Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
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The RUDN University Institute of Russian Language hosted the opening of the "Living Russian Word" series of meetings—an interdisciplinary space for dialogue on the contemporary development of the Russian language in literature, poetry, research, and authorship.
Professor A. Yu. Ovcharenko delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of a vibrant dialogue between contemporary literature and academic science.
The first meeting featured writer Irina Bogatyreva. She graduated from the A. M. Gorky Literary Institute and completed a master's degree in folklore studies at the Russian State University for the Humanities.
Irina is the author of books for children and adults, including "AutoSTOP," "Comrade Anna," "To the Moon-Faced Virgin Mother," "Kadyn," "Life and the Undead," "Formula of Freedom," "Vedyana," and others. Her stories and novellas have been translated into English, French, Chinese, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Arabic, Frisian, and Marathi. Her books have also been finalists and winners of various awards, including the Debut Prize, the V. Krapivin Prize, the S. Mikhalkov Prize, the Student Booker Prize, the Kniguru Prize, and the Salamander Prize.
Working with eternal images
In an open lecture-discussion format, the author discussed with students the phenomenon of mythopothesis in modern literature, the specifics of working with timeless images, and the stages of creating a work of fiction—from conception to completion. Participants heard the author read and gained insight into the writer's creative process.
The students actively participated in the discussion, demonstrating a high level of interest in contemporary literature and research issues of its interpretation.
"I'm still impressed by my meeting with Irina Bogatyreva. For her, folklore isn't just text, it's living stories: how in villages they search for missing people using a blade of grass, how grandmothers first deny it, then tell stories that leave all the researchers speechless. But the most important thing happened at the end. I asked if the world of 'Vedyana' is based on real expeditions. And the answer was: folklore—yes, Erzya traditions. But the most surprising part is the plot. The prototype of the hero really was in love with a water spirit. The writer said she was a rational person. But at that moment, everyone in the room believed in a miracle," says Elizaveta Shaprinskaya, a third-year student at the Russian Language Institute at RUDN University.
"The meeting with Irina Bogatyreva was imbued with a spirit of research and myth in the broadest sense of the word. A pleasant twist was that the author works not only with fictional mythological worlds but also draws on her expeditions and experiences interacting with the guardians of traditions, myths, and rituals, for whom myth grows into the everyday. The meeting was rich: discussions of modern myths and stories about the books she created, stories from expeditions collecting linguistic material and descriptions of rare rituals, immersion in the history of the Scythians, and a return to reality so the audience could find answers to all their questions. This helped us see myths as a vast and actively developing field of scholarship and creativity!" — Olga Razumnaya, third-year student at the RUDN University Institute of Russian Language.
In turn, the writer shared her impressions of the students.
"I talked about my books, about the novels 'Kadyn' and 'Belaya Sogra.' It was a wonderful, warm meeting. The kids asked good questions and were genuinely interested in the conversation. They're clearly interested in contemporary Russian literature. We discussed what folklore is, how it works, and how it lives on today. After all, folklore is something we live within, and it remains relevant to each of us. I'd be happy to come here again," says Irina Bogatyreva.
The meeting concluded with an autograph session, but the "Living Russian Word" series will continue, opening up new opportunities for dialogue between authors and student audiences.
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