Russian Language: Vectors and Perspectives. 4th Kostomarov Forum is the main annual event in the world of the Russian language

On May 22–24, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and under the auspices of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, Moscow hosted the 4th Kostomarov Forum, the main annual event in the world of the Russian language. 

The forum was held in a mixed format: in person and online, with a broadcast on the official website of the event. In total, more than 6,000 people from 116 countries took part in it.

Since its first appearance in 2021, the Kostomarov Forum has been widely recognized as the largest international expert platform on Russian studies. It is dedicated to the scientific and pedagogical legacy of Vitaly Kostomarov (1930–2020), founder, first rector, and president of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute (the Pushkin Institute). Academician Vitaly Kostomarov made a great contribution to the foundation of the state language policy of the USSR and the Russian Federation and was one of the founders of the scientific fields “Russian As a Foreign Language” and “Linguistic and Cultural Studies.”

The main theme of the 4th Kostomarov Forum is “The Language and Style of the Media Text.” The reason of this choice resides in its relevance in modern realities emerged due to the widespread IT implementation in recent decades and in the 30th anniversary of the publication of Vitaly Kostomarov’s pivotal work The Linguistic Flavor of the Age: Observing the Speech Practices of the Mass Media.

At the opening ceremony, the participants were welcomed by acting rector of the Pushkin Institute Nikita Gusev who outlined the main directions of the forum: the current state of the Russian language, its functions in the media, methods of teaching Russian, and the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in teaching Russian as a foreign language. Nikita Gusev recalled that Vitaly Kostomarov was one of the first to talk about the importance of using computer technology in education.

Deputy minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky thanked the Pushkin Institute for preserving the memory of its founder and emphasized the global interest in Russian culture: “Today, 355,000 foreign students study in Russia, which is an all-time record number. I am sure that the Pushkin Institute will continue to help us promote and teach the Russian language for foreign citizens.”

The program of the forum was opened by a plenary session. The speakers included Mariya Veyn, daughter of Vitaly Kostomarov; Aleksandr Alimov, director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, chairman of the Board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation; Dimitris Fotiadis, teacher of Russian and Literature at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, member of the program committee of the forum, as well as representatives of other relevant organizations. Vladimir Konkov, professor of the Department of Medialinguistics at the Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications of Saint Petersburg State University, spoke about the scientific potential of Vitaly Kostomarov’s book The Russian Language on the Newspaper Page published in 1971 and noted that “there are few works that would share the same intellectual intensity.” Larisa Selezneva, professor of the Department of Russian Literature and Intercultural Communication at the Pushkin Institute presented a report on Vitaly Kostomarov’s contribution to discoursology. She also introduced the audience to the concept of the display text (a new type of text devised by Kostomarov) and the forms of its realization.

The program of the 6th Kostomarov Forum included more than 50 events: panel discussions, round tables, seminars, expert sessions, quizzes, master classes, methodological workshops, creative meetings with writers, presentations of educational projects and scientific research as well as anniversary 25th Cyril and Methodius readings. A special place in the program was devoted to the events dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin. The exhibition opened in the entrance hall of the Institute “From the Pushkiniana of Vitaly Kostomarov,” which included items from the scientist’s collection, was timed to coincide with the opening of the forum.

The Kostomarov Forum was attended by teachers of Russian, winners of the Teacher of the Year contests in Armenia and Kazakhstan, deans of faculties, heads of departments and professors of universities from Serbia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, India, Tajikistan, Egypt, Cuba, Iraq, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Iran, Myanmar, Sri Lanka.

Among the participants of the scientific conferences of the forum (including as experts) were foreign Russianists-interns of the InteRussia project — young scientists and teachers of Russian. They came to the Pushkin Institute to study and do their research. The InteRussia project is being implemented jointly with Rossotrudnichestvo and the Gorchakov Fund. Winners of international competitions organized by the Pushkin Institute in the CIS countries also participated in the forum.

The forum hosted a presentation of scientific publications of the Pushkin Institute, both those published and to be published, primarily selected works of Vitaly Kostomarov. All guests who attended the event were presented with the book Meetings with Kostomarov published especially for the forum and containing materials of oral speeches and media interviews for the last 20 years of the academician’s life.

Source: www.kostomarovforum.ru