On 14 November, the JINR Blokhintsev Universal Public Library will host “The Saltykov-Shchedrin universe” festival marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of the writer Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin.
The festival programme includes two lectures and a literature quiz. All events will take place in the library’s Big Hall.
Festival programme:
- 16:00 – “Reality of the tales and satire of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin” lecture.
The speaker is Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor at HSE University, and public educator in philology Anastasia Pershkina.
The lecture will explore whether history can be studied through the writer’s satirical and grotesque texts, and which subjects he knew and conveyed best in his prose: legal provisions, the latest scientific discoveries, or the geography of the Russian Empire.
Admission is free.
- 17:45 —”The private life of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin” lecture.
The speaker is eputy Director for Science at the Taldom District Museum of History and Literature and a researcher of the writer’s biography Sergey Balashov.
Through letters from those close to him and the recollections of his contemporaries, the lecturer will offer a fresh look at Mikhail Saltykov, who published most of his works under the pen name N. Shchedrin — without political bias or identifying his literary characters with members of the Saltykov family.
Admission is free.
- 19:00 — “Laughter through the ages” literature quiz, hosted by the “Just Ъ” team.
Participants will embark on a literary investigation: distinguishing fact from fiction in Saltykov-Shchedrin’s biography, identifying works from plot excerpts, and recognising literary characters from cryptic descriptions. Unexpected questions, clever traps, familiar works, and little-known details will put the guests’ memory, knowledge, and literary intuition to the test.
The quiz invites teams of 5–6 people.
Preliminary registration is required (mandatory for all participants).
