Attempting to Unravel the Riddle of Shakespeare in an Open Lecture at HSE Nizhny Novgorod
As part of the UK-Russia Year of Culture famous Russian critic and professor of literature, Igor Shaitanov delivered an open lecture at the HSE Nizhny Novgorod on questions of Shakespeare’s creative life. The event was part of the international conference ‘Russia and England: Counter-flow. Economics, Politics and Culture.’
As part of the UK-Russia Year of Culture famous Russian critic and professor of literature, Igor Shaitanov delivered an open lecture at the HSE Nizhny Novgorod on questions of Shakespeare’s creative life. The event was part of the international conference ‘Russia and England: Counter-flow. Economics, Politics and Culture.’
HSE Students and Professor Shaitanov discussed the centuries-old mysteries surrounding the genius of English poetry. At what point did Shakespeare leave Stratford-on-Avon to settle in London? When did he write his first play? In which genre did he begin to create his masterpieces? To this day, these and many other questions provoke lively arguments among literary critics, historians and students alike.
Shaitanov’s biography of Shakespeare which was published last year has aroused much interest in Russia and abroad and Shaitanov’s visit was a major event in HSE Nizhny Novgorod’s cultural, academic calendar. The author presented a copy of his book to the university’s Austria Library as a souvenir.
Professor Shaitanov devoted much attention to his own understanding of the famous ‘Shakespeare question’ and the problem of authorship. He also read his own translation of one of the sonnets.
Leading philologists from other universities in Nizhny Novgorod came to the lecture too. Igor Shaitanov said that public lectures are an essential part of popularising learning. ‘One of the most important challenges for academic life today is to create an environment where we can develop different kinds of cultural activity. Open lectures are one of the most productive ways to get closer to that goal.’
Open lectures with famous academics from Russia and abroad allow students at HSE Nizhny Novgorod to keep up to date with the latest trends in global research, they embody a practical approach to teaching and help students to probe the deeper meaning of their field of study.