The Chair of Russian Literature has been headed by K. Ayvazyan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, M. Mirza-Avagyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, E. Nuralov, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, S. Daronyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, S. Gulakyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, M. Amirkhanyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor and E. Aleksanyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor. Many pedagogue-scientists of the Chair have had their great investment in the development of Russian literature in Armenia, among them Sergey Daronyan, Irina Athadjanyan, Naira Seyranyan, Eduard Nuralov, Karen Saparov, Natalia Korkhmazyan, Sonya Davtyan and others. The Chair of Russian Literature has always stood out for Brusov Studies, which due to Elmira Danielyan and now also Ann Chulyan have received an international recognition.
The Chair of Foreign Literature has always been a scientific and educational center for world literature and culture and has been subsequently headed by leading experts, such as S. Soghomonyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, G. Majaryan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, L. Samvelyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, A. Gasparyan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, E. Nuralov, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Professor, E. Karabegova, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor. Prominent scholars, including G. Majaryan, Azatuhi Gasparyan, Margarita Aslanyan, Eleonora Ghukasyan, Nina Hayrapetyan, Yelena Karabegova have made great contributions to the development of world literature in Armenia. In 2007, the Chair of Russian Literature and the Chair of Foreign Literature joined under The Chair of Literature. With the introduction of the specialty of ''Area Studies'' it was later renamed to the Chair of World Literature and Culture.
Since 2007 the Chair has been headed by Yelena Karabegova, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, Yelena Etaryan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Shushanik Tamrazyan and since 2012 by Natalia Khachatryan, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Professor.
Since the day of its foundation the Chair has conducted extensive academic research. It is worth mentioning that the traditional “Brusov Readings” brought international prominence to the Chair, making it one of the most significant centers of modern Brusov Studies. "Jivilegov Readings", "Gogol Readings", "Griboyedov Readings", as well as annual international conferences of young scientists on "Modern Issues in Literature and Culture" and "Key Issues in Literature" were periodically organized.
The Chair of World Literature and Culture carries out multilayer activities on Brusov Studies, the history and theory of literature, comparative literature. Based on their major, students specialize in Russian, French, Italian, German, English-American literature. The courses are taught both in the native language and the languages studied.
Goal
Literature is a form of social conciousness in which the national mentality, history, traditions, and outlook characteristics are well-expressed.
Understanding the history of literature contributes to a deeper understanding of the diversity and interconnectedness of cultural processes in different countries, supports the understanding of the patterns of world cultural processes, enables to compare the characteristics of one's own and foreign cultures, shapes and develops creative potential.
Mission
The mission of the Chair is to promote the cultural formation of the future Armenian intelligence, the enrichment of spiritual world and the acknowledgement of literary and historical-cultural values of other countries. The study of literature and culture, being interconnected with related disciplines, increases students’ knowledge of other sciences /Geography, Religion, Philosophy, Natural Sciences, various branches of Arts/. It is noteworthy that the courses provided by the Chair promote the level of language proficiency, since the literary works are assigned in the original.
Functions and Activities
Academic Activity
The Chair trains philologist-literary scholars, literary critics, lecturers and literary consultants /for publishing houses and editorials/. Currently, the majority of the graduates teach at various institutions, including BSU /S. Apresova, A, Janikyan, H. Ayvazyan, Y. Etaryan, L. Safaryan, H. Yeghiazaryan, B. Avetisyan and others/. A number of graduates work at Armenian and international institutions, literary-cultural journals, take part in local and international scientific-cultural life.
The Chair offers MA programs in the specialties of “English Language and Literature’’ and “Russian Language and Literature”.
Within the framework of the cooperation with Sorbonne-4 Paris University, the specialty of “Foreign Language and Literature” has been replenished with the “French Literature and Civilization’’ and “Comparative Literature” MA academic programs since 2014.
The programs were developed and successfully implemented in collaboration with Bernard Franco, Sorbonne-4 University Professor, considering that the second year of the Master’s program is mainly implemented at Sorbonne-4 University.
Scientific-Research activity
The priority directions of the scientific sphere of the Chair are:
- Brusov Studies /traditional direction/:
For decades, our Chair has had an honorary mission of studying the literary heritage of V. Brusov.
Postmodernism – a direction of the 20th -21st centuries which has not yet determined the time boundaries, the national peculiarities of the literature of different countries, the interaction with other aesthetic theories;
Neuromanticism – the least studied European literature direction, when the national variations do not outline time limits, aesthetic principles and characteristics of genre-specific features are not determined.
The Chair organizes “Current Issues in Literature and Culture” annual international conference with the participation of renown literary critics of the field. It also organizes an inter-university conference of young scientists to promote the interest in literature and culture among the youth.
Each year the Chair organizes ''Literary Readings'' during the Francophonie Days.
Since 2010, Aida Karnigyan has been initiating a series of "Days of French Literature" events, within the framework of which BSU organizes lectures and readings dedicated to the works of renown French writers (M. Duras, A. R. Grière, JP Sartre, J Genet, S. Beckett, N. Sarraute and others), with the participation of both professors of Sorbonne-4 University, the lecturers and French-speaking students of the Chair.
