News

5 June 2020

National Web Conference “Cooperation of UNESCO Chairs for Strategic Planning and Sustainable Development”

On June 5, 2020, the Chair took part at a National Web Conference entitled ‘Cooperation of UNESCO Chairs for Strategic Planning and Sustainable Development’. The conference was organized basing at the facilities of Peter the Great State Polytechnical University in St.Petersburg, Russia, and gathered about 70 participants from all of the country. The conference started with introductory remarks of Ms. I.Nichanian and Mr. G.Ordzhonikidze, who represented respectedly UNESCO headquarters, and Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO. The Chair was presented by M.Stepanov, Academic Secretary, who gave an invited plenary talk dedicated to ‘Intercultural Dialogue in Digitalized World’, which was co-authored by A.Venkova, Deputy Chair, and by D.Spivak, Chair.
5 June 2020

Scientific paper in a peer-reviewed journal “Religiosity of Shiite Muslims in Russia”

The Chair has completed a new stage of its strategic project, dedicated to Dialogue of World Religions in Present-Day World. The stage consisted in detection of basic features shaping intrinsic religiosity of Shi’a Muslims in Daghesta, Russia. Its main results were presented as a scientific paper in a peer-reviewed journal (Spivak D., Seidova G., Venkova A.Intrinsic Religiosity of Shiite Muslims in Russia // International Journal of Cultural Research. 2020. № 1. P. 234–254. DOI: 10.24411/2079-1100-2020-000017).

As stated in the Summary of the article, “100 members of the local religious community of Shiite Muslims, aged and young, female and male, were interviewed, basing on the facilities of the historical Juma Mosque at the city of Derbent, in the south of the Republic of Daghestan. As a result, three dominant psychological experiences were detected: (a) having “spiritual experience that strengthened one’s belief in God’, (b) “feeling close to God”, (c) having “experience that convinced one of God’s existence”, two moderate experiences: (d) “spending considerable time on religious or spiritual practices”, (e) “considering oneself as strongly religious’ or, as “spiritually-oriented”, and two weaker ones: (f) “feeling often to be very close to a powerful spiritual force”, and (g) definitely agreeing to the statement “God dwells within me”.

“Dominant experiences tended to be dynamic / active, while the weak ones were mostly static and passive. No statistically relevant dependence upon age and / or sex of respondents was detected in the case of the dominant experiences, most possibly due to their being too strong. As to the moderate ones, strong degree of dependence upon age and / or sex was detected. Aged women tended to get the highest scores on all seven sub-scales applied by us; aged men revealed a somewhat lower level of intrinsic religiosity. Young men occupied the second place from the top at five scales out of seven, applied by us, while young women got the lowest scores. Thus, basing on strictly formal criteria, two focal types of intrinsic religiosity of Shiite Muslims in Russia were revealed, one of them being characteristic for aged people, especially aged women, another one, being almost exclusively proper for young men”.

The Chair intends to incorporate these results into present-day interfaith dialogue in Russia.
4 June 2020

International scientific web conference «Contemporary Paradigmatic Problems of Education at the Eurasian Region»

On May 29, 2020, our Chair took part at an international scientific web conference, organized jointly by Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan, Centre of Social Studies of Azerbaidjan, State University of Daghestan, Al Farabi National University of Kazakhstan, Manas Kirghiz-Turk University, National University of Tadjikistan, and Philosophic Society of Uzbekistan. The conference was entitled: Contemporary Paradigmatic Problems of Education at the Eurasian Region. Head of the North Caucasus affiliation of our Chair, professor GulchohraSeidova, gave an invited talk, entitled Development of Education at Eurasian Region Basing upon Values of National Cultures. Professor of our Chair, Mustafa Bilalov, gave another invited plenary talk, dedicated to Eurasian Standards of Present-Day Educational Paradigm. Photo: professor G.Seidova.
21 April 2020

UNESCO chair took part at a special program at a local TV channel

On April 19, our UNESCO chair took part at a special program at a local TV channel, which was dedicated to the observation of Easter in times of the pandemic. The program was issued as part of a national discussion, devoted to the problem, whether Orthodox Christians should be present at churches on the occasion of the night Easter mass, and to take part at a usual night procession or, to stay at home, practicing private / family prayer, in order not to take unnecessary risks. D.Spivak represented the academia, as well as UNESCO, recommending the audience to stay at home, basing upon dogmatic arguments, as well as historical and rational ones. His position was reiterated by a prominent local cleric.
20 March 2020

Spring session, 2020, of the Coordination Committee of UNESCO Chairs of the Russian Federation takes place now in the format of distant meeting

Session agenda includes primarily reviewing applications for the inauguration of new UNESCO Chairs. Some of the leading Russian universities intend to serve as their basic institutions, i.e.: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technologies (Chair ‘Artificial Intellect’), Moscow; High School of Economics (Chair ‘Foresight Studies’), Moscow; P.Demidov State University of Yaroslavl (Chair ‘Urban Studies and Sustainable Development’); Russian Institute of Peoples’ Friendship (Chair ‘Present-day Languages, Migration, and Intercultural Communication’), Moscow; State University of Yugra (Chair ‘Indigenous People of Yugra in Context of Globalization’), Khanty-Mansiysk; International Academy of Business and Novel Technologies (‘Social, Ecological, Economic, Historical, Legal and Information Apects of Urban Development – Distant Inclusive Education for Preservation of Historucal Heritage of Cities’, Yaroslavl); P.Stolypin International Institute of Informatization and State Administration (Chair ‘Global Partnership in Education and Science for Sustainable Development’).Our Chair conducted detailed analysis of all seven applications, and presented its recommendations to the Coordination Committee.
14 January 2020

TV program dedicated to comparative overview of traditions of celebrating New Year

On January 13, 2020, the Chair was invited to take part in a TV program dedicated to comparative overview of traditions of celebrating New Year in various cultures of the world. D.Spivak served as keynote speaker of the 30-minute program created by LenTV channel in St.Petersburg, Russia (full version in Russian)
27 December 2019

Official Congratulation by Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO

Our UNESCO Chair has received official congratulatory letter issued by Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, on the occasion of prolongation of the activities of the Chair for the next four-year period. As stated in the letter of December 11, 2019,signed by Executive Secretary of Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, Ambassador G.Ordzhonikidze, the Chair is awaited to undertake new ‘interesting and constructive activities’.
23 December 2019

6th Toksovo Readings on Local History

On December 19, 2019, 6^thToksovo Readings on Local History took place in the town of Toksovo, situated at the North-West of the Russian Federation (http://www.toksovo-lo.ru/). As usual, the Readings were conducted under the auspices of UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue (St.Petersburg – Moscow), basing on the facilities the local Educational Center (http://www.school-toksovo.ru/). This time, interfaith dialogue with Lutheran church formed the main topic of the meeting, as well as intercultural dialogue between local Russian and Finnish (Inkeri) population. A number of reports of local historians, writers, and representatives of the local Lutheran religious community, dedicated to various aspects of the 400 years of presence of Lutheran faith in Toksova and its environs, were presented. Pastor of the Toksova Lutheran congregation A.Ujmanen served as special guest of the Readings, which were resumed by a fine choir formed by local dwellers, which presented beautiful Christmas chorals in Russian and Finnish.
19 December 2019

Meeting of International Working Group ‘In Search of the Sun’

On December 25, 2019, International working group ‘In Search of the Sun’ met at Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (Baku, Azerbaijan), in order to sum up and present main results of its activities for years 2018–2019. Researchers from various scientific institutes, state officials, representatives of various non-profit associations took part. Inter alia, list of historical and architectural monuments that are to be preserved and restored, according to the research of the ‘In Search of the Sun’ experts, were presented. Our UNESCO chair serves as a scientific partner of this project. Final Report (In Russian)
12 December 2019

New book ‘Fifth Toksovo Readings: Origins of the Orthodox Community at the Toksovo District’

A new book has been published under the auspices of our UNESCO Chair (‘Fifth Toksovo Readings: Origins of the Orthodox Community at the Toksovo District’ / Eds. V.Kudriavtsev, UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue. – St.Petersburg: Renome, 2019. 196 p., in Russian and Finnish). The book is based upon materials of reports of local historians, writers and educators, as well as memories of some local dwellers, who took part in an annual conference conducted basing on the facilities of the local Educational Centre, regarding various aspects of history and present-day state of Orthodox Christians in North-Western Russia and Finland, as well as some actual aspects of interfaith dialogue.