Category: Университетская жизнь /

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The developments of scientists at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and events from the university's life regularly become the subject of publications on the resources of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

So, on October 3rdsports events digest The official VKontakte page of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science announced that the SPbPU hockey club had won the first-ever Student Hockey League Super Cup.

On October 8, the official page of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia on VKontakte was published the ninth edition of the joint informational and educational video project "PRO-Rector" with SPbPU, Olesya Fedorova, Vice Rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, spoke about how online learning has become a trend that is driving the transformation of the entire educational environment.

On October 26, the news that SPbPU specialists had created smart piles for sustainable buildings in the Arctic was included in the selection of the main events of the Priority 2030 program in the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

On October 27, the significance of this development was also noted indigest of interesting events at universities on the official VKontakte page of the Ministry of Education and Science.

On October 27, the Ministry of Education and Science's digest of interesting university events featured news aboutthe creation of "AI glasses" by polytechnicians— a system based on a neural network that increases image resolution.

And on October 29, the Ministry of Education and Science published a statement on its VKontakte tenth issue The "PRO-Rector" project focused on the implementation of the "Priority 2030" program at universities. Dmitry Shabalkin, Vice-Rector of Ulyanovsk State University, was the guest of the episode.

Also in October, the Polytechnic, which regularly sends humanitarian aid to Donbass, was mentioned inthe Ministry of Education and Science's collection "Universities for the Front" in VK.

On October 30, the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation published an article stating that Polytechnic University scientists have developed a fiber-optic sensor for monitoring the condition of extended engineering structures.

On November 10, the Ministry of Education and Science published the following on the Priority program page: Announcement of a press conference of Polytechnic University scientists at the press center of the Russia Today media group. Material onresults of the conference was published on the RIA Novosti website on November 12.

On November 13, a mural featuring Igor Kurchatov opened a collection of graffiti on university walls in the Ministry of Education and Science's VK community. The mural was created by Polytechnic University graduate Vasily Tsvetkov.

Open communication with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation allows Polytechnic University to demonstrate its status as a leading university in the country. The systematic publication of university news on the Ministry of Education and Science's platforms convincingly demonstrates its significant contribution to national science and education.

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.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On November 30, 1835, the day Halley's Comet reappeared over Missouri for the first time in 75 years, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in a Florida village. He became a writer whose name, Mark Twain, has gone down in history as a symbol of freedom, honesty, and a keen wit capable of subtly and good-naturedly ridiculing hypocrisy, bigotry, and xenophobia.

What's in a name?

The writer chose a real shipping term for his pen name: "Mark Twain! Mark two!" the riverboat crews would shout as they sounded the channel of the fickle and treacherous Mississippi. This meant that there was a minimum depth of two meters ahead, meaning that vessels following the pilot would not run aground. For Clemens, who grew up on the banks of North America's main river, this command became more than just a nickname. It was a stance on life: move forward, avoid shallows, and lead the way.

Samuel was the sixth child of a small merchant. His father died early, leaving the family in debt. The boy went to work—first as a typesetter's apprentice at his brother's newspaper, then traveling to New York, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati for work. In the evenings, the future classic of children's literature went to the library to compensate for his lack of education. In 1857, he became an apprentice pilot on the Mississippi, and by 1859, he had earned his license—and thus the mighty Mississippi became his school, university, and first muse.

When the Civil War broke out in America, Clemens fought for two weeks on the Southern side, but, realizing the futility of the conflict, he left for Nevada to join his brother, a government official. Samuel first tried his hand at gold mining, then found a job at The Territorial Enterprise, where he first signed his name as "Mark Twain." The budding writer's first success came in 1865 with the short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." It was the story of a wondrous amphibian that somehow learned to leap farther than anyone else. The story spread across the United States and became incredibly popular because its sparkling humor concealed serious themes. After all, Twain wrote about ordinary people, their ingenuity, dreams, and naivety, using their language and without embellishment.

In 1867, Mr. Mark traveled to Europe and the Middle East as a correspondent. His travel notes and letters formed the basis of his book, The Innocents Abroad (1869). To ensure its success, he himself wrote an anonymous, enthusiastic review and published it in the press. This wasn't a deception, but rather an understanding of the reader's soul and a belief in his own word.

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn

In 1870, Twain married Olivia Langdon, a woman from a wealthy family who became his moral compass. They moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where they built a house that is now a National Historic Landmark. It was here that he wrote his most important works.

In 1876, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published—a book conceived as a third-person autobiography. But Twain felt Tom was too perfect, too heroic. He wanted to create a truly living character. And in 1884, Huckleberry Finn was born—a novel that Ernest Hemingway called the origin of all American literature. Huck is a boy who speaks "bad" English, steals food, disbelieves in school, but has a clearer conscience than many eminent adults. When Huckleberry decides he'd rather go to hell than betray his black friend, the escaped slave Jim, it's not rebellion. It's a choice for humanity in a world where laws permit people to be enslaved.

Of course, there was a huge scandal, because racial prejudice hadn't yet disappeared. In 1885, the book was removed from the Concord library for being "coarse and obscene." Newspapers wrote that it was "more suited to the slums than to polite citizens." But that was precisely its strength: Twain wrote not for salons, but for life. He wasn't afraid to be uncomfortable, criticizing racism, imperialism, cruelty, and the hypocrisy of the press. Incidentally, the writer was a member of the American Anti-Imperial League, opposed the annexation of the Philippines, and wrote scathing pamphlets ridiculing the theory of the "chosen people" and the "civilizing mission" of the United States.

Eternal pilot of dignity

Mark Twain wasn't particularly fortunate in business. In the 1890s, his publishing company went bankrupt. He invested in an automatic printing press, but it never worked. To pay off his creditors, Twain abandoned bankruptcy and embarked on a worldwide lecture tour, intending to personally repay every debt—an act of moral dignity.

During these years, he wrote "Personal Memories of Joan of Arc," his most serious and moving prose. He also wrote "Puddock Wilson," which, in his playful vein, once again raised the issue of racial inequality. After the death of his wife in 1904, Mr. Mark fell into a deep depression. Two daughters died: Susie from meningitis, and Jean from epilepsy. The writer even ruefully joked that life was a walk through a cemetery.

In his final years, Mark Twain dictated his autobiography—not for his contemporaries, but for the future. Therefore, he forbade its publication until 100 years after his death. The archives were opened in 2010: the world once again heard his voice—clear, ironic, prophetic.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens died on April 21, 1910, the year of Halley's Comet's return. His ashes lie in Elmira, New York, next to his wife and children, and a crater on Mercury bears his name. Quotes from Twain adorn school and university walls, courtrooms, collections of aphorisms, and websites. His books are read in Russia and everywhere else where boldness of thought and honesty of speech are valued.

He once said: truth is always stronger than fiction—because fiction must be believable, but truth must not. It's been 115 years since Mark Twain passed away, but he still leads us all, preventing us from running aground on the shallows of despair and stupidity.

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.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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.