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“Sholokhov Readings”: a New Stage

The international scientific conference “Sholokhov Readings-2013” marked by the publication of “Sholokhov Encyclopedia” took place in Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya. The Encyclopedia presentation was held this year in the homeland of the writer on his birthday.

The traditional readings took place on September, 11–13, and were devoted to the study of the work of M.A.Sholokhov. Daily plenary sessions were held in the Excursion and Exhibition Centre of the Museum “People’s House”. The conference presidium included: A.M.Sholokhov, Director of the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve, Y.A.Dvoryashin, Philology Doctor, the leading scientist of the Gorky Institute of the World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, T.O.Osipova, Philology Candidate, a docent of the Southern Federal University. The scientists heard 16 presentations and held a lively exchange of views. A number of the talks were about the creative history of the novel “They Fought for Their Country” by M.A.Sholokhov because this year it is the 70^th anniversary since the beginning of publication of the first chapters of this unfinished work.

Especially interesting were the talks of S.A. Vasiliyev, Philology Doctor, professor of the Moscow Pedagogical University (“The Novels of the Great patriotic War by M.A.Sholokhov and V.P.Astafiyev: Creative Problems, Author’s Style, Artistic Content”); G.N.Vorontsova, Philology Candidate, a senior scientific worker of the Gorky Institute of the World Literature (“Scientific Biography of M.A.Sholokhov: Myths and Reality”); Y.A.Dvoryashin (“Women in the Artistic World of M.A.Sholokhov”); K.E.Korepova, Philology Doctor, professor of the Novgorod State University (“Family Branches of M.A.Sholokhov: Documentary Refinements to the Scheme of the Genealogical Tree of the Writer”); L.P.Razogreyeva, Deputy Director of the Sholokhov Museum-Reserve (“The Art of Sholokhov in the Readers’ Perception”) and others.

The members of the conference held a roundtable talk “The Working Experience on the “Sholokhov Encyclopedia” and the Prospects of the Sholokhov Study Development”. The “Sholokhov Encyclopedia” was acknowledged to be a fact of public consciousness, a new stage in the study of the writer’s art. The scientists do not hold the edition to be comprehensive and perfect, however the efforts of the 114 authors have yielded good results, and now it is clear, that this work must be continued to prepare the second edition corrected and supplemented. The edition of the “Sholokhov Encyclopedia” electronic version is going to be another important task.

There was proposed an idea to issue a scientific journal about the problems of Sholokhov study development which could help to consolidate the work of Russian and foreign researchers and to attract young scholars.

During the conference there was held a presentation of the book “Sholokhov Forever” by E.A.Kostin, Philology Doctor, professor of the Vilnius University. This book is devoted to the philosophical and aesthetic analysis of Sholokhov’s work.

Greetings and kind wishes were sent to “Sholokhov Readings-2013” by professor G.S.Yermolayev from the Princeton University, USA; academician V.V.Aghenosov, N.V.Korniyenko, a correspondent member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; E.A.Bessmertnykh, general director of the “Sinergia” Publishing House.

Summing up the conference Y.A.Dvoryashin noted a creative atmosphere of the present “Sholokhov Readings”, a more profound investigation of the problems in the talks given, primarily due to participation of practically all the speakers in the preparation of the articles for the “Sholokhov Encyclopedia”.

The conference issued in adoption of the resolution.

Alexey Kochetov