Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Official website of the State –
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The annual "Living Hat" festival is a large-scale platform for the exchange of ideas, the promotion of literary reading among the student community, and the support of young authors. The festival was initiated and organized by the Scientific Library of the State University of Management, and its director, Olga Kharlamova, came up with the idea. This season's theme, "Brave Hearts," brought together participants in a dialogue about fortitude, resilience, courage, and the human deeds that form the foundation of Russian history.
The festival opened with a discussion panel titled "Where to Find a Hero?" It was moderated by Sergei Chuev, Advisor to the Rector's Office of the State University of Management, Head of the Department of Public and Municipal Administration at the State University of Management, and member of the Union of Russian Writers. Sergei Vladimirovich noted that over the past three years, the festival has evolved beyond its focus on children and adolescents, becoming a universal cultural platform for developing profound social meanings. Vladimir Stroev, Rector of the State University of Management, welcomed the audience. Vladimir Vitalyevich emphasized, "We all grew up on the same books; they unite us. And I am confident that such events are beneficial for everyone living in the post-Soviet space and beyond, where Russian and Soviet writers are read—preferably in Russian."
Simple heroes
The discussion was attended by Marina Burmistrova, Minister of Culture and Archives of the Komi Republic. She found herself in practically dire circumstances: a fire alarm was sounded during the online broadcast of her speech, but she remained in her office to express her views on the search for a modern hero.
Alexander Koshelev, Head of Educational Programs at the IPR MEDIA Group of Companies, a regular partner of the festival, spoke about the need to support book lovers. Marina Zakharenko, Director General of the All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature named after M.I. Rudomino ("Inostranka"), Anton Purnik, Director of the Russian State Library for Young Adults, and Irina Mikhnova, Director of the All-Russian Center for Library Personnel Potential at the Russian State Library for Youth, discussed the realities and challenges of modern librarianship.
Russian theater figure, poet, and playwright Dmitry Artis, and novelist and volunteer massage therapist at a military hospital, Irina Bugrysheva, addressed the topic of modern frontline heroism. Olga Machekhina, professor at the Directorate of Educational Programs at Moscow City Pedagogical University and author and director of the international cultural and educational project "Country of Chitaliya," shared her thoughts on the educators, without whose inspiration and perseverance this book trailer media project competition would never have been possible.
Participants in the lively dialogue concluded that true courage is demonstrated not only in military exploits but also in everyday actions, such as helping others in difficult times, supporting loved ones, and showing kindness and compassion to those around them. "As we delved deeper into the topic, we began to discuss the heroism of ordinary people, the courage and fortitude demonstrated in certain circumstances, their commitment to true values, and, accordingly, those who perform actions and deeds that leave a mark on history," concluded Marina Pavlovna, head of Inostranka.
Book clubs
With the assistance of IPR MEDIA Group and the KNORUS Publishing Group, represented by Marketing Director Tatyana Syakova, three presentation sessions by book clubs from Russian and international universities were held throughout the day. Moscow University for the Humanities (MosGU), Moscow City Pedagogical University (MCPU), Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU), the "Zachet" Student Literary Association Competition, Moscow City University of Management named after Yury Luzhkov (MSUMU), St. Petersburg State University (SPbU), Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE), All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S.A. Gerasimov (VGIK), Almaty Management University (AlmaU), State Academic University for the Humanities (GAUGN), Russian University of Economics named after P.N. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE), the College of Telecommunications of the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (KT-MTUCI), the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), and the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU). And, of course, our university, which hosts two clubs—the literary and theatrical "GUUmanist" and the book club "Obsudim?" According to Tatyana Syakova, the most interesting project was the MIPT literary club "Defis"—Tatyana Viktorovna presented its members with certificates for 10,000 rubles.
A separate program included creative sessions. During the "Heroes Are Not Born" session, participants learned about Sergei Chuev's series of works about Dimka Bobrikov—stories of growing up, early trials, and character development. Participants discussed the themes of the texts and the feature film based on them, held a quiz, and presented the winners with Sergei Vladimirovich's books.
In the conference hall, Armenia was also present for the "Literary Bridge" talk about the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the most translated Russian writer in the world. Armine Oganesyan, Director of the Scientific Library of the Armenian State University of Economics, served as the expert. The script included a historical account of the creation of the novel "The Gambler," written by Dostoevsky in 26 days under pressure from his publishers, a theatrical introduction based on "The Master and Margarita," a talk by an expert from Yerevan about the writer's global popularity, and data from the UNESCO Translation Index. Excerpts from Dostoevsky's works were read that day in Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, English, French, Tatar, and Georgian.
The program concluded with an interactive session, "Brave Pages: Writing History Together," moderated by Mikhail Polyakov, Head of the Museum and Library Complex at the State University of Management. The session allowed book lovers to develop a joint creative project and strengthen inter-university ties in an informal setting. The best participants received certificates for access to the entire LitRes online library catalog.
It's worth noting that the "Living Hat" festival once again confirmed SUM's status as a venue for initiatives that shape the student cultural space. And where young readers have the opportunity not only to discover their heroes but also to create international intellectual communities in the name of science and peace.
Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 14, 2025.
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