Ideas and Ideals

The materials of the round table “Fifty years after N.S. Khrushchev” are presented. The round table
took place on 17 April 2014 at Novosibirsk State University at the plenary session of the section “History”
in the framework of the yearly International Student Scientifi c Conference. Fundamental questions were
discussed of the reasons and prerequisites of “the thaw”, its historical signifi cance and its lessons. It
was noted that knowledge of this period is insuffi cient, as long as there is the absence of fundamental
historical research, and the problems with understanding of many moments of the history of “the
thaw”. Priority is given to political, economic, and other aspects of the process of “de-Stalinization”. The contradictions of the policy of N.S. Khrushchev are discussed which was expressed in its progressive along with conservative trends. The phenomenon of “the thaw” demonstrates certain regularities of the Russian history: the liberalization of the regime was weakening the state, and the stabilization of the state was accompanying by increasingly authoritarian tendencies. According to some speakers the growing maturity of the Russian society provides some hope for the positive outcome of this contradiction.

The discussion was attended by the historians and economists: Professor Kuznetsov I.S. (Novosibirsk State University (NSU); Professor G.I. Khanin; Dr. Sciences (History) N.N. Ablazhei (Inst. of History of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (IH SB RAS, NSU), Cand. of Sciences (History) O.N. Kalinina (Institute of History, RAS); Professor V.I. Isaev (IH SB RAS), Professor S.А. Krasilnikov (NSU).

The round table was devoted to the problems related to the recent state of the Russian language.

Participants of the discussion noted the need to clearly distinguish between language and speech, i.e. a system and its way of functioning in the process of communication, and between general laws of evolution of language and the specific situation in the society. A variety of socio-linguistic trends that affect literacy of native speakers was discussed, as well as the loss of prestige of the Russian language in Russian society and around the world. There were different opinions regarding whether these negative effects are disastrous for the preservation of national language and for the Russian culture manifested through language. The participants expressed confidence that the Russian language will alive in 2100, however, in order to preserve its purity and wealth and to raise the prestige in the eyes of the national and the world communities, the efforts are needed from each family and society, and from the state, and specifically from еducational institutions at all levels – from primary to tertiary ones.