On the whole, these are the people who share their sparkle with you, some really interesting personalities and outstanding individuals. I can’t explain why these people still make Perm their homeplace. I would, of course, like to see certain opportunities allowing them to not only personally grow, but also feel required, important and in demand to Perm… For it is here, not in St. Petersburg or Moscow, Yekaterinburg or Dubai, that they might have these prospects, belonging to their home. “

Looking back, and as an afterword, Olga Averkieva, author of the project admits: “We did not mean to shoot it for the sake of cinema as art. It is a collective reflection on why people are coming back. I hope that these series may become an impact film – the one affecting the social situation in the Perm territory. Following that line, we can go to schools, colleges and social cinemas, places of free screening, where the “Back Home” series are much welcomed.” The project had already been supported by the Presidential Grants Funding and the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation.

The “Back Home” Film – see the original episode “To Be the Happy One” 9in Russian) here.

Starring: Lidia Skornyakova, Aleksandr Noskov, Marina Garanovich, Maria Duhnova;
Script and editing: Kapitolina Dolgikh,
Camera crew: Sergey Lepikhin, Angelina Trushnikova;
Sound design: Mikhail Toropov;
Composer: Gannadyi Shyroglazov;

Project by: Olga Averkieva;
Art mentorship: Boris Karadzhev;
Produced by Olga Averkieva and Vladimir Sokolov;

The Novyi Kurs (New Course) Film Studio, Perm, Russia.  

PSU Scholars Contribute to Film on Pasternak, Participate International Contest

15 years ago, PSU scholars Vladimir Abashev, Elena Vlasova, Ivan Pechishchev and Anastasia Firsova took part in the creation of the Pasternak’s House Museum in the village of Vsevolodo-Vilva – a local Ural place associated with a famous Russian poet and author of the “Doctor Zhivago” novel, who lived here in 1916.

Boris Pasternak (1890-1960) is known as a man of letters, and a Nobel-prize winner, which lead to his friction with the Soviet government, yet a great popularity around the world.  The Museum in Vsevolodo-Vilva is known for its natural folk scenery, typical of the Northern Urals, sung in Pasternak’s poetry.

In 2021, the film “Pasternak’s Oberland” was shot with a contribution by Perm State University philologists, allowing to experience the Museum’s vibe – the youngest and most remote branch of the Perm Museum of Local Lore, which attracts up to 3000 visitors annually by its creative and inclusive activity.

The film was sent to a prestigious competition of MUSEUMS IN SHORT 2021, an international contest in short videos realized by/for/with museums, in the category “Storytelling: Short Narratives in Video Format”. The audience is welcome to see the film and vote here.

Pictures’ source:
Pasternak’s House Museum in Vsevolodo-Vilva.
Museums in Short Film Festival.

PSU International Students Lead in Russian Language Contest

A team of students from Turkmenistan, studying at the Faculty of Philology, PSU, has become a winner of a national competition in Russian language competency. The contest brought together international students from several Russian universities coming from the Republic of Botswana, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Morocco, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The competition marked the 220th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Dahl (1801-1872), the famous lexicographer, a friend of Alexander Pushkin, a writer and passionate ‘collector’ of the Russian language and its dialects. The event, which started on 22 November, also echoed the national Day of Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.

The venue took place at the Astrakhan State University, with a support by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The project aims to improve literacy among non-Russian speakers, expanding the boundaries of the Russian language and cultural space.

International students from four Russian higher educational institutions – Perm State University (PSU), Astrakhan State University, Astrakhan State Technical University and Astrakhan State Medical University met the challenge and took part in the competition.

In teams, contestants developed projects related to Dal’s professional activity, connected to his famous Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. The students showed creativity at making colorful presentations, selecting poems and videos, comparing proverbs and sayings in different languages. PSU Turkmenistan team offered an online quiz, based on Dal’s patterns.

PSU School of Philology, founded in 1916, has been popular over years until today. Apart from studying literature and learning languages, modern students in philology learn Internet technologies, web design, media relations, content management and create their own projects.

Among the Faculty partners are universities from Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, UK and Yugoslavia and Baltic states – running educational and research projects in Russia and overseas.

Picture source.

The Chinese Experience: Study Russian and Get New Job Prospects!

Why studying Russian brings you profits and boosts career? Some of our successful graduates know the answer! For, whatever disciplines you gain while studying abroad, besides new skills, you bring back home your knowledge about the foreign culture and its language. Why not make money from that?

22 international students out of 28 have been accepted to PhD programs of the Faculty of Philology at Perm State University (PSU), in 2021. 21 Chinese and 1 Japanese postgraduates will study Linguistics and Literary Studies – as 24 full-time students, and 4 part-time ones.

This is a small, yet meaningful record for the Faculty of Philology at PSU, which teaches a wider variety of courses – such as journalism, media communications, advertising and public relations, philology, pedagogics, informational and library studies, languages and literature criticism.

15 students came as future teachers of the Russian language from the Chengdu Institute of the Sichuan University of Foreign Languages. Notably, they were encouraged to apply by their young teaching professor Li Wenxu, who graduated from the Faculty of Philology, PSU in 2018.

“In their research, students from China particularly compare Russian and Chinese literature, examine the influence of the former on the latter, and study the literature of ‘eastern’ Russian emigration in 20th century,”

says Ekaterina Klyuikova, Deputy Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Philology.

“Here at PSU, I learned to appreciate Russian military prose and rural writers. In Perm, I felt a real Russian spirit I missed to appreciate in the capital cities. The local culture brings us closer to nature and tradition,”

says Song Tianyao, PSU post-graduate student in Philology.

Academic exchanges and mobility programs with partner universities help to reduce the price of courses, studied at PSU. In 2021, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Russian Federation has provided scholarship support to four foreign citizens from Georgia, Columbia, Syria and Tajikistan.   

PSU School of Philology, founded in 1916 as a part of the Faculty of History and Philology, has passed a long way through transformation to the Faculty of Philology in 1960, and separation from modern foreign languages and literature in 2003, growing and getting recognition on national level, and beyond.  

During its century-long history the Faculty served a launch pad for more than 6000 graduates in philological sciences: linguists and journalists, publishers and literary critics, teachers and writers, media managers and specialists in public relations.

The Faculty partners with universities from China, Korea, Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and the Baltic countries – extending international collaborations in study and research.

Foreign Musician to Join a Theatre Play by PSU Alumnus

On the very first days of winter 2021, a German-based musician IVAN joins Nikolay Gostyukhin (Perm, Moscow, Russia; Berlin, Germany), graduate of the Faculty of Philology, PSU, for his production of “Illusions” – a theater play and its televised version by Ivan Vyrypaev a popular contemporary Russian writer.

The play by Vyrypaev is a story about the illusory nature of love. It consists of monologues by four people, telling a touching life story of two married couples who have been friends with each other for many years. The play characters step into a frank conversation and sincere contact – the act many of us, spectators, have been deprived of during the COVID-19 epidemic and the following lockdown.

Ivan Vyrypaev is a popular Russian playwright, screenwriter, film director, actor and art director. He is a regarded as a leading figure in the Russian New Drama movement.

The music for both projects was composed by IVAN (Ivan Axenov), a young Berlin musician of Russian origin. The play and the film share common musical pieces. For a recent play, IVAN wrote several more musical themes.

“I’m a musician and a pathologist,” IVAN states. “How is this related? No way. Music has been with me since childhood, and I learned the specialty of a doctor later. Every day when I look through a microscope, I sort of look down on groups of people. And it gives me a lot of knowledge about the structure of society and our collective unconscious. It sounds very clever, but it’s actually quite simple. I look at the world with my eyes, and I reflect it in the form of sounds.”

According to Nikolay Gostyukhin, the director, the play is a story about the illusory nature of love: “at the end of days, you may find that for the whole of your love you have actually loved someone else.”

For the recent performance, Nikolai Gostyukhin, will be assisted by Alexei Khoroshev, the lighting designer, Perm Opera and Ballet Theater, and Nikita Goinov, designer and teacher, the Tochka Design School. Nikolay Gostyukhin made his debut as a play director for the performances of the “Iranian Conference” (2019) and “Excitement” (2020), which were also based on plays by Ivan Vyrypaev.

“Illusions” Play Page.

Photos from the rehearsal.

“Illusions” Movie Play page.

Photos from the film version.

Ivan Axenov (aka IVAN).

Additional information: Petr Kravchenko, + 7912 78 202 96

Musician’s Picture Source: Ivan Axenov’s Facebook Page: @100005863154670

PSU Student Joins European Youth Press

Elina Gabdurazakova, a 4th year student at the Faculty of Philology, PSU, has become an exclusive representative of the Russian Federation at the General Assembly of the European Youth Press (EYP).

EYP is actively involved in discussions on standards of education in journalism and media policy, in the European Union and beyond. Elina’s name had been proposed by the Yunpress media agency and federal public organization, Russia.

“Representing Russia means people’s trust in me, I am very glad I was able to get 10 out of 13 votes, and become an EYP member. For the next two years, I will represent there the interests of Russian youth journalism. Having joined efforts with European colleagues, this is also a chance to reach for new horizons in professional activity,”

says Elina.

Annually, EYP members meet to discuss urgent issues and make important decisions. There, Elina had presented her speech in English, introducing herself and her professional intentions. The successful performance allowed her to join the EYP executive committee.

In December 2021, the first meeting of the new EYP members will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, where the roles and responsibilities of each national representative will be determined.

PSU Alumnus Gets a PhD in Russian, Teaches at a Chinese University

What do you become after the University? Yin Jiejie (China), our alumnus from the Faculty of Philology, talks about the reason he had chosen education in Russia, his achievements and discoveries during the student years, and his prospects after the graduation.

A passion to literature might be one’s pass to a university – Russian and Chinese, in Jiejie’s case. To compare them, he decided to study in Russia. “I was eager to see your country, meet Russian people, experience your culture and raise the language level,” confirms Yin Jiejie. “I also heard much about the beauty of Russian women.”

Jiejie had chosen Linguistics and Literary Studies as primary subjects. “To be honest, I’ve never heard of Perm before. A friend of mine recommended Perm State University, as she used to study here,” Jiejie recollects. “I remember my first steps on campus as a touch of a centenary history. Each building has its own story, resembling wisemen. I also liked the university sculptures. Most importantly, I received a scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. “

Russian writers Viktor Astafiev and Valentin Rasputin, widely known in China, served a research source for Jiejie, who studied ‘ethical space’ of their novels. During his spare time, Jiejie worked as a Chinese language teacher and translator, and was also engaged in arts and sports. He danced during performances at the PSU Student Club, and played basketball with the University team. In the countryside, Jiejie learned to take a steam bath, cook Russian dishes, and skate.

Recently, Jiejie teaches at one of the universities in China. “Russian education helped me find a reliable and respected job back home. I teach the Russian language, which I love, at Shandong Women’s University,” he comments. “Staying with students makes you feel young, task-oriented and learn new things.”

Today, a greater amount of foreign students at Perm State University come from China, followed by those from Iraq and Turkmenistan – choosing the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, the Faculty of Philology, and Chemistry, as a primary choice.

Sunny Weather, Media and Voices Off-Line: PSU Greets Delegation from Kyrgyzstan

On 27 April, a delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic has paid a visit to Perm State University (PSU), discussing the challenges of media literacy, youth initiatives and university community.

The University offered a one day intense schedule for the visitors, including communication with PSU teaching fellows and activists, a visit to the Univer-TV Studio, University radio and student media center, department of public relations and press office. They peeped in a local broadcasting session and walked around the campus. The visit to PSU allowed the Russian and Kyrgyz colleagues to discuss common issues and plan further academic and practical cooperation.

“While our colleagues from Kyrgyzstan have planned a visit to several Russian faculties of journalism, Perm State University became the only local-based institution, from the thick of the country,” – admits Ivan Pechishchev, associate professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, PSU. “Our colleagues included Perm into their agenda specifically to study our approaches and methods of teaching, knowing about the student initiatives and the university support. I am glad our colleagues did highly appreciate our media practices.”

The delegation from Kyrgyzstan included representatives of several known institutions, to mention the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Osh State University, the “School of Data” Public Foundation, Bishkek Humanitarian K. Karasayev University, Kyrgyz National Zhusupa Balasagyna University, Kloop Media Public Foundation, American University of Central Asia.

The Kyrgyz colleagues asked a lot of questions, showing interest in program topics and formats of activity. In response, they shared their own ideas and best practices, as well as the progress of those projects launched previously with the participation of Perm State University.

The Faculty of Philology, PSU is known for its fruitful cooperation with CIS partners. For several years, Ivan Pechishchev has been acting as a mentor for the Media and Social Innovation Lab, addressing representatives of the media industry, IT companies and NGOs in Central Asia, allowing to bring those best insights and media practices to local communities, acquiring to overall civil progress and sustainable development.

PSU to Launch a New Masters Program, Uniting Partners from Europe and Asia

Perm State University team has joined a consortium of scholars from Russia and abroad – discussing the new ARTEST project, aiming at implementation of digital methods of research and teaching within humanities. The partner universities from Russia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Mongolia shared their positive experience in the field, as well as discussed possible tasks to perform.

In 2020, the ARTEST project became a grant winner of the EU international program Erasmus+. The main goal of the project is to rethink education in art and heritage and humanities in Russia and Mongolia, incorporating European standards and research practices in the field. The ARTEST program intends to create a new master’s program, run by the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, PSU.

“Our first meeting has demonstrated the willingness of partners to start the project. Albeit online, we managed to get to know the project teams and learn about their activities in digital humanities – serving a basis for creating an interdisciplinary master’s program. We are glad to start the project with such a positive “go” signal,”

says Natalya Dobrynina, Head of Department of Network Programs and Educational Projects, PSU.

PSU will serve the goal of re-translating its experience in to Asian partners from Tuva and Mongolia, while being a recipient of the knowledge the University learnt from European partners. Faculty of History and Political Science, Faculty of Philology, and the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology, PSU will also take part. The consortium is coordinated by the University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln, Germany).

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