May there always be a mother: today, the State University of Management celebrates the day of the most important person in life.

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On the last Sunday of November, all of Russia celebrates Mother's Day, established by decree of President Boris Yeltsin in 1998. This date has an important purpose: first and foremost, to strengthen the institution of the family and elevate the status of motherhood in the public consciousness by creating a national non-profit tradition focused on the social mission of women.

History and modern times

The roots of the veneration of motherhood go back to ancient times. Over two thousand years ago, in ancient Greece, springtime celebrated the feasts of Gaia—the mother of the gods and the embodiment of fertility. In the Christian tradition, this image is embodied in the Virgin Mary. The prototype for the modern date was the English Mothering Sunday, which appeared around 1600. The tradition of celebrating motherhood took shape in the United States in 1907, when American Anna Jarvis, who had lost her mother, launched a campaign to establish a national day to honor motherhood. Her efforts were successful: just three years later, the state of Virginia established the observance on the second Sunday in May, and in 1914, the holiday was granted federal status. Today, Mother's Day is celebrated in more than 20 countries, and the traditions are unique everywhere: in the United States and Australia, they wear colored carnations—white in memory of the departed, red and pink in honor of the living; in England and Ireland, they bake a cake with marzipan balls and give it to mothers in exchange for a blessing; and in Japan, they sing a special holiday song for them.

Federal status

In Russia, the first attempt to celebrate Mother's Day was made in 1915: Scout instructor Ragnar Fernberg organized a celebration in Petrograd on December 1. However, during the Soviet period, the initiative was not developed further—the celebration of motherhood was subsumed into the celebration of International Women's Day on March 8.

The holiday's revival began with the initiative of Russian language and literature teacher Elmira Guseynova. In October 1988, she and her students organized a gala concert at Baku School No. 228—the first "day dedicated to mothers" in the USSR. The tradition became annual, and later, after Elmira Dzhavadovna moved to Stavropol, it took root there as well. In 1993, the holiday was officially established in Yakutia, designated for the third Sunday in November, and then the tradition gained a foothold in Bashkortostan and the Chelyabinsk region. Mother's Day received federal status in 1998, with the initiative supported by the State Duma Committee on Women, Family, and Youth.

Gratitude from the state

In Russia, Mother's Day has become an important family holiday. Children in kindergartens and schools make cards and learn poems, educational institutions host concerts, and city venues organize charity events and exhibitions.

State awards hold a special place. The highest distinction is the title of "Mother Heroine," awarded to women who have given birth to or adopted ten or more children and receives a one-time payment of 1 million rubles. The Order of Parental Glory is awarded to families with seven or more children and comes with a payment of 500,000 rubles.

Regions are developing their own incentive systems: for example, in St. Petersburg, parents with many children are awarded the title "For Merit in Raising Families" at three levels, with payments ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 rubles. In the Vologda Region, three levels of the Motherhood Medal are awarded. There is also a medal "For Love and Fidelity" for spouses who have been married for at least 25 years.

The all-Russian "Family of the Year" competition has become a traditional event, taking place for the tenth time in 2025. The symbol of Russian Mother's Day is the forget-me-not flower—the embodiment of selfless love, tenderness, and kindness.

Social aspect

Today, Mother's Day serves an important social function. It brings to the forefront the discussion of issues related to motherhood support: maternity benefits, access to childcare, and finding a balance between work and family. The holiday emphasizes that raising children is not only emotional and physical labor, but also an activity that requires high skills, patience, and dedication. "Caring for the children and families of students is an important aspect of shaping the future economy of our country. Supporting young parents and creating favorable conditions for raising children contributes to the development of human capital," says Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management.

Incidentally, in accordance with an initiative by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, our university has already opened four mother-and-child rooms. This step is part of a federal program that aims to create approximately 1,000 such important spaces at Russian universities by 2030. These cozy spaces offer everything necessary for a comfortable stay for mothers with small children, from comfortable furniture to a dedicated area for educational activities.

Such initiatives help students and staff at SUM successfully balance raising children with their studies and professional activities. The creation of a network of mother-and-child rooms not only improves living conditions but also contributes significantly to the development of a supportive educational environment that values family and understands the needs of modern parents.

Let's note: respect for motherhood isn't just about flowers and gifts. It's about being willing to listen and expressing gratitude for the daily, unnoticed, yet irreplaceable work of parenting. So, there's no need for a lavish celebration. Let's simply say to the most important person in our lives: "Thank you for being here!"

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 30, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Dotting the 'yo's: How the Russian [yo] Became a Single Letter

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November 29th marks Letter "ё" Day—a date commemorating one of the most unusual letters in the Russian alphabet. Its history is more than just a linguistic curiosity, but an epic struggle for precision, honor, and even human destiny.

French roots

In 1783, at a meeting of the Imperial Russian Academy, its director and the first woman in the world to hold such a position, Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, proposed replacing the cumbersome spelling of "іо" with a single letter. After demonstrating the spelling of the word "іолка" to the academics, she asked: why waste two characters on one sound? Thus, "ё" was born—with two dots and a clearly defined purpose.

The idea was supported by writers Gavriil Derzhavin and Denis Fonvizin, who began using the new letter in personal and business correspondence. As early as 1795, Ivan Dmitriev first printed the "ё" in his song collection "And My Little Things"—in the word "vsyo" (everything). But widespread recognition came later, thanks to historian and writer Nikolai Karamzin. In 1797, he replaced "слиозы" with "слиозы" (tears) in the first Russian poetry almanac, "Аонды" (Aonides), and the letter entered everyday writing. The publication was distributed throughout the country, and for a long time, Karamzin was considered the father of the "ё," although the initiative belonged to Dashkova. Rumor has it that the idea came to Her Highness the Director, a great lover of champagne, from an unexpected source: the letter "ё" in the name of the then-very fashionable French wine house Moët.

Common sound

Despite its elite origins, the "ё" sound was long unpopular in aristocratic circles. In the 19th century, conservatives considered it unnecessary: the authoritative philologist Alexander Vostokov argued that we don't spell "fire" with an "a," even though we hear it as [a]. Meanwhile, in high society, the "ёканье" sound was perceived as a sign of common speech.

And yet, the letter gained strength. Leo Tolstoy included it in his "Azbuka" (also known as "ABC"), pronouncing and writing his name as "Lev" (Lion) in keeping with the old Muscovite tradition. In the archives of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, all student records contain the "yo" (or "ё"). The Governor-General of Moscow, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, also used periods in official documents. But there was no uniform orthography—everyone decided for themselves whether to use the "yo" (or "ё") in writing.

The revolutionary reform of 1918, contrary to expectations, did not enshrine the "ё" in the alphabet. Although the 1904 draft proposed its more active use, it was not mentioned in the final decree. The reason was not ideology, but economy: in the midst of the Civil War, there was no surplus metal for the production of new typographic fonts. Even unneeded old letters—yat, izhitsa—were melted down.

Return of two points

In 1942, at the height of the Great Patriotic War, the "ё" letter was revived. According to one theory, it was caused by confusion over the names of generals: Stalin was allegedly furious when he saw "Degtev" instead of "Dyogtev" in documents. Another theory is that Soviet intelligence discovered that the Germans were writing "ё" as "jo" on captured maps to avoid confusing, for example, Berezovka with Beryozovka. In any case, spelling accuracy proved more important than typographical savings: starting December 7, 1942, the newspaper Pravda began dotting the "ё," and an order from Vladimir Potemkin, the People's Commissar of Education, on December 24 finally enshrined the change. Although the "ё" letter was once again made optional after the war, this document remains formally in place today.

Practical difficulties later contributed to the "ё"'s ousting. Typewriters rarely had a dedicated key for it—to insert periods, the typist had to return the carriage and type quotation marks over the "е," while writing by hand required three movements. In early computer encodings, the letter was often missing. And in editorial offices, the belief persists that the "ё" visually "spoils" the layout.

On guard of meaning

But the main thing isn't convenience, but meaning. In 2009, thousands of Russians faced legal disputes due to the absence of the "ё" letter in their passports. There's a story about a certain Professor Yozhikov, who couldn't register an inheritance because his birth certificate listed his surname with periods, but his passport didn't. Court cases and piles of documents ensued—all because of two periods. Then, a decision by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science brought order to this chaos: the "ё" letter is mandatory in proper names, as it's a matter of legal status.

It's also important that the "ё" always indicates a stressed sound and eliminates spelling risks: for example, without it, the correct "свыокла" (svekla) would become the illiterate "ветклá," and the name of the "Планерная" station is now often pronounced as "Планерная" (Planernaya) because the "ё" is missing from the Moscow metro map. Furthermore, the absence of two dots above the "е" can completely distort the meaning: what did the writer mean when he wrote "передохинем" (we'll rest or die)?

Literary monument

In Ulyanovsk, Karamzin's birthplace, stands the world's only monument to a letter—a granite stele over two meters tall. It bears an exact replica of the "ё" imprint from the 1797 almanac "Aonides." It is a symbol of respect for a language in which every detail matters.

The letter "ё" has survived oblivion, neglect, and technical abandonment. But it has survived because it defends not only literary norms but also human rights, not just the rhythm of poetry. So, reviving the culture of "ё" isn't pedantry, but respect for the Russian word, for oneself, and for others. After all, these two little dots can have a profound impact on an entire human life.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 29, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Protecting History, Identity, and Youth: What Political Scientists from Around the World Discussed at the State University of Management

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On November 28, the All-Russian Conference of the Russian Political Science Association (RAPS) with international participation, "Russia and the World in the First Quarter of the 21st Century: Political Results and Prospects," opened at the State University of Management.

This year, the event brought together political scientists not only from Russia, but also from 22 other countries.

The meeting was opened by Oksana Gaman-Golutvina, President of the Russian Academy of Political Sciences, Deputy Chair of the Public Council under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"Our meeting annually brings together political scientists from virtually every region of Russia. This year, they were joined by representatives from 22 countries. This is especially significant, as this year marks a special conference: we're holding it in the year of our association's 70th anniversary and also in the year that marks the end of the first quarter of the 21st century. Both milestones are significant and provide an opportunity to reflect on the large-scale processes of recent years, which is what we'll be doing today," concluded the RAPN president.

The expert outlined the conference's main focus areas and spoke about the Academy's contribution to preserving scientific heritage: published books, journals, interactive websites, and more. In concluding her speech, Oksana Gaman-Golutvina emphasized that "effective governance requires effective expertise, including political science."

Deputy Ministers of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova and Dmitry Afanasyev sent video messages to the participants. The ministry representatives thanked the conference organizers, congratulated the Russian Political Science Association on its 70th anniversary, and wished the participants fruitful work.

Next, the floor was given to Deputy Head of the Presidential Directorate for Public Projects, Alexander Zhuravsky:

"The world is constantly changing, and this is happening not only because of neural networks and AI, but also because the world is fundamentally unstable and changeable. This also applies to the international economic and political situation. When Vladimir Putin proposed creating BRICS in 2006, no one perceived the alliance as a serious force, but today BRICS has already surpassed the G7 in terms of economic development. Now, adherence to certain values determines the world order. On one side is the world of Western civilization, which aspires to dominance. On the other is the world of traditional values, such as BRICS and the SCO, which are increasingly being joined. Thus, very soon a new global bipolarity will emerge not only in fact but also in law."

In turn, Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management, thanked those gathered for choosing the first university to host such an important event and noted the benefits of participation for students.

"Today, the plenary session has brought together the best specialists and scholars in the field of political science. Our university has been training managers for various industries for over 100 years. Today, new students are unlike those who came three to five years ago, let alone earlier. They have a different perspective, different aspirations, goals, and approach to life. At the same time, our students are active and ambitious individuals who will eventually occupy leadership positions in a wide variety of fields: business, politics, ministries, the social sector, and others. These are people who influence our future. We understand that it is important to prepare them properly not only in economics and management, but also in the humanities, so that they are prepared for modern challenges and circumstances and are able to navigate life and space. Therefore, it is especially important for us to hear the opinions and presentations of leading experts in the country," concluded the SUM rector.

Dmitry Orlov, Director General of the Agency for Political and Economic Communications (APEC), concluded the welcoming remarks by outlining the practical challenges facing political science today. Among them, he highlighted the formation of a vision for the future, ensuring a balanced system, social inequality in many areas, and identifying sources of growth.

Alexander Dugin, Director of the Ivan Ilyin Higher Political School at the Russian State University for the Humanities, presented a report on the importance of sovereignty in science.

"Our fundamental task is to continue the line of the Slavophiles, who argued that Russia is an independent civilization. Today, this is the dominant approach. There are no longer any debates about this between Slavophiles and Westernizers in our country. However, the question of political affiliation arises. After all, Western political science has only three main options: liberal, communist, and nationalist. That's all there is to it, which is unacceptable for us today. This is the most profound challenge to the sovereignty of Russian political science: finding a platform that transcends these three theories," the professor concluded.

Konstantin Kostin, President of the Civil Society Development Foundation, raised the important issue of preserving historical truth not only about the past but also about the present in his report. The expert noted that "already today, neural networks and artificial intelligence are producing a wide variety of answers to simple questions about recent events of the first quarter of the 21st century, some of which are inconsistent with the truth. If nothing is done, over time, these answers will become the truth in the minds of the younger generation."

Irina Semenenko, Deputy Director of the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented a study on identity politics in the public sphere, while Igor Kuznetsov, Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, shared the results of his research on the role of popular culture in shaping perceptions of Russia's future among young people.

The first section of the program was concluded by Andrey Polosin, scientific director of the "DNA of Russia" project and RANEPA Vice-Rector, who discussed the nature and development of social and humanitarian knowledge, the challenges it faces in responding to current events and processes in the world and society, and introduced the objectives and implementation process of the "DNA of Russia" project.

At the conference, participants presented papers on the contemporary development of political science against the backdrop of global and regional development challenges.

At the end of the first day, the RAPN reporting and election conference was held.

The All-Russian Conference of the Russian Academy of Political Sciences with international participation is held with the support of: State University of Management, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after P. Lumumba, Presidential Grants Foundation, Political Encyclopedia Publishing House (ROSSPEN), Aspect Press Publishing House. Scientific journals: Political Studies (Polis), Comparative Politics, Power, Political Science, Political Expertise. Politex, Bulletin of Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Political Science Series.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 29, 2025.

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Transport and logistics: the State University of Management discussed the issues of sustainable development of territories

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On November 27, the State University of Management hosted the 6th International Scientific and Practical Conference "Transport and Logistics for Sustainable Development of Territories, Business, and the State (Growth Drivers, Trends, and Barriers)." The event, timed to coincide with the 85th anniversary of transport education at the State University of Management, is held annually as part of the Russian Federation's Transport Workers' Day celebrations.

The conference received over 170 submissions from authors from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Vietnam, Syria, and Turkmenistan—a testament to the growing international interest in the transport and logistics agenda.

The plenary session, held in the University's Scientific Library, was opened by Alexander Vasilchenko, Director of the Department of State Policy in Automobile and Urban Passenger Transport at the Russian Ministry of Transport. Professor Alexey Stepanov, Head of the Department of Transport Complex Management at the State University of Management, moderated the session.

Participants discussed key areas of development in the transport industry: the development of logistics systems within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the modernization of passenger transport, personnel training, and the implementation of digital solutions within the framework of the "Logistics 4.0" concept. Special attention was paid to the transformation of professions in the face of technological challenges.

Experts from leading transport and scientific organizations presented research on assessing passenger service quality, integrating inter-industry balances into the transport system, and addressing the challenges of the logistics business in the modern world. Presentations focused on international experience, ranging from cold chain optimization in China to adapting mining equipment to Syrian conditions and modeling transport flows in Central Asia.

Representatives from industry companies added practical significance to the discussions. In particular, the international logistics operator Tablogix discussed current trends and offered internship opportunities to GUU students. Project-based learning cases implemented by the First Management School in partnership with JSC IERT, the DREAM AUTO auto service group, and other industrial partners were also presented, including potential collaboration with NAMI, Russia's leading scientific and engineering center for the transport industry.

The day concluded with a session for young scientists, where GUU students presented research on topics such as the integration of trams and the Moscow Central Diameters, the use of personal mobility devices, the application of artificial intelligence at airports, the development of logistics outsourcing in e-commerce, the specifics of Minsk's transport systems, and the prospects for mobility in Vietnam.

The conference once again confirmed the status of the State University of Management as one of the leading platforms for dialogue between science, government, and business in the field of transport and logistics.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

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Gamification: Young scientists at the State University of Management (GUU) are interested in game modeling in engineering.

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As part of the third day of the V Congress of Young Scientists, researchers from the State University of Management attended the session "Games as a Tool for Engineering Creativity: From the Digital World to Real Technologies."

Among the session's speakers was Alexander Vedekhin, Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and Administrator of the federal project "Personnel for Space." He focused on the use of gamification in space engineering as a new and unique area of technological development.

During the dialogue, Vladimir Kutkov, a young scientist from the State University of Management, asked Alexander Yuryevich about the prospects for the emergence of new professions and specialties at the intersection of the gaming industry and space engineering, with the potential to transform the design and testing of aircraft, as technology advances. Alexander Vedekhin noted that the emergence of such interdisciplinary roles is a natural process. He emphasized that their emergence and development directly depend on the activity of young specialists and scientists, whose research and projects are already laying the foundation for future transformations in the space industry.

Other speakers at the session included Pavel Orekhov, Director of the Youth Community Development Division at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives for the Promotion of New Projects (ASI); Dmitry Smith, President of the Russian Cybersport Federation; Olga Zaborskaya, Head of the Department of Industries and Project Competencies at OANO SKOLKA; and Daniela Lebedeva, a resident of the SPIEF Academy. Alexey Fedoseyev, President of the Association of Participants of Technology Circles, moderated the session.

Participants discussed how game mechanics and virtual environments can transform approaches to design and solving complex engineering problems. Today, video games, simulators, and VR/AR are becoming platforms for developing engineering competencies, motivating young people to embrace technological creativity, and opening up new approaches to training future specialists. The speakers noted that the digital and physical worlds are becoming virtually inseparable, offering broad opportunities for research and the practical implementation of gamification tools in engineering projects and initiatives.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

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A New Vision for Global Governance: GUU at a Forum at the Chinese Embassy

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On November 27, the National University of Management participated in the scientific seminar "Opening a New Chapter in Chinese-Russian Cooperation, Jointly Putting Forward a New Vision of Global Governance" at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Russia.

The meeting was opened by Zhang Hanhui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Russian Federation, and Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs. Kirill Babaev, Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Zhang Liqun, Chairman of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, also addressed the seminar participants. Viktor Larin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also joined the meeting online from Vladivostok.

The first managerial representative at this prestigious forum was Fanis Sharipov, director of the Center for Socio-Economic and Political Research.

"Today, as we watch the world shake under the powerful waves of time at the junction of the old and new eras, the words of the Italian scholar Antonio Gramsci come to mind, perfectly summing up what is happening: 'The old world is dying, and the new one is struggling to be born.' In this context, the Global Governance Initiative proposal, which Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward at the SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin on September 1, 2025, has significant historical and practical significance. This year is special—the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and the 80th anniversary of the UN. The initiative quickly gained the support of more than 140 states and international organizations. Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first to respond and express his support," Fanis Falikhovich recalled.

The seminar was attended by the Plenipotentiary Minister of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Russian Federation, representatives of the State Duma and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Military Sciences, Moscow State University, National Research University, the Higher School of Economics, the Russian State Social University, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Free Economic Society, IMEMO RAS, the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Wait for me, and I'll return: Konstantin Simonov turns 110

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On November 28, 1915, a journalist and playwright was born in Petrograd, whose fate would be determined by the Great Patriotic War. His parents named the boy Kirill, but the world came to know him as Konstantin. Simonov chose this name not as a literary pseudonym, but because of his childhood lisp: he had trouble pronouncing the "r" and "l" sounds and was shy.

War as a vocation

Simonov's father, a major general, went missing in action during World War I. The future classic of Soviet literature was raised by his stepfather, Alexander Grigoryevich Ivanishev, a former colonel in the Tsarist army who became a tactics instructor after the Revolution. He raised Konstantin with strict discipline and taught him not so much to fight as to serve faithfully and truly—to the Fatherland, the people, and the woman he loved.

Simonov spent his youth at the machine tool: first as a lathe operator at an aircraft factory, then in the machine shops of Mezhrabpomfilm. In 1934, excerpts from his poem "Belomorkanal"—his first attempt at writing, naive and opportunistic—appeared in the collection "Review of Forces." Five years later, he became a member of the Writers' Union, author of poems about Suvorov and the Battle on the Ice, and then went as a war correspondent to Khalkhin Gol. It was there, in the dusty Mongolian steppes, that the poet realized that the battlefield was his element.

A look from the inside

Konstantin Mikhailovich was at the front from the first day of the war, armed with a notebook, a camera, and a machine gun. He wrote from the trenches, and the map of the fighting until victory became his personal geography: from Odessa to Berlin, from Murmansk to Bucharest, from Stalingrad to Prague. He traversed it as a participant, and everything he saw, heard, and felt he transformed into heartfelt lines. Simonov never towered over the soldiers or harangued them from the podium—he was one of them. Therefore, "Wait for Me" became more than just a poem, but a hymn of hope for millions. Soldiers copied it, kept it in their tunic pockets, read it before attacks and at the bedsides of the wounded. In simple words, he spoke of fear, pain, and the desire to live—and for this honesty, he was loved.

The poem even made its way behind the front lines, being found in the uniforms of German soldiers. In 1942, it was translated into German and published in the anti-fascist publication "Young Austria." In 1943, the Berlin newspaper "Zarya," published by the Wehrmacht's Eastern Propaganda Department, reprinted the poem with the author's name.

But Simonov is more than just a lyricist; he is a chronicler of an era. His trilogy, "The Living and the Dead," conveys not the pathos of victory, but the truth of defeat, chaos, fear, and the difficult acquisition of resilience. His plays, "Russian People" and "A Guy from Our Town," offer not idealization, but human dignity in hellish conditions. His diaries reveal an internal dialogue with himself, his conscience, and the era.

Peace was only a dream

Konstantin Mikhailovich's personal life was not a peaceful one. His love for the legendary film actress Valentina Serova was intense and passionate: "Wait for Me" was written for her, but, alas, their marriage fell apart. He married several times, adopted children, and always remained a noble and devoted father.

After the war, Konstantin Simonov, winner of six Stalin Prizes and a Hero of Socialist Labor, became editor-in-chief of Novy Mir, secretary of the Writers' Union, and a deputy of the Supreme Soviet. He was, as they say, part of the system, which required compromise. He had to participate in campaigns against "cosmopolitans" and reject Doctor Zhivago. But later, as he lay dying, he wrote "Through the Eyes of a Man of My Generation"—an honest confession about the controversial policies and mistakes of Joseph Stalin.

The writer passed away on August 28, 1979, requesting to be buried at Buinichi Field near Mogilev, where he had escaped encirclement during the summer of the first year of the war. On this field stands the Simonovsky Stone—a red granite boulder bearing the inscriptions: "Konstantin Simonov. 1915–1979" and "…He remembered this 1941 battlefield all his life and asked that his ashes be scattered here."

Today, on the 110th anniversary of his birth, we once again read "Wait for Me" as a symbol of love and hope. Because Konstantin Simonov doesn't teach us how to fight. He reminds us: a person is a person first and foremost. Even in war, and especially in war. And therefore, his lines are not a relic, but a mirror. A mirror for a hero.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

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A knight and poet, a descendant of a northern skald: today marks the 145th anniversary of Alexander Blok's birth.

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On November 28, 1880, in a home of St. Petersburg intellectuals, a boy was born who would become the voice of a passing era and a prophet of a gathering storm: Alexander Alexandrovich Blok. Not just a poet, but a living conduit between heaven and earth, between the palace Beautiful Lady and the street Stranger, between the imperial harmony of Pushkin and the creative chaos of revolution.

On the edge of reality

He grew up in a noble aristocratic family, surrounded by an intellectual atmosphere of high scholarship. His mother, Alexandra Andreyevna Beketova, was a writer and translator; his grandfather, the renowned botanist Andrei Nikolaevich Beketov, was rector of St. Petersburg University; and his father, Alexander Lvovich Blok, was a professor of law at Warsaw University. Unfortunately, the future poet's parents separated before his birth, so Alexander spent his childhood on the Beketov estates. He especially loved the Shakhmatovo estate near Moscow, where the air smelled of lilacs, old books, and theater. There, in private productions, the young Blok played both male and female roles with talent, subtly sensing the duality of this world, which his poetics imbued—the heavenly and the earthly, the bright and the deadly, awe and irony. Even in his youth, Alexander stood out for his noble appearance: tall, slender, with a piercing, thoughtful gaze. Later, his contemporaries called him the "knight" and "prince" of the Silver Age—an image that blended seamlessly with his poetry, turning him into an almost mystical figure.

And love came

At 18, Alexander Blok wrote his first poems in the style of 19th-century poets, but soon found his own style, inspired by the philosophy of Vladimir Solovyov and his image of the Eternal Feminine, which combines beauty, goodness, and harmony. It was then that the traits of the Beautiful Lady began to emerge in Blok's poetry—not just a woman, but a symbol of Sophia, the Wisdom of God, the embodiment of harmony and divine love. He found the earthly embodiment of his ideal in the daughter of the great chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev and a neighbor of the Beketovs at their dacha. In 1903, Lyubov and Alexander married, and just a year later, his first book, "Poems about the Beautiful Lady," was published—not a collection, but a mystical drama, where every word sounds like a prayer, and every image carries a reflection of eternal light.

The marriage was permeated by a tragic gap between symbol and reality: perceiving her as the embodiment of the Eternal Feminine, Blok insisted on "spiritual" love and avoided physical intimacy. Lyubov Dmitrievna suffered but accepted his infidelities. She herself found solace in a relationship with the poet Andrei Bely, which gave rise to more than just a love triangle—a monumental poetic duel between two symbolists battling for the right to possess the living embodiment of the Divine Feminine.

Between two revolutions

As Russia enters a time of upheaval, Blok seems to descend from the heavens. His lyrical hero is no longer a knight at the altar—he is a man in a coat who sees a stranger through the smoke of the fatherland. In her, the features of that same Beautiful Lady are recognizable, but now clad in the rags of reality. Alexander Alexandrovich writes plays, stages them with Meyerhold, seeks the language of a new theater, becomes a critic, publicist, and thinker. And following Nekrasov and his poet-citizen, he proclaims: a poet must serve the times.

In January 1918, in ruined Petrograd, hungry, sick, but filled with mystical energy, Blok wrote "The Twelve"—a poem that divided the era into before and after. It depicts dirt and blood, and above it all, Christ, crowned in white, leads the Red Army soldiers. The poet believes that this is not chaos, but the very Apocalypse, heralding transformation and a new life filled with light and joy. He then wrote "The Scythians," prophetically calling on the West not to touch Russia.

Fall from Olympus

But the revolution brought no light and forever silenced the poet's inner music. Blok was horrified by the devastation and famine; he no longer wrote poetry, answering questions about his oppressive silence: "All sounds have ceased, can't you hear that there are no sounds?" The great lyricist spent his final years in poverty and illness, working in a publishing house and translating Heinrich Heine's poetry from German to earn bread rationing. He was denied permission to travel abroad—even the all-powerful Maxim Gorky couldn't save him.

In 1921, just months shy of his 41st birthday, the Prince of the Silver Age died—doctors were unable to diagnose his condition. Before his death, Alexander Alexandrovich raved incessantly about the same thing: had all the copies of "The Twelve" been destroyed? Was there even one left somewhere? He asked his wife to thoroughly search for them and burn them, and was only briefly reassured by her swearing that all the books had been destroyed. The Acmeist poet Georgy Ivanov wrote: "Blok realized the error of "The Twelve" and was horrified by its irreparability. Like a sleepwalker suddenly awakening, he fell from a height and was killed. In the strictest sense of the word, he died from "The Twelve," as others die from pneumonia or a broken heart."

Today, on the 145th anniversary of the last knight of the Silver Age, we don't simply commemorate the date. We listen to the mournful silence left behind by his poems—in it, we can discern the echo of a bygone era that still lives around us.

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Living in Russia – Working in the EAEU: The State University of Management presented a next-generation digital model of the agro-industrial complex.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On November 27, as part of the Congress of Young Scientists' poster program, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives held a session titled "Time to Live in Russia / Open Science: Opportunities for Foreign Talent in Science and Technology." Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management, presented a report on the specifics and dynamics of international student recruitment at SUM, their integration into the educational process and research activities, and their development trajectories after graduation.

Vladimir Stroyev noted the university's international cooperation practices and joint projects, including work at the Eurasian Network University, whose Secretariat is served by SUM.

"We see potential for productive joint work across the EAEU. For example, there's an idea to use the findings of a major research project in the agricultural sector to "close the loop" in Kyrgyzstan's agro-industrial complex, creating multi-product value chains. Positive effects include reduced water pollution and the emergence and growth of new, high-margin agricultural products. Of particular note is the potential for creating a new production facility for highly effective feed additives, which would not only increase the feed supply but also improve the health of livestock populations, increasing their productivity and reducing losses from disease," Vladimir Vitalyevich explained.

This project could result in a digital foundation for the operation of next-generation agricultural enterprises operating in various sectors and subsectors of the EAEU's agro-industrial complex. The introduction of a suite of technologies, equipment, and software that eliminates critical vulnerabilities and dependence on foreign, primarily Western, solution providers will help ensure food security for the Eurasian Economic Union.

"Furthermore, among the promising areas for collective work, we see, for example, joint digital modeling of agro-industrial processes, testing of individual technological solutions, and addressing identified deficiencies in the agro-industrial complex, as well as the practical implementation of the obtained results throughout the EAEU," the rector of the State University of Management summarized.

Other speakers at the session included Anton Shashkin, Director of the Department of State Policy in Scientific and Technological Development at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science; Yulia Linskaya, Deputy Head of the Presidential Executive Office for Scientific and Educational Policy; Ekaterina Solntseva, Deputy Chairperson of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government; Mikhail Gordin, Rector of Bauman Moscow State Technical University (MSTU); and Irina Korotkova, CEO of Inconsult K LLC.

Chung Rae Kwon, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Chairman of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, and Director of the Ban Ki-Moon Foundation, took part in the discussion on attracting foreign specialists.

During the session, participants discussed Russia's strengthening status as a key country open to international scientific and educational cooperation, as well as the annual growth in the number of international students. The main topics of discussion were mechanisms for retaining young international specialists and graduates in Russian science and the specifics of creating an infrastructure for their life and work.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Service Learning: The School of Administrators has completed its work at the State University of Management.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The State University of Management held the ceremonial closing of the School of Administrators of the federal program "Service Learning"—a key educational module for training coordinators of socially oriented projects in universities and colleges across the country.

The school, which began on November 13, brought together over 50 representatives from across Russia's regions—university staff, activists, and mentors responsible for implementing the Service-Learning program locally. Over the course of two weeks, participants mastered the program's methodology, explored key project stages, learned about cross-sector collaboration practices between students, NGOs, government agencies, and businesses, and practiced administrative tools using real-world case studies.

The closing ceremony summarized the training results: participants noted a significant increase in competencies, a transformation in their management thinking, and a readiness to launch their own civic initiatives. The final session focused on strategic planning: initial ideas for replicating the program in their regions were presented, and immediate steps to engage students in addressing socially significant issues were outlined. And, of course, there was a pleasant bonus: all graduates received commemorative souvenirs as a symbol of their continued professional and personal development beyond the educational module.

The "Service-Learning" program, launched in September 2023 in over 700 universities and colleges across the country, is being implemented with the support of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) and the Rosmolodezh.Granty platform. Its goal is to develop socially responsible, patriotically oriented young people by engaging them in real-world projects aimed at developing regions and achieving the national development goals of the Russian Federation through 2030 and 2036.

It is worth noting that our university is one of the program's flagship universities and continues to develop its civic education infrastructure, confirming its status as a leading center for training next-generation management personnel.

#RosmolodezhGrants#Rosmolodezh

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: November 28, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.