Slavists celebrate Juri Lotman’s anniversary with a traditional seminar
To celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the world-famous semiotician Juri Lotman and to honour his creative and research work, 32 researchers from Finland, Ukraine, Russia and Estonia will meet at the Lotman seminar taking place at the University of Tartu from 27 February until 1 March. In addition, two students will be awarded Lotman stipends based on private donations.
Participants will hear presentations by several renowned researchers such as Barbara Lönnqvist from Turku, Andrei Nemzer and Dina Magomedova from Moscow, Sergei Daniel from St Petersburg, but also by young researchers such as Pavel Uspenski who recently defended his doctoral dissertation in Tartu and doctoral students of the Chair of Russian Literature Aleksandra Tšaban, Andrei Fedotov and Artem Šelja.
“It is noteworthy that the presenters include Boris Egorov – a close friend of Juri Lotman and a former Head of Chair of Russian Literature,” said the organiser of the seminar, Professor of Russian Literature Ljubov Kisseljova.
Among UT researchers, apart from Slavists, the historian Anti Selart, the folklorist Jonathan Roper and semioticians Peeter Torop and Mihhail Lotman will take part in the seminar.
According to Kisseljova, the section dedicated to book presentations will also be diverse: “We’ll present the chair’s new English-language collective monograph Russian National Myth in Transition and the study by the late Professor emeritus Pavel Reifman on Russian censorship, the first volume of which was published in Moscow last year, to name only two.”
As tradition has it, Lotman stipends are awarded to two UT students – a semiotician and a Slavist – who have won the students’ research competition. “It must be noted that the stipend fund is made up of private donations. In 2014, 3600 euros were collected. The donations have been made by students and admirers of Lotman from all around the world. Our heartfelt thanks go to all kind donors,” said Kisseljova.
The seminar takes place at Lossi 3-306. The schedule of the seminar (in Estonian) is available on the home page of the UT Faculty of Philosophy.
The international Lotman seminar is organised by the Chair of Russian Literature of the University of Tartu.
The organisers are very grateful to Tartu City Government and the Dean of Faculty of Philosophy Professor Margit Sutrop for financial support for organising the seminar.
Additional information:
Ljubov Kisseljova
UT Professor of Russian Literature
tel +372 737 5353
ljubov.kisseljova [ät] ut.ee