Polylinguality and Transcultural Practices (Jul 2025)
Paul Boyer and the Russian-French Dialogue of Cultures
Abstract
The study is devoted to the Russian-French cultural and scientific dialogue of the 17th and 20th centuries, which is of considerable interest for understanding the mechanisms of intercultural communication in the context of political and ideological challenges. In today’s world, where scientific cooperation often faces external constraints, an analysis of the historical experience of interaction between countries shows how the interaction of languages, art and ideas enriches the culture of countries. is to explore the main stages of the Russian-French dialogue, paying special attention to the role of the scientific rather than the intellectual aspect. Special attention is paid to the contribution of the French Slavist Paul Boyer, one of the founders of the Institute of Slavic Studies (Institut d'études slaves) and the authoritative scientific journal Revue des études slaves, as well as the concept of scientific and cultural exchange developed by him. The work uses scientific works on Slavic studies, memoirs and correspondence of cultural figures (D. Diderot, L.N. Tolstoy, P. Boyer, etc.). Historical and cultural analysis, comparative method and textual approach are applied to study the evolution of pedagogical and linguistic methods, Russian-French dialogue. It is revealed that the most effective forms of interaction (Paul Boyer’s textbook, based on Tolstoy’s ABC “Azbuka” of 1872) arose outside the context of the “intellectual expansion” that became widespread in France at the beginning of the 20th century, because of which institutional initiatives (the French Institute in St. Petersburg) could be distorted under the influence of ideology. In addition, the prospects of adapting historical models of dialogue (emphasis on pedagogy, authentic texts) in modern digital educational practices of teaching the language and culture of Russia are shown.
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