15th Congress of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature in Saint Petersburg: <i>Russian Language and Literature in the Changing World</i>

Abstract

This September saw hundreds of delegates come to Saint Petersburg to participate in the Congress on Russian Language and Literature in the Changing World organized by the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (IATRLL). The Congress gathered participants from 63 countries, from Armenia, Serbia, and Hungary to Kenya, China, Mexico, and Peru. This vast geography is no wonder: the Congress has been held for decades, with experts in the fields of linguistics and literature, interpreters, translators, and teachers gathering every five years to discuss Russian literature studies and key issues of the Russian language functioning and teaching. The first Congress was held in Moscow and over the years it was hosted by Warsaw, Bratislava, Shanghai, Astana, etc. On September 13, 2023 (declared the Year of the Russian language as the language of Interethnic communication by the Council of the CIS Heads of State), its 15th jubilee conference opening took place in the Hermitage. V. V. Putin, A. D. Beglov, S. V. Lavrov, V. A. Sadovnichiy, Ye. A. Primakov, V. A. Nikonov, and other officials greeted the participants. Russian cosmonauts send their greetings from the International Space Station, in their video they acknowledged the Russian language to be the language of friendship and cooperation of international space programs. In his speech, IATRILL President V. I. Tolstoy stressed the importance or promoting the Russian language. The plenary session included reports by N. M. Kropachev (The Russian Language as the Official Language of Russia), T. V. Chernigovskaya (Language and Brain in the 21st Century), Ye. G. Vodolazkin (Petersburg. Reality of the Myth). The next day there were thirteen thematic sessions and panel discussions held. N. D. Afanasyeva, M. V. Belyakov, and N. Yu. Yarygina from MGIMO University presented their reports on teaching the Russian language to foreigners. Participants of the Congress enjoyed an immersive social program that included visits to the best Russian museums. They also had a unique opportunity to see an exhibition dedicated to the distinguished Russian linguist V. G. Kostomarov with his unique pictures, documents, and personal items brought from Moscow museums. The President of the Indian Association of Teachers of the Russian Language and Literature Charanjit Singh and the Head of the Russian Language Department of the Dakar University in Senegal Manetu Ndiaye addressed the Congress at the closing Ceremony in the Tauride Palace. The next Congress is to take place in 2027 in China.