On March 26–27, 2026, the XIII All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference for Students, Postgraduates, and Young Scholars, titled “Antiquity of the 21st Century,” took place at St. Petersburg State University and the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The conference featured a wide array of presentations on diverse topics, including the reception and reinterpretation of classical antiquity in the modern world. Among the speakers was Igor Chernyavsky, a fourth-year undergraduate student from the Faculty of History at the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, Samara University. He delivered a talk titled “Saviors of the West: The Deinomenids and the Construction of the Political Language of Syracusan Tyranny” under the supervision of O. M. Makarova, Associate Professor at the Department of World History, International Relations, and Archival Studies.
Reflecting on his experience, Igor shared:
“My presentation sparked numerous questions from the audience, leading to a lively and productive academic discussion. The organizing committee thoughtfully created informal spaces for deeper conversations beyond the formal sessions—precisely these ‘corridor talks’ allow participants to gauge the quality and relevance of their work in comparison with others. The conference was a great success, and I sincerely thank the organizers, as well as my home university and department, for giving me the opportunity to take part in such a meaningful scholarly event.”
In addition to the academic program, the organizers arranged special excursions for participants—including a visit to N. P. Likhachyov’s Palaeography Cabinet and an evening tour of St. Petersburg, offering attendees a rich cultural complement to the intellectual exchange.
Text and photo by Igor Chernyavsky
