From May 5 to 7, 2026, the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication at Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University hosted the X International Conference "National Myth in Literature and Culture: Russia Through the Mirror of Myths." Organized jointly by the Department of Russian Literature and Teaching Methods and the Department of Foreign Literature at KFU's Institute of Philology, the event brought together leading voices in humanities research from across the globe.
This year's conference focused on a particularly resonant theme: the image of Russia in literature and culture. Participants examined how the "Russian myth" has been constructed, transformed, and perpetuated across literary texts, journalism, visual arts, and other forms of cultural expression.
Global Reach, Local Roots
More than 200 speakers from around the world contributed to the scholarly dialogue. Russia was represented by regions spanning from Vladivostok and Krasnoyarsk to Kaliningrad and Crimea, while international participants hailed from France, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, China, Iran, Algeria, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
Samara University was represented by PhD students from the Faculty of Philology and Journalism (Social and Humanities Institute), who participated in person and presented original research:
- Elena Eremenko delivered a paper on "The Specifics of Constructing Russia's Image in the Poetry of David Burliuk," prepared under the supervision of Professor E. S. Shevchenko, Department of Russian and Foreign Literature and Public Relations.
- Tatyana Solovyova explored "The Representation of Russia in the Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva," supervised by Professor L. G. Tyutelov, Head of the same department.
- Viktoria Romashova presented "The Cultural Myth of the Russian Poet and His Mission in the Prose of Anatoly Marienhof," also supervised by Professor Tyutelov.
"I was deeply impressed by the conference and the remarkable people who gathered there," shared Tatyana Solovyova.
"The level of scholarly professionalism was truly inspiring—and I'm proud that my colleagues and I were able to represent our university at such a prestigious event. For me, this was an unforgettable experience!"
Beyond Academia: Discovering Kazan
In addition to their academic contributions, the Samara delegation took the opportunity to explore Kazan's cultural landmarks. They visited the exhibition "The Yusupovs: Luxury Through the Centuries" at the Hermitage-Kazan Center and sampled authentic Tatar cuisine—blending scholarly exchange with intercultural immersion.
From Presentation to Publication
Following the conference, selected papers will be published in peer-reviewed journals, including "Philology and Culture" (Filologiya i kul'tura), which is indexed in the Higher Attestation Commission (VAK) list of reputable scientific publications.
Text: Viktoria Romashova, Tatyana Solovyova; Press Service of Kazan Federal University
