Since October 2021, student seminar “Other Middle Ages” has been operating at RSUH under the guidance of Professor Oleg Aurov. Its participants became a group much earlier when students from different faculties met informally in order to discuss exciting historical topics. Now the members of the association regularly hold events on various aspects of the study of the Middle Ages.
“The first attempt to create our community was made back in May last year, on the basis of the Literary Club of RSUH. We managed to hold only one face-to-face meeting and everything went pretty well, but we felt that it was not our format. After much deliberation, Semyon [the secretary of “Other Middle Ages”] and I decided to create another association, which would be different from the LitClub. Now enjoy the fruits of our labor! We also have a great leader, Dr. Oleg Aurov, who helps us a lot.”
— Anna Mutasova, 3rd year student of the Faculty of History of RSUH
Despite the short time of its existence, the seminar has become one of the most active student associations at the University. Its motto is "We love the Middle Ages and it's contagious" and it clearly conveys the reasons for its popularity. The organizers invite well-known speakers and create conditions for an open discussion not only on historical, but also on philosophical topics.
Six lectures have already been held delivered by RSUH faculty and specialists from other educational and academic centers. The last meeting’s topic was "Joan of Arc: the Then and the Now", where the leading specialist in the history of medieval France, Doctor of Historical Sciences Olga Togoeva acted as a speaker. She analyzed the role of the French national heroine from the point of view of the modern historical science, and also spoke about the development of her own contribution to the study of this topic and individual understanding of history.
Speaking about the creation of the association, Semyon Libinson spoke about the relevance and significance of the topics of discussion:
“One of the club’s creation stories is connected with our academic adviser and mentor Oleg Aurov, who recommended to us Jacques Le Goff’s cult collection Other Middle Ages... And when we thought about the name, we decided that it would symbolically suit us. Plus, the invited speakers immediately tune in more to the modern understanding of historical science and its personal perception"
- Semyon Libinson, 3rd year student of the Faculty of History of RSUH, secretary of "Other Middle Ages"
The Association also supports the formats of round tables and quiz shows. “Of course, our ideal is to create a strong base at RSUH for studying the Middle Ages. But at this stage, our goal remains the popularization of medieval studies and the involvement of students in academic activities,” says Semyon Libinson.
Since most events were held remotely, many students from the Faculty of Archival Affairs, Faculty of History and Philosophy, Centers for the Study of Religions and Social Anthropology, as well as students and faculty from other universities, were able to participate.
The Seminar has many plans for further development, as, for instance, the introduction of new formats of interaction with participants (film screenings with expert commentaries, organization of anniversary events, etc.). The global goal is publishing a collection of articles based on the results of the round tables. Now the students are doing what they love and are inviting active, interested members to join them to grow with like-minded people.
