RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF EDUCATION ST. PETERSBURG INTELLIGENTSIA CONGRESS

ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES under the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

This is the Fifteenth Conference (initially named ‘The Days of Science in SPbUHSS’ ) and the Seventh in the status of the International Likhachov Conference

St. Petersburg 2007 ББК 72 Д44

Scientific editor Professor A. S. Zapesotsky, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Cultural Studies), Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation

Editor of the English language edition Professor S. R. Abramov, Dr. Sc. (Philology), English Chair of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Recommended to be published by the editorial board of SPbUHSS Minutes No. 17, 29.06.07

Promoters and participants of the Conference express profound gratitude to the company Xerox Eurasia for the support of this publication

Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations in the Global World: The 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, May 24–25, 2007. — SPb.: SPbUHSS Publishers, 2007. — 78 p. ISBN 978-5-7621-0392-3

This book contains proceedings of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference held on May 24–25, 2007, at St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, in accordance with the Decree of President of Russia V.V. Putin ‘On perpetuating the memory of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov’. In papers and speeches presented at the plenary session, round table and eight workshops, famous Russian and foreign scientists, political and public figures, authorities on practical activities from many countries of the world analyze fundamental matters of the contemporary global society, typical features of culture and civilizations dialogue, major trends in the spheres of education, the humanities and cultures. The conference was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. This edition is intended for the academic community, specialists in different areas of social and humanitarian knowledge, as well as higher education students and post-graduates. ББК 72

ISBN 978-5-7621-0392-3 © SPbUHSS Publishers, 2007 CONTENTS

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ...... 6

DECREE OF PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ‘ON PERPETUATING THE MEMORY OF DMITRY SERGEYEVICH LIKHACHOV’ ...... 8

ADDRESSES OF V. V. PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ...... 9

GREETINGS TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ...... 10

Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

PRESIDIUM OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ...... 15

HEADS OF SECTIONS ...... 17

PRESENTATIONS, SPEECHES, GREETING MESSAGES ...... 18 A. S. ZAPESOTSKY, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Cultural Studies), Professor, Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation GREETING MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE TO THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ...... 18 D. A. GRANIN, Writer, member of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Doctor honoris causa of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Honoured Citizen of St. Petersburg, of Socialist Labour THOUGHTS ON CONSCIENCE ...... 20 M. B. PIOTROVSKY, Chairman of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Director of the State Hermitage, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD ...... 23 A. A. KOKOSHIN, Chairman of the Committee on CIS issues and relations with compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Director of Institute of Issues of International Security of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Department of World Policy, State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences CULTURE AND NATIONAL-CIVILIZATION IDENTITY OF THE MODERN GREAT POWER ...... 26 4 DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

L. JINGJIE, President of Chinese Association of Research of Russia, Eastern Europe and Middle Asia, member of the National Political Consultative Committee of Chinese People’s Republic, academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Studies ADOPTION OF THE WESTERN CULTURE: NO BIAS EITHER TO THE ‘LEFT’ OR TO THE ‘RIGHT’ CAN BE ALLOWED ...... 28 M. M. JOSHI, Member of Parliament of India, Doctor DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILISATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD ...... 31 Y. S. VASILYEV, President of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Presidium of All-Russia Council of Presidents of Universities and member of the Presidium of St. Petersburg Council of Rectors of Universities, Dr. Sc. (Engineering), professor GREETING MESSAGE TO THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS ...... 33 A. O. CHUBARYAN, Director of Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of State University of the Humanities, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE STUDIES AS MEANS FOR THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS ...... 33 N. AL-ATTAR, Vice-President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor THE DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS: MUTUAL AID AND PARTNERSHIP ...... 34 A. V. SALTANOV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of President of the Russian Federation on the Middle-East Issues ISSUES OF INTERCIVILIZATIONAL CONTACTS IN THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES ...... 36 A. A. GUSEYNOV, Director of Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS?...... 39 R. X. KHOKHAR, Special Representative of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM: CAUSES & REMEDIES ...... 43 G. A. YAGODIN, Professor of Russian Chemical-Engineering University named after D. I. Mendeleyev (Moscow), academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Chemistry) EDUCATION AT THE MODERN STAGE ...... 44 V. V. POPOV, Ambassador at large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Director of the Centre for Partnership of Civilizations of the Scientific-Coordination Council on International Researches of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation ON PARTNERSHIP OF CIVILIZATIONS ...... 45 G. M. REZNIK, President of the Lawyer’s Chamber of Moscow, Chair of Law at the Academic Law University of Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, M. A. (Law), Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation CULTURE AND LAW IN THE MODERN GLOBALIZING WORLD ...... 48 A. A. LIKHANOV, Writer, Chairman of the Russian Children Foundation, academician of the Russian Academy of Education PRECEPTS OF DMITRY SERGEYEVICH LIKHACHOV IN ACTION (А greeting message for the Conference participants) ...... 50 Contents 5

V. P. KAZARIN, First Deputy Chairman of Sevastopol City Administration, Dr. Sc. (Philology), Professor GLOBALIZATION AS OBLIGATORY ELEMENT OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION A greeting message to the Conference participants ...... 51 F. A. ASADULLIN, Head of the Scientific Department of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Sheikh ISLAMIC-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF RUSSIA (Experience elicitation) ...... 52 V. V. NAUMKIN, Head of the Department of Regional Problems of the World Politics of Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, representative of the Russian Federation in the High Level Group of the UN Project Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor ROLE OF ‘THE ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS’ IN THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE SETUP ...... 53 O. T. BOGOMOLOV, Honorary Director of Institute of International Economics and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences CULTURE AND ECONOMY: EDGES OF CONJUGACY ...... 54 S. L. SHIPTON, OBE, KFO, Coordinator of the Three Faiths Forum (Muslim-Christian-Jewish Trialogue) DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILISATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD ...... 56 D. V. YATSKEVICH, 11-year pupil at School No. 411 ‘Harmony’ at the Petrodvoretsky district of St. Petersburg, winner of the All-Russian contest of creative works of senior students D. S. Likhachov’s Ideas and Modern Times D. S. LIKHACHOV’S IDEAS AND MODERN TIMES ...... 59

Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD ...... 61

INDEX OF NAMES ...... 77 ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

The International Scientific Conference at St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences first took place in May, 1993. It was timed to the Days of Slavonic Letters and Culture. It was initiated by Academician Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov and the university professors V. E. Triodin, R. S. Milonov and A. S. Zapesotsky. Since then the Conference has been held every year. D. S. Likhachov made a speech there twice – he read his papers ‘Declaration of the Rights of Culture and Its International Importance’ (1996) and ‘Great Culture Is Conciliatory by Nature’ (1997). After D. S. Likhachov’s death the writer D. A. Granin and Professor A. S. Zapesotsky suggested renaming the conference into the International Likhachov Scientific Conferen- ce. This was done by the Decree of President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin ‘On perpetuating the memory of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov’ No. 587, May 23, 2001. The co-founders of the Conference are the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education, St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress (registered officially by A. S. Zapesotsky on the instructions of D. S. Likhachov and D. A. Granin in 1999; among the founders you can also find J. I. Alferov, A. P. Petrov, M. B. Piotrovsky, K. Y. Lavrov. The Congress was founded to assist the potential of the intelligentsia to be realized, to strengthen the civil society and protect the values of the democracy, to provide a continual dialogue between the society and the power, and also to consolidate all the population classes in order to reach public consent). In 2007 the Likhachov Conference has enjoyed the support of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Traditionally, the most universal debatable problems of the present time are put on the agenda of the Conference. In 2001 and 2002 the theme of the Likhachov Conference was ‘The World of Academician Likhachov’s Humanitarian Culture’, in 2003 the theme was ‘Education under the Conditions of Formation of a New Type of Culture’, in 2004 – ‘Education in the Process of Humanization of the Modern World’, in 2005 – ‘Culture and the Global Challenges of the World Development’, in 2006 – ‘Humanitarian Problems of Modern Civilization’, in 2007 – ‘The Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations in the Modern World’. Every year the Likhachov Conference gets a wider range and becomes more and more imposing. Greatest Russian and foreign scientists, figures of culture and art, public and political leaders take part in the Conference. The following academicians and corres- ponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences have taken part in the Conference in recent years: A. G. Arbatov, N. P. Bekhtereva, O. T. Bogomolov, V. N. Bolshakova, A. V. Brushlinsky, R. S. Ganelin, A. A. Guseynov, N. I. Yeliseeva, T. I. Zaslavskaya, N. V. Karlov, A. A. Kokoshin, I. I. Lukinov, V. A. Martynov, S. V. Medvedev, N. N. Moiseyev, A. D. Nekipelov, A. M. Panchenko, N. Y. Petrakov, N. A. Plate, B.V. Rauschenbach, Y. A. Ryzhov, N. N. Skatov, V. S. Stepin, Z. T. Toschenko, A. M. Finkelstein, A. O. Chu- baryan, V. L. Yanin, R. G. Yanovsky and others. The academicians and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Education who have taken part in the Conference are the following: S. A. Amonashvili, V. I. Andreev, A. G. Asmolov, V. K. Balsevitch, A. P. Beliayeva, M. N. Berulava, I. V. Bestuzhev-Lada, A. A. Bodalev, E. V. Bon- darevskaya, G. A. Bordovsky, A. P. Valitskaya, G. N. Volkov, Y. N. Gladky, Y. S. Da- vydov, A. V. Darinsky, A. N. Dzhurinsky, E. D. Dneprov, S. F. Yegorov, V. G. Kinelyov, ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 7

V. A. Kobyliansky, I. S. Kon, A. S. Kondratiev, V. G. Kostomarov, M. N. Kuzmin, N. V. Kuzmina, O. Y. Lebedev, V. T. Lisovsky, A. A. Likhanov, V. G. Matanzman, G. V. Mukhametzianova, N. D. Nikandrov, A. A. Orlov, A. A. Rean, Y. A. Saurov, Y. V. Senko, N. A. Terentieva, A. V. Usova, Y. U. Fokht-Babushkin, A. V. Khutorskoy, G. A. Yagodin, Y. A. Yamburg, W. Mitter (Germany). Such public and state figures as A. A. Akayev, O. G. Dmitriyeva, A. A. Sobchak, Y. S. Stroyev, M. V. Shmakov, V. A. Yakovlev have also participated in the Conference. Among the figures of culture and art who have participated in the Conference are the following: M. K. Anikushin, A. A. Voznesensky, I. O. Gorbachev, D. A. Granin, N. M. Dudinskaya, Z. Y. Korogodsky, K. Y. Lavrov, A. P. Petrov, M. M. Plisetskaya, M. L. Rostropovich, E. A. Ryazanov, G. V. Sviridov. Three times, in 2001, 2004 and 2006, the organizers and participants of the Conference were greeted by President of Russia V. V. Putin. Since 2005 the Conference has been financially supported by the ‘Xerox-Eurasia’ company. Every year proceedings are published as a result of the International Conference. The copies of the proceedings are present in all major libraries of Russia, CIS countries, scientific and educational centres of many states of the world. The proceedings of the Conference are also available on a special scientific website ‘Likhachov Square’ at www.Lihachev.ru. DECREE OF PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ‘ON PERPETUATING THE MEMORY OF DMITRY SERGEYEVICH LIKHACHOV’

Given D. S. Likhachov’s outstanding contribution to the de- velopment of the home science and culture I enact: 1. the Government of the Russian Federation should: – establish two personal grants in honour of D. S. Likhachov at the rate of 400 roubles each for university students from the year 2001 and to define the procedure of conferring them; – work out the project of D. S. Likhachov’s gravestone on a com- petitive basis together with the Government of St. Petersburg; – consider the issue of making a film devoted to D. S. Likhachov’s life and activities. 2. the Government of St. Petersburg should: – name one of the streets in St. Petersburg after D. S. Likhachov; – consider the issue of placing a memorial plate on the building of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Pushkin’s House); – guarantee the work on setting up D. S. Likhachov’s gravestone in prescribed manner. 3. According to the suggestion from the Russian Academy of Sciences the Likhachov Memorial Prizes of the Russian Academy of Sciences should be established for Russian and foreign scientists for their outstanding contribution to the research of literature and culture of ancient Russia, and the collected writings of the late Academician should be published. 4. According to the suggestion from St. Petersburg Intel- ligentsia Congress the International Likhachov Scientific Con- ference should be annually held on the Day of the Slavonic Letters and Culture.

VLADIMIR PUTIN President of the Russian Federation Moscow, the Kremlin, May 23, 2001 ADDRESSES OF V. V. PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

I should first like to welcome the participants of the International scientific conference ‘The world of culture of the Academician D. S. Likhachov’. The most prominent scientists and political leaders come together to discuss at this conference the most important issues of the scientific, moral and spiritual legacy of the remarkable Russian scientist D. S. Likhachov. I strongly believe that this tradition will be followed up in the future and the most distinguished successors will develop Likhachov’s humanistic ideas and put them into practice while creating the Universal Home for all people of the 21st century. I should like to express my hope that the Likhachov scientific conferences will be held in all regions of this country as well as in St. Petersburg, and we will feel part of this remarkable tradition. I wish you a fruitful discussion and a good partnership that will bring many useful results. V. Putin President of the Russian Federation May 21, 2001 ✦✦✦

I should like to welcome the guests, participants, and the organization that is holding this remarkable event, the International Likhachov Scientific Conference. The most influential and outstanding representatives of intellectual elite – scientists, artists, political figures – participate in this conference to keep up with the tradition. It affords me deep satisfaction to see this forum acquire an international standing. I note with pleasure that its agenda contains the most significant and topical issues of our time. This year you are discussing one of the fundamental problems – impact of education on humanistic process in the society. The fact that this forum is organized regularly is a great tribute to the memory of D. S. Li- khachov, an outstanding scientist, citizen and patriot. His spiritual legacy, scientific works dedicated to the problems of intellectual and moral development of younger generations, has great significance. I wish you a fruitful discussion. V. Putin President of the Russian Federation May 20, 2004

✦✦✦

I should like to welcome the guests, participants, and the organization that is holding the 6th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. I note with satisfaction that for many years this forum has been carrying out a very noble and important mission of preserving, analyzing and popularizing Likhachov’s scientific works. The International Likhachov Scientific Conference has become a very important forum where people can exchange ideas and discuss the topical issues of the present time. Likhachov’s spiritual legacy is an integral part of our science, of the science all over the world. And we are proud to see Likhachov’s 100th anniversary, this memorable event, being celebrated on a great scale in Russia and abroad. I wish a successful discussion to all the participants and guests of the conference. V. Putin President of the Russian Federation May 25, 2006 GREETINGS TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

TO THE ORGANIZERS, PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

I greet the organizers, participants and guests of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. Your authoritative forum, having gathered the elite of the Russian and world intelligentsia, well-known scientists and artists, has become an important tradition in this country’s spiritual life. Its interesting reports and at times sharp discussions invariably cause great interest and wide public acclaim. This year you have chosen to discuss such a basic problem as the dialogue of cultures and civilizations in the modern world; you are bound to share experience, to consider promising joint projects in the humanitarian sphere. I am sure the suggestions and recommendations elaborated within your work will assist careful preservation of our cultural heritage; they will contribute to the development of D. S. Likhachov’s ideas that haven’t lost its significance and topicality with the years. I send you best wishes of success.

S. SOBYANIN Head of Administration of President of the Russian Federation

TO THE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE, PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

The Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences congratulates the participants of the traditional 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. We are sure that like in the previous years sharp discussions, competent analyses of the present-day pressing problems will be there, new scientific contacts will start, the humanitarian thought will get further development. This year the theme of the Conference is ‘The Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations in the Global World’; it develops creatively the trends of scientific and public work of our great contemporary D. S. Likhachov, to which he devoted the last years of his life. The end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, accompanied by numerous losses, have vividly shown that outside culture all science, technology and civilization lose their sense and turn into the source of danger to the humanity. You, the participants of the Conference, are trying to answer numerous questions which progress raises before culture, and even though you may fail to find the final answers, you are sure to make a serious step in this direction. In this connection it is difficult to overestimate the significance of this traditional Scientific Conference that is devoted to the most urgent problems today. I wish all the participants of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference successful work for the benefit of education and culture in Russia.

Y. OSIPOV President of the Russian Academy of Science GREETINGS TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 11

TO CHAIRMAN OF ST. PETERSBURG INTELLIGENTSIA CONGRESS, CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, PRESIDENT OF ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, PROFESSOR A. S. ZAPESOTSKY

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, Dear friends and participants, All my colleagues and I greet you and congratulate you on the opening of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov was not only a scholar. With all the time changes we understand more and more clearly that he was a true citizen and scientist, not just only a philologist. We can say so because scientific works, even the greatest ones, lose their importance in the course of time, while culture, in its broad meaning, undoubtedly remains, although the problem of cultural objects preservation is rather difficult. The heritage of D. S. Likhachov is the very basis and the moral support that creates preconditions for the salvation of culture. Nowadays the representatives of culture, intelligentsia, face the necessity to create a dialogue of cultures and civilizations in the global world, to find the place of Russia in the context of geopolitical questions of the epoch, to define the dialectics of cultures and cultural conflicts. A large number of such problems are to be analyzed by the participants of the conference, which prove their importance and scientific level. It is worth mentioning that a work of two sections (‘Higher Education: Issues of Identity Development in the Context of Globalization’ and ‘Cultural Basis of Educational Standards at School Today’), which are directly connected with the problem of education, take place. Once more I would like to greet you on behalf of the Russian Academy of Education and wish all the best in our work. N. D. NIKANDROV President of the Russian Academy of Education

TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Dear friends, I greet the participants of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Holding the Conference at St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences has already become a tradition, which proves the tendency and readiness of the Russian society to assimilate Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov’s spiritual and intellectual heritage. With the name of this outstanding scholar the whole historical epoch of democratic changes of all sides of the Russian society is connected. In the period of great changes D. S. Likhachov gave the society high moral standards, making his personal contribution to the Russian and world culture. It is pleasant to realize that the great humanist’s experience based on universal human values retains its importance. This year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation supports the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. On the one hand this fact proves the international acknowledgement of D. S. Likhachov and his work as well as a scientific importance of the Conference named after him. On the other hand, this forum can be viewed as an additional resource of international cooperation, a unity of scientific and political representatives from different countries and continents on the basis of deep ideas of our great contemporary, a unity in the name of humanism and peace on the whole planet. I deeply wish the organizers and participants of the Conference health, prosperity and prolific scientific discussions. S. V. LAVROV Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation 12 DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

TO CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, PRESIDENT OF SPBUHSS, PROFESSOR ALEXANDER S. ZAPESOTSKY

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, Dear members of the Organizing Committee, Dear participants of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, On behalf of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia let me greet and congratulate you on the opening of this large scientific forum that is being held for the 7th time. FITUR if proud of its University that has become one of the leading institutions of higher education in the country and has accepted a difficult and important task of giving scientific and instructional support to the Russian trade union’s activity. Nowadays trade unions play an important role in the process of social and economic changes in this country, with their proper means solving the tasks of turning Russia into a strong, democratic, socially oriented state. The scientists of the University of the Humanities and Social Sciences considerably help to understand the role, place and peculiarities of participation of trade unions in this process. Organization of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference in your University is not only objective regularity, as was your first Honourable Doctor, but also the public recognition of the scientific and moral priority of SPbUHSS in the development of the research area on such a scale. To a large extent it is caused by the fact that many ideas of Likhachov were supported and developed here. Let me wish you successful and effective work! M. V. SHMAKOV Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia

TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Dear participants and guests of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, On behalf of the Department of Education and Science of the Russian Federation let me congratulate you on the opening of the large scientific forum! Nowadays we turn again and again to the heritage of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov and discover that he foresaw many difficulties that face national education and science in the 21st century. It is very important that you creatively and with all the responsibility fulfil the decree of President of the Russian Federation V. Putin ‘On perpetuating the memory of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov’, develop the potential of the Conference, expand its frames and attract the best national and foreign scientists, politicians, cultural workers. I wish luck to all of you who arrange and participate in this international forum! A. A. FURSENKO Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE Greetings to the participants of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference ‘Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations in the Global World’ that was arranged to fulfil the decree of President of the Russian Federation ‘On perpetuating the memory of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov’. It is difficult to overestimate the scale of the humanitarian heritage of Academician D. Likhachov. To all the participants of the Conference I wish fruitful work and success in the development of the world’s communication and cultural space. N. I. BULAYEV Chairman of the Committee on Education and Science of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation GREETINGS TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 13

TO CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF ST. PETERSBURG INTELLIGENTSIA CONGRESS, PRESIDENT OF ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, PROFESSOR ALEXANDER S. ZAPESOTSKY

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, I highly appreciate and accept your invitation to the annual Likhachov Scientific Conference devoted to commemorate the academician Dmitry S. Likhachov. I esteem and admire this prominent scholar and his priceless cultural heritage, he being a genuine patriot of Russia and its culture. I will be delighted to present the report ‘Culture and national civilizational identity of contemporary Russia’ based on a number of ideas, speculations, judgements and assessments made by the academician Dmitry S. Likhachov.

A. A. KOKOSHIN Chairman of the Committee on CIS issues and relations with compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

GREETING ADDRESS TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, Dear guests and participants of the Conference, On behalf of the Russian Federal Agency of State Property Control I am glad to welcome you and congratulate you on the opening of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference at St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Holding annual conferences of this sort plays a significant role nowadays. The prominent philologist Dmirty S. Likhachov’s contribution to the progress of the Russian national science and culture, to the spiritual and intellectual development of the nation, to education of younger generation cannot be overestimated. By holding the present conference that attracted renowned figures from different countries and cities, not only do we pay tribute of respect to the honoured Russian scholar, but also have an opportunity of further developing his humanistic ideas. We can pay our own contribution to keeping and multiplying unique cultural traditions of St. Petersburg and Russia. I wish all participants of the conference success, fruitful work and interesting meetings.

V. L. NAZAROV Director of the Russian Federal Agency of State Property Control

TO PRESIDENT OF ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ALEXANDER S. ZAPESOTSKY, TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND GUESTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, Dear guests and participants of the Conference, On behalf of the Federal Agency of Education allow me to congratulate you on the opening of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference. For 7 years now the Conference has gathered distinguished figures of science, education, culture and politics. The issues of the conference are up-to-date, they cover problems of modern society such as patriotism and civic duty. Your University together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education take part in organizing the conference, which is a good example of effective cooperation of academic science and education. It can also serve as an example of effective use of the potential in different ways to organize scientific activity. 14 DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

Allow me to wish good luck to those who organized and take part in the conference. I do hope that the up-to-date issues from the agenda of the conference sections will be fully and thoroughly discussed and analyzed. E. Y. BUTKO Acting Director of the Russian Federal Agency of Education

TO CHAIRMAN OF ST. PETERSBURG INTELLIGENTSIA CONGRESS, HONOURED SCIENTIST OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF EDUCATION, PRESIDENT OF ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, PROFESSOR A. S. ZAPESOTSKY

Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, We congratulate you and all the participants of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress on the opening of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, where I have been one of the regular participants. It was a great honour and an important event in my life to have two or three meetings with Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov. When we met last we discussed a plan of setting up new monuments in St. Petersburg. The early Russian history and comparatively recent events that took place in our city and Russia are all connected with the modern age by the name of Likhachov and his works. I believe that the directions which were outlined by Likhachov in the cultural and moral spheres define the general course of development of modern democratic Russia. I would also like to congratulate new Honorary Professors of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Alexander Chubarian and Albert Likhanov. Yours sincerely, V. E. CHUROV Chairman of the Central Election Committee of Russia

TO CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, PRESIDENT OF ST. PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, PROFESSOR A. S. ZAPESOTSKY, AND TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, Dear friends, I greet all the participants of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference on behalf of the Legislative Assembly deputies of St. Petersburg! St. Petersburg Parliament pays much attention to the development of science, culture and education in our city. Likhachov Scientific Conferences that are held on the basis of your University occupy a special place in the cultural space of our city. This event does not only contribute to the popularizing and developing of the ideas suggested by our great contemporary, St. Petersburg citizen of honour, academician Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov, but it also strengthens the image of St. Petersburg as an internationally acknowledged centre of science. It has been 7 years now since Dmitry Sergeyevich passed away. But while we live, we check our actions with a civil and moral model, that is, Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov. Likhachov Scientific Conferences are an extra opportunity to assess the modern age in the context of his ideas. They are a valuable contribution to hold D. S. Likhachov in remembrance and at the same time a considerable step to carry out his behests and to accumulate intellectual potential of the humanity, which will enable people to solve the problems Likhachov was so concerned with. I wish all the participants and organizers of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference successful and fruitful work. V. A. TULPANOV Chairman of St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

May 25, 2007

PRESIDIUM OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

N. AL-ATTAR Vice-President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor F. A. ASADULLIN Head of the Scientific Department of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Sheikh E. V. BODAREVSKAYA Vice-Chairperson of the South Department of the Russian Academy of Education, academician of the Russian Academy of Education A. O. CHUBARYAN Director of Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Scien- ces, President of State University of the Humanities, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor Y. S. DAVYDOV President of Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Economics), Professor, Honoured Worker of the Higher Education of Russia P. DUTKEVITCH Director of Institute of European and Russian Studies (EURUS) at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), Professor B. Y. EIFMAN Director of St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Company, Honorary Actor of Russia D. A. GRANIN writer, member of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Doctor honoris causa of St. Petersburg University of the Hu- manities and Social Sciences, Honoured Citizen of St. Petersburg, L. JINGJIE President of Chinese Association of Research of Russia, Eastern Europe and Middle Asia, member of the National Political Consultative Committee of Chinese People’s Republic, academician of the Chinese Academy of So- cial Studies M. M. JOSHI Member of Parliament of India, Doctor V. P. KAZARIN First Deputy Chairman of Sevastopol City Administration, Dr. Sc. (Philology), Professor R. X. KHOKHAR Special Representative of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan A. A. KOKOSHIN Chairman of the Committee on CIS issues and relations with compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Director of Institute of Issues of International Security of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dean of the Department of World Policy, Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences I. S. KON Head Researcher of Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Education 16 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

A. A. LIKHANOV Writer, Chairman of the Russian Children Foundation, academician of the Russian Academy of Education S. Z. MAHMOOD President of the Interconfessional Coalition for Peace (India), Doctor W. MITTER Professor of the German Institute of International Researches in the field of Education (Germany), foreign member of the Russian Academy of Education V. V. NAUMKIN Head of the Department of Regional Problems of the World Politics of Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, representative of the Russian Federation in the High Level Group of the UN Project Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor A. E. PETROV Scientific Secretary of the Department of History and Philology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council on the issues of young people at the Presidential Council on science, technology and education, M. A. (History) M. B. PIOTROVSKY Chairman of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Director of the State Hermitage, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor V. V. POPOV Ambassador at large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Director of the Centre for Partnership of Civilizations of the Scientific-Coordination Council on International Researches of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University of the Ministry of Fo- reign Affairs of the Russian Federation) G. M. REZNIK President of the Lawyer’s Chamber of Moscow, Chair of Law at the Academic Law University of Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, M. A. (Law), Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation E. P. ROMANOV Scientific Secretary of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Scien- ces, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A. V. SALTANOV Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of President of the Russian Federation on the Middle- East Issues L. A. SANKIN Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, First Vice-President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Y. V. SENKO Chair of Methods of Teaching at Altay State University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Pedagogics), Professor N. N. SKATOV Adviser of the Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Z. T. TOSCHENKO Editor-in-Chief of the journal Sotsiologicheskiye Issledovaniya (Social Studies), corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education Y. S. VASILYEV President of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (Engineering), Professor G. N. VOLKOV Head of Laboratory of Ethnopedagogic Innovations at Kalmyk State University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education G. A. YAGODIN Professor of Russian Chemical-Engineering University named after D. I. Mendeleyev, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Chemistry). S. F. YEGOROV Head of the Department of Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogics of the Russian Academy of Education, academician of the Russian Academy of Education Presidium of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference 17

A. S. ZAPESOTSKY Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Peters- burg Intelligentsia Congress, President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Cultural Studies), Professor, Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation

HEADS OF SECTIONS

A. V. AGOSHKOV Editor-in-Chief of the journal Voprosy Kulturologii (Issues of Cultural Studies), senior researcher in Institute of Social and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, PhD. V. G. ALEKSANDROVA Professor of Department of Global Processes of Moscow State University named after М. V. Lomonosov, Head of Laboratory of Teaching Methods ‘Integration of Science and Art at School’, Dr. Sc. (Pedagogics) A. G. ASMOLOV Chair of Personal Psychology at Moscow State University named after М. V. Lomonosov, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Psychology), Professor Y. S. DAVYDOV President of Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Economics), Professor, Honoured Worker of the Higher Education of Russia B. S. ILIZAROV Chief Researcher at Institute of Social and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor Y. M. KOLOSOV Professor of International Law Department of Moscow State Institute of Fo- reign Relations (University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Rus- sian Federation), member of Standing Chamber of the Arbitration Tribunal in the Hague, member of the UN Commission on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Dr. Sc. (Law), Honoured Worker of Science of the Russian Federation O. E. LEBEDEV Chair of Theory of Educational Systems Development at St. Petersburg State Academy of Postgraduate Teacher’s Training, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education M. A. MANUILSKY Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the journal Chelovek (The Man) K. S. PIGROV Chair of Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History at St. Petersburg State University, Dr. Sc. (Philosophy), Professor O. F. RUSAKOVA Head of Department of Philosophy of Institute of Philosophy and Law (the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Dr. Sc. (Political Science), Professor Y. V. SENKO Chair of Methods of Teaching at Altay State University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Pedagogics), Professor Y. I. SVETOV journalist, political scientist ZH. T. TOSHCHENKO Editor-in-Chief of the journal Sotsiologicheskiye Issledovaniya (Social Studies), corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education Y. V. YAKOVETS President of Pitirim Sorokin & Nikolai Kondratieff International Insti- tute, Vice-President of N. Kondratieff International Foundation, Dr. Sc. (Economics), Professor 18 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

PRESENTATIONS, SPEECHES, GREETING MESSAGES

A. S. ZAPESOTSKY, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Cultural Studies), Professor, Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation

GREETING MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE TO THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL LIKHACHOV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE International scientific conferences on Since those days, it has been permanently chaired modern humanitarian issues have been held at by the Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail St. Petersburg University of the Humanities Borisovich Piotrovsky, and Chairman of the and Social Sciences since 1993 annually in May. Congress Executive Committee and Chairman They were launched due to the initiative of the of the Conference Organizing Committee was Doctor honoris causa of our University acade- your humble servant. mician Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov and the It seems to me quite of importance that this group of the University professors, and initially year the Conference is for the first time held were called the Days of Science at St. Petersburg under the support of the Ministry of Foreign University of the Humanities and Social Scien- Affairs of the Russian Federation. I should note ces. The name of academician Likhachov set the that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the highest level for conducting conferences, where Russian Federation conducted real and signi- leading scientists and well-known public figures ficant work to support the Conference. We are of our days have participated since the very very much obliged to the Ministry for this beginning. assistance which made possible for the most Today we are opening the 15th meeting of valuable foreign thinkers of our days to the most famous world humanitarian scientists participate in our Conference along with the and public figures, who meet at the banks of Russian scientists. the Neva River at our forum, which is tradi- I’d like especially to thank Xerox Corpora- tionally assigned to the Days of Slavonic Letters tion for their financial support of the Interna- and Culture. tional Likhachov Scientific Conference since In 2001, a famous writer Daniel Granin and 2001. Also I’d like to thank representatives of I appealed to President of the Russian Fede- 18 federal and municipal mass media agencies, ration with a request to support who provide informational support for the our initiative to officially assign the status of International Likhachov Scientific Conference. the International Likhachov Scientific Confe- The logos of these agencies are presented in our rence to this event. It appeared to be logical. session hall, so that the participants and guests Dmitry Likhachov was not only the initiator, can see those, who support scientific research but also one of the ideologues of this conference, and meeting of scientists on humanitarian and many times he was one of the speakers there. issues. We are indeed grateful to our friends for Mr. Putin supported the idea. Since then in this support. accordance with the corresponding Decree of Due to our joint efforts, the most prominent President of Russia, our Conference has had a scientists from all over Russia have been status of the International Likhachov Scientific gathering within the walls of our University Conference. for 15 years now. It is gratifying to know that I’m glad to say that this Conference is held more than 70 regions of the country are with participation of the Russian Academy of presented here, which is our long time tradition. Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education I’m very glad that many of my colleagues par- and St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress as ticipate in the Conference, – full and associate the founding members. This is a long-time professors, who are professing at St. Peters- tradition. We formally established St. Peters- burg University of the Humanities and Social burg Intelligentsia Congress on suggestion of Sciences. And I’m really pleased to see here our Dmitry Likhachov and Daniel Granin in 1996. students, because they are our spiritual, moral A. S. Zapesotsky 19 and scientific heirs, and it is very important I would like to personally greet many of for us to make this succession happen. our friends, who are participating at our About a year ago our University created Conference and, first of all, the person who is the website named ‘Likhachov Square’. Hund- one of the symbols for St. Petersburg. During reds and hundreds of scientific papers from many years this outstanding scientist was the the total of more than 1,300 works of Dmitry Head of Institute of Russian Literature (Push- Likhachov have already been transcribed there. kinsky Dom), the heart of our philology, and I would like to draw your attention to the fact currently he is an adviser to the Russian that the complete set of the works of academician Academy of Sciences. This is our notable pat- Likhachov has not yet been published, and, riarch, Nikolay Nikolayevich Skatov. Another naturally, it hinders scientific research with personified symbol of St. Petersburg intelli- the Likhachov’s heritage and makes more gentsia in our hall is academician Yury Serge- problematic for the young people to become yevich Vasilyev, – a member of the Presidium familiar with his works. I should say that of All-Russia Council of Presidents of Uni- during the coming two years all the works by versities and member of the Presidium of Likhachov are going to be transcribed on our St. Petersburg Council of Presidents of Univer- website. It also hosts many of the works about sities and President of Polytechnic University. Likhachov. And this year for the first time we Today we are going to recognize two wonder- conducted All-Russian contest of school com- ful compatriots, who will become doctors honoris positions dedicated to Likhachov. We were pre- causa of our University (I would like to remind sented with about 400 works from 38 regions you that the first Doctor honoris causa of our of the country and even one foreign work from University was Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov). Lithuania. Our competent jury involved out- These are: academician of the Russian Academy standing Russian writers, scientists, acade- of Sciences, outstanding historian Alexander micians and corresponding members of two Oganovich Chubaryan and academician of the academies – the Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Academy of Education, eminent Rus- and the Russian Academy of Education, notable sian writer, Albert Anatolyevich Likhanov. After Russian journalists. The jury was strict and today’s plenary session we will celebrate un- objective in assessing all the works presented, veiling of the bronze bust of our Doctor honoris and announced 6 winners, who came here to- causa, notable Russian and world-known poet, day from different localities of the country. Andrey Voznesensky. Regretfully, he was unable If young people show their interest in acade- to join us due to some health-related issues. mician Likhachov, if they make research on him, We are going to send him the video record of participate in this Likhachov Conference and today’s meeting. in celebration of the Days of Slavonic Letters I’m pleased to notice that the undertaking and Culture, it means that Russia does have of Dmitry Likhachov continues in this Uni- a humanitarian future. versity, in St. Petersburg, in the world. Today the main topic of our Conference is We also have planned a range of round table the dialogue of cultures and civilizations in the sessions and several sections; therefore, I would global world. We all know how important this like to draw attention of the section heads to issue is for the humanity. Problems of small some very interesting points. states being under severe pressure of the large One of them was expressed last year in the powers; problems of giant countries having speech of Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky. It formidable hardships in respect of resources and looks now like an ordinary thing to think about development; problems of the leading countries, it, but it sounded quite critical and fresh a year which would like to remain leaders, but lose their ago. This is an idea that each of us lives in leading functions year by year and month by several cultures, and we have to learn to live in month; problems of saturation of the world with many cultures. It seems to me also to be very guns and weapons, attempts to resolve various important, and, especially, regarding a matter issues to someone’s advantage by force; ter- of symbols in culture. These symbols, since the rorism, et cetera. All these issues are to become origins of the humanity, were understood as a today a subject-matter for the discussion at the ‘friend or foe’ sign. One tribe wore certain type 7th International Likhachov Scientific Con- of clothes, another tribe wore different. They ference. We assume that the methodological key used these symbolic signs either to discern for resolution of modern global problems of the ‘friends’, or to kill ‘foes’. The modern culture humanity is in acknowledgement of determining and civilization retained this measurement role of culture as a basis of the world social and almost in the original form, almost at the level economic development. of self-preservation instinct: the foreign symbol 20 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD is an enemy, means necessity to fight, to three greetings from President of Russia, destroy. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and today we We hear the word ‘Koran’, and within the received the greeting from Head of the Pre- Christian culture there are attempts to present sidential Administration, Sergey Sergeyevich it with the halo of foreignness, hostility. During Sobyanin, and also the greeting from President the Soviet times we in Russia were drawn to of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academi- believe that the Star of David is what we have cian Yury Sergeyevich Osipov. to fight with and that this star is opposed to President of the Russian Academy of Edu- the red one. Other nations in their countries cation, Nikolay Dmitrievich Nikandrov, was were taught that the red star is a danger, which present at the majority of our 15 conferences they should be afraid of and to fight with. but, regretfully, he was unable to come here If we wish to learn to live in peace with today. It is a rare case – at the same time with other cultures, first of all, we have to learn to our conference, there is a meeting of presidents perceive symbols of other cultures as original, of all six state academies on our scientific valuable events, rather than signs of the world strategic plans, therefore, Nikolay Dmitrievich hostile to us. Nikandrov sent us his greeting message. We I think globalization is a multifaceted and have also received such messages from: Head ambiguous process. For instance, Dmitry of the Russian Trade Unions, Michail Shmakov, Sergeyevich Likhachov assumed that globaliza- who is one of the chairpersons of the Custodian tion will take place in culture as well. Moreover, Council of our University; Minister of Educa- globalization should be, first of all, exhibited tion and Science of Russia, professor Fursenko; in culture, and afterwards in economy and Chairman of the State Duma Committee on politics. Another thing is how it should happen. Education and Science, Nikolay Bulayev; pro- Economy cannot ‘drag’ culture – contrariwise, fessor of our University and these days Chair- culture is to be in the vanguard, and economy man of the Central Election Committee of should follow it. The main thing is to find Russia, Vladimir Churov; Head of the Federal specific mechanisms for the humanity, how to Agency of Education, Evgeny Butko, who is learn to live in several cultures simultaneously, temporarily executing this office since professor and what can be the appearance of the global Balykhin, regretfully, is in hospital, and many culture, not hostile to the national one. This others. Many greeting words were addressed topic seems very important. to the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Dear colleagues! Now I would like to say Conference, – we’d like to sincerely thank all several words about greetings addressed to us, our friends for it. there are lots of them. Of course, I won’t read In conclusion, I would like to wish to all of and cite all of them. I would like just to note you successful and fruitful work at the 7th that in the history of our Conference we had International Likhachov Scientific Conference!

D. A. GRANIN, Writer, member of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Doctor honoris causa of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Honoured Citizen of St. Petersburg, Hero of Socialist Labour

THOUGHTS ON CONSCIENCE I can’t remember any other conditions in Or, oligarchs who misappropriated the our society with such rage of lewdness and national property – forests, mineral resources, impudence as now. In the Soviet times, low moral land, houses – and gained billions. What for? level could be justified with fear, ideology, They did not invent anything, discovered repressions. Apparently, the current man shows anything neither in science, nor economy, nor us another attitude to shame and conscience. production, they did not give anything to the There are new requirements to them, the shame society; however, they became owners of and conscience ‘levels’ are much lower, and it enormous fortune, mainly, due to the right of is perceived as normal. conquerors, ‘invaders’. For instance, mass shamelessness of officials Or, deputies at all levels obtain their for whom any laws are determined with the mandates through empty promises, lies and degree of bribability. deception. D. A. Granin 21

Cult of money and thievery has been it is much more effective than countless calls, established everywhere in our country. propaganda of teachers, tutors and even parents. Television on all channels do not concern ‘The action done as on the conscience is a about education and teaching, but advertising free action’. and ratings for the sake of their profits. There is a question – why does a man need At the last years of his life, Dmitry Ser- this conscience, since no one impedes with geyevich Likhachov persistently returned to the turning back on it, what is the use of it, if it problem of conscience. With a deep regret he does not bring any profit, does not provide us observed how it ceased to be a measure of morals, any advantages for – either career or pecuniary how Russia became a country without the shame status. What exists owing to this conscience, and conscience. which gnaws and torments, which is hard to After our great Russian philosopher, get rid of or to give up? Where it, actually, Vladimir Solovyov, Likhachov appears to be the appeared from? We know, indeed, that it comes only one, who was that much persistently from the depths of our soul and cannot be false. concerned with the category of conscience. It never mistakes. The act as on the conscience Solovyov stated that conscience was the never loses value or disappoints. But still – development of shame. There must be the shame, why do we need this useless feeling? and without it the conscience is silent. And when I said the act as on the conscience, The shame was the first human feeling, which I do remember some examples that wondered separated man from animals. One can say that and impressed me for a long time. the man is the animal with the shame, the Lord On July 28, 1958, Mikhail Michaylovich discovered the original sin of Adam and Eve, Zoschenko passed away. The Party bosses did since they were ashamed of their nakedness. not allow to bury him at ‘Literatorskiye Mostki’ And he cast them away from the Paradise. (the writer’s cemetery). It seems like they The man started to understand gradually thought that he was unworthy. They were always what was ‘proper for men and gods’, and then right. And they did not allow to bury him in the shame instinct transformed into the voice the vicinity. Finally, they permitted to bury of conscience, that is, Adam and Eve were him in Sestroretsk, near the place where he lived ashamed of what they did, and this was the at the ‘dacha’. shame, which made them to cover the nakedness The civil funeral rites were conducted at with fig leaves, that was the first voice of the House of Writers. Alexander Prokofyev, the conscience. 1st Secretary of the Union of Writers, was Likhachov managed to develop this state- charged to lead it. He was charged to lead it ment, adding it with the role of memory. He briefly, without any politics, strictly following showed how the memory formed the conscience. the schedule, without any criticism; lots of There is no conscience without the memory, it militia and KGB agents were brought there. stores our sins, the memory of a family, culture, All those who wanted to come to the farewell nation feeds the conscience and demands from ceremony could not enter the hall with the it. It invokes conscious attitude to elders, coffin, people flooded the staircases leading friends, relatives. It recalls whether we lived, there, and a large crowd stood outside. The or dealt with our households right. Our late coffin was placed into a small reception room. repentance is the work of the memory disturbing Radio equipment was not allowed to set up the conscience. The memory as a historical there. Nikolay Nikitin, Mikhail Slonimsky – category is when after visiting in Hamburg they were friends of the deceased since the days the cemetery of the Russian soldiers killed at of ‘Serapion brothers’ – said their words. the First World War, all of a sudden, I realized The ceremony was coming to an end when, that here, in Russia I never saw and do not suddenly pushing others aside, Leonid Borisov know any cemetery with ashes of the Russian made his way to the coffin. He was an old writer, soldiers who died at that war. the author of the famous book about Alexander And what are acts of vandalism at our Grin, ‘Magician from Gel-Gju’, the person who cemeteries or in the Summer Garden – what is never spoke at any meetings and, as one could it? It testifies living without the memory. see, rather loyal. Maybe that is why Alexander Likhachov turned our attention to some Prokofyev did not stop him, and, moreover, the features of the conscience. funeral rites were proceeding without any ‘The conscience opposes external pressure, complications, no one said a word about per- it protects man from external impacts!’ And secution of Zoschenko, the Central Committee indeed sometimes only the conscience, the decrees, as if there were no tragedy in his life, as internal voice can ‘reach out’ to the man, and if it was a happy life of a popular stories author. 22 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

Borisov cried: ‘Misha, my dear, forgive us, is a feeling that has no choice, it cannot be smart, fools, we did not protect you, we gave you to dumb, and cautious. These categories are not for murderers, we are guilty, guilty’. it. Why is it given to the man? It is not clear. His anguished, fine voice lifted up, pierced There are people who managed to throw off, everybody and rolled down, people transmitted to get rid of the conscience, its absence does his words to one another, the crowd stirred at not bother them, and they feel themselves even the street. more comfortable without it, while nothing Alexander Prokofyev did not dare to disturb gnaws at them. the ceremony ritual at the presence of the Likhachov considered the conscience as deceased. Leonid Borisov moved away weeping. ‘a mysterious phenomenon’. I went home along with Alexey Ivanovich And in fact it’s really hard to find a rational Panteleyev, and he said: ‘Thank God, at least, explanation for it. This feeling is irrational, someone was weary, there appeared someone to this is the strong side of the conscience, and save our dignity, but what about us...’ this is when it is feeble facing cold reasons of What was that? Borisov stood near Pante- the egoism. I never succeeded in explaining leyev and did not plan to speak, but something why humans need it, whether it is necessary, broke through and he was unable to handle it, it but a man without the conscience is something was a feeling that never reasoned, subconscious terrible. one, unable to choose. It was conscience. In that respect one of the best verses by To be unscrupulous today means for many: Pushkin is Remembrance, created in 1828. These to be ‘like others’, ‘otherwise it’s impossible to are its last lines: survive’, ‘nothing you can do, this is our And Memory before my wakeful eyes society’. With noiseless hand unwinds her lengthy scroll; Of course, one can think that our society Then, as with loathing I peruse the years, inherited the Soviet moral when none repented I tremble, and I curse my natal day, participating in repressions, when informers Wail bitterly, and bitterly shed tears, or squealers were rewarded. But cannot wash the woeful script away. But what the conscience has to do with that? It is related to a personality, it’s owned by a There is nothing harder than to refuse any soul, to the only one and unique, the one that self-vindications. The conscience requirements, speaks with that amazing voice that judges us. its judgment and sentence are executed in secret. There is no collective conscience. Nothing hinders the accused that judges Chekhov has a short story Student. It’s himself to avoid the sentence. Pushkin rejects small, just three pages. Chekhov himself con- any indulgence for himself, even tears of re- sidered it as one of the best of his works. demption do not help. We will never know what At the Great Friday the student of eccle- he punished himself for, but this confession siastical academy being hungry and cold went staggers with its courage. home thinking that there were around the same Pushkin is studied at classes of literature, poverty, holed stray roofs, ignorance, boredom but the school students are never taught that and even in thousand years life would not the conscience for him, for Lermontov, Tolstoy improve. At the vegetable garden there were and Dostoyevsky was real, that the man has a two peasant women near the fire. The student soul – it is also rather real thing, and one should sat to them to warm and told them a story as care of its health, should try to understand what apostle Peter three times repudiated Christ; then is going on with it. he could not stand it and cried. And listening Working on Blokadnaya Kniga (‘The Siege to him, these moved women cried as well. They Book’), the writer Adamovich and I were deeply cried because something that happened in the impressed with the dairy of a schoolboy, Yury soul of Peter was close to them, these were shame Ryabinkin. It showed the story of conscience- and sorrow of the apostle. The student, after caused torments of the boy in terrible conditions leaving them, suddenly felt some joy stirred his of starving in the besieged Leningrad during soul. He thought how the past ‘is connected with World War Two. Each day he faced an unbea- the present through continuous chain of events: rable problem – how to fetch home for his if one touches one end, another will shake’. mother and sister a piece of bread given in the The conscience is one of the most mysterious bakery, how to withstand the desire to eat. More human feelings. and more often, the hunger overcame, Yura The conscience appears to be often threa- suffered and swore to himself renouncing that tening to its host. Not without reason they say tomorrow it would never happen again. The in Georgia: ‘My enemy is my conscience’. This hunger gnawed at him and the conscience did M. B. Piotrovsky 23 as well. It was a deadly fight, which of them It is like the God representative, His judge, His was going to be stronger. The hunger grew, the surveillance, the one granted to the man from conscience got exhausted. Day by day. It’s clear above that can either nurture or perish. with the hunger, but the conscience – where it It never mistakes. took strength from, what made it to come again It has no problem of choice. over and over again – you can’t do it, stop?.. It never weighs, estimates, cares for profits. The only thing that comes to my mind is Maybe, only the consent with conscience that it is the divine spark bestowed to the man. brings satisfaction at the outcome of our days.

M. B. PIOTROVSKY, Chairman of St. Petersburg Intelligentsia Congress, Director of the State Hermitage, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor

DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD Dear fellow colleagues, today it is an honour religion dialogue ongoing, and many similarities for me to speak at this session and to start the can be found there. The stage, when it seemed discussion on the dialogue of cultures, while it that everything is easy, is over – there is some is such an enormous topic entrusted to us by set of common values shared by everybody and Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov. This conti- we need just to communicate to come to an nuation has been already conducted absolutely agreement, and afterwards we will think and in conditions of what was done by Dmitry speak almost the same, and it will be good for Sergeyevich. I think that my task today is to everybody... But it will never come true. touch briefly some issues and, maybe, to express The today’s dialogue in its various forms is some provocative theses related to the problem built on clear understanding that there are of the culture dialogue. things, which different cultures will never agree As to my professional occupation, I appear to accept, and there are things, which can be to participate in the culture dialogue from both accepted or agreed with, or, at least, to tolerate, sides: on the one hand, I’m an orientalist, an because we all need to live together, in peace. arabist, on the other – the head of such universal Simultaneously in different spheres – cul- museum as the Hermitage, which is a centre of tural, religious and others – there is a process true culture dialogue. Essentially, it is the main of upbringing: cultural and religious institu- task for such cultural entities. tions are bearing now to a large extent a similar They talk a lot about the culture dialogue – function for nation education and laying the conferences dedicated to this issue are held one foundation for our future generations. It be- after another, and everybody knows the term comes clear that we can never diverge from itself. It seemed to be enough... But actually dogmas, but it is necessary to say in a distinct we need to talk about that more and more, since and explicit manner where exactly we are dif- the culture dialogue is a very important part of ferent. I think that the agreement between the our modern life and somewhat an opportunity and the Russian to compensate evil things in it. For instance, Orthodox Church Abroad on many of fundamen- the main problem of the modern times – globa- tal issues reached quite recently is an example lization in many of its aspects (political, eco- of doubtless success of this religious dialogue. nomic, cultural, etc.) – is related with inability Globalism has a range of symbols, or marks; to set up the culture dialogue. the most well known and the most evident is This is what the entire world curses. The likely to be McDonald’s. Therefore the so-called harm caused by globalization (and it really ‘antiglobalists’ destroy and even blow up these inflicts harm) can be changed and compensated fast food cafeterias all over the world. Another via the properly organized culture dialogue, common globalism symbol is sushi bars also because in such a way we can defend cultural appearing around the world. It is also a res- particularities and there are obvious possibilities ponding invasion of another civilization, which for balancing and harmonization. opposes its culture to the others, and, firstly, to To my mind, this dialogue has already passed the Western one. However, this particular through several different stages and, at that, spread of the oriental culture and lifestyle did in parallel to the culture dialogue, there is the not cause any objections and protests. And it’s 24 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD quite interesting, why?.. There are different word ‘Islam’ shall be translated as ‘humility’, ways to answer this question and it would be and from that point of view, even with large interesting to discuss it. differences between the Christianity and the It seems to me that it is now time, when it Islam, some similarities can be found. is necessary to talk about the culture dialogue The Russian recipe for these complicated in regard to, first of all, Russia. Because, there relationships seems to be quite well exhibited is already a formed tradition, a Russian recipe by particularly Muslim-Orthodox connections for peaceful coexistence of different cultures in Russia. With this respect, we can talk a lot within one multinational country, which can be about the period of the Golden Horde, when useful for the entire world. along with this great power there existed small, The culture dialogue is retaining, first of detached Russian principalities, which through all, of the cultural heritage, and the Russian military and non-military relations with it grew tradition can suggest what should be the basis into the huge and united Russian state to to build unity and diversity of the countries of incorporated later the Golden Horde. the world and what should be a stimulus for the The Russian Empire has different examples generation development. of cultural and religious relations. When the ci- Protestant ethics is known to be a basis for ty of Kazan celebrated 1000 year anniversary, development of capitalism, which can never our St. Petersburg wanted to present this city develop without it, and while it does not exist with the monument to Peter the First, but our in the most parts of the world, the so-called Kazan friends said: ‘You know, we don’t want to failures of the capitalistic development are have the monument to Peter the First. But to the evident there. And to my mind, instead of Catherine! And we don’t want Peter the First, as protestant ethics, such development stimulus far as he made people to convert to the Orthodoxy’. for, at least, Russia, can be our cultural heritage, I should say that we felt hurt that time and, which is fully capable of becoming the basis of after all, when opening the branch of the people upbringing with the help of culture and Hermitage in Kazan, installed the monument some improvements in our society. to Peter the Great as a founder of our city. But And even the hostile cultural dialogue can looking attentively at the documents of the be useful. Let’s dwell, for instance, on the topic Peter’s epoch and comparing what is described that is close to me and many of you here in this in them with what happened during the Cathe- hall of the so-called Islamic factor. It’s not a rine days, one can note considerable differences. secret that this topic is quite painful for use, For instance, under Peter the First it was however, how much more the world knows now prohibited to build mosques, Muslim landowners about the Islam as a result of all these horrors were forced to convert into Christianity, the and talks about the Islamic threat ... more so that they owned Orthodox Christians Quite recently prior to becoming a president, as their serves. However, under Catherine there Dr. Nicolas Sarkozy was reprehended that in was developed the administration system that one of his interviews he was confused and could existed almost till our times: the whole set of not answer the question, what type of organiza- various legal enactments that enabled to co- tion is Al-Qaeda, – Sunni or Shiite. Well, in re- exist – though far from being ideal but still turn now everybody knows that there are Sunnis pretty well – various confessions, in this par- and Shiites. In fact, not everybody knows that ticular case – Islam and Christianity, within there is no Al-Qaeda at all, but it is another issue. the framework of a single culture in Russia. Besides, it is of tremendous value to have There is another and, as it seems to me, very high quality, adequate translations of important important example which we should never for- cultural terms, which divide civilizations. For get – it is our national oriental studies. Russia instance, everybody knows the famous word always had a kind of three categories of people jihad in its so-called ‘military meaning’, but its conducting oriental researches. One category was general cultural sense is unknown to the majo- practical persons doing research basing on inte- rity of Europeans. Therefore the word ‘jihad’ rests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ‘dra- today is mostly associated with the crusade for gomanity’, if to use the language of the 19th cen- the faith, but not with its most widely used tury. Besides, Russia had oriental missionary meaning of a struggle for good for the sake of works. For instance, in Kazan there was a school one’s own ideals. Comparing these definitions for such missionaries, where they published a makes it clear that even though having dif- vast amount of books related to the Islam ferences, diverse cultures have things to discuss. analysis. Being expressly propagandistic, they I’m continuously trying to preach the were considerably targeted against the Islam. thought, which many can’t agree with, that the I should say that in the large, those were quite M. B. Piotrovsky 25 interesting books. Recently an entire volume of In this sense quite often the oriental culture various selections from such studies was pub- with its set of values, where religion plays an lished – ‘Islam in the Works of Russian Theolo- important role, is subconsciously perceived by gians’, though, actually, these were the works many at the West as an ideal of what the things mostly not by theologians, but propagandists. shall be to make good for everybody. And the third part was the academic oriental Another notable aspect of the culture dia- studies. These were our remarkable St. Peters- logue is how different civilizations look at each burg orientalists and academicians, who put out other, what are the emotional motives driving strength to reply with reviews to propagandistic people at that. There are two examples, two and scientifically ill-based materials about the persons personifying two points of view – the Islam; however, they sometimes wrote the works West at the East and the East at the West. For against the Islam in a very strong form, and us it is somewhat a system of broken and that seemed to be quite striking for such distorting mirrors, where someone somehow scientists as Bartold, Rohsen and Krachkovsky. sees someone. But at our days there are two All aforesaid is also a very important tradition, indicative figures in this sense, who wrote which we do not forget: we still have three realms manuscripts on this issue. One of them is Ariana of development for the oriental studies. Fallaci, renowned journalist being once the lefty, One more important issue related to the who prior to her death published three menacing culture dialogue is spreading nowadays of books against Arabs and Islam. She told how teaching religious subjects in schools. There Europe would become Eurabia, how terrible it are still lots of disputes on this matter. I do is and how should we fight it, even in arms. remember that several years ago Catholicos of And contrary to her, there is no less famous all Armenians during his visit to St. Peters- and very intelligent book ‘The Orientalism’ by burg said that he found a wonderful thing: Edward Said – the Palestinian who learned a new subject was introduced in Armenian oriental studies in a critical way; it sets out the schools – history of the Armenian Church. Western views about the East, which the author It seems to me that the larger half of all criticizes, since they are severely distorted, arguments on this matter is related to terms, erroneous, etc. But both positions exhibit signs but not whether the history should be taught. of fear. For instance, Edward Said explaining One can teach everything applied to the subject why all Western orientalists distort the essence name the word ‘history’, which smoothes a great of the Oriental culture said: ‘This is because they deal of differences. It is a good example of a com- are scared – have been scared and are scared, promise in the dialogue of the cultures. that the Muslim East comes to Europe. This fear For instance, an Orthodox child does not gives birth to counteraction’. And practically have to know the basics of the Shariah and, the same idea is expressed by Ariana Fallaci. maybe, a child from a Muslim or atheistic family Actually, it is absolutely clear, though expla- does not need to know the basics of Orthodoxy. nations are still necessary, that there are no But both of them obligatory need to study major serious grounds for such fears. That is, they are landmarks of historical, as well as religious de- not more than they were in the time, when Turks velopment of various nations. For instance, came to Vienne. We shall deal somehow with everybody shall know what are the Council of these false fears, while all ideologies and disputes Chalcedon, or the Council of Hundred Chapters, should be based on truth rather than fear. There who are Mohammed and Jesus Christ, et cetera. is nothing to be afraid of – the God will sort There is a range of the most important events out, who wins in fights, but human relation- in the history of all religions that we should ships shall be based on anything but fear. know living in the country where these religions And there is one important thing: the culture exist. To my mind, such point of view on the dialogue shall not be based on provocations and issue would be useful. blowing up such fears. To some extent, it can Maybe, the main critic of Islam today is Pope be called as a sin of intelligentsia, which is Benedict the 16th. But recently I have read a capable of doing not much in this world, but wonderful article in ‘New Yorker’, where it was it’s not one too many with such ‘putting fat in said basing on analysis of his speeches, that, the fire’ needed to convert tiny conflicts into actually, Pope Benedict wants not to fight the global ones, as it happened many times in our Islam, but rather to make the Catholicism as history. strong as Islam and to organize it in the similar We all have to learn to live without fear fashion. And, in fact, all the pathos of his life and provocations and, for that purpose, we need is the task of the secular state submission to to develop a system of the dialogue of the religious ideas and, actually, restoration of the cultures, which will help people of the future to medieval institution of the Papacy. live further – together and in peace. 26 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

I do hope that our never-ending talks and cultures and civilizations if we say ‘halvah’ attempts to consider the differences of many times and for a long time, once the cultures are a very useful activity working ‘mouth of the world’ will sense the sweetness. for the good of future generations. Our Rus- Thus, to a large extent it depends on us only, sian proverb ‘Repeating ‘halvah’ does not if our life becomes sweet or bitter in the world, create sweet taste in one’s mouth’ (‘Fine words where there exist different cultures preten- butter no parsnip’), to my mind, is wrong. ding to be a chosen one or, at least, to be su- I’m sure that in regard to the dialogue of preme.

A. A. KOKOSHIN, Chairman of the Committee on CIS issues and relations with compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Director of Institute of Issues of International Security of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Department of World Policy, Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

CULTURE AND NATIONAL-CIVILIZATION IDENTITY OF THE MODERN GREAT POWER Approaching this topic, I’m talking not like medium rate, meaning ‘regional’, small ones an art critic and culture expert, but as a his- struggle for their cultural-civilization identity. torian and political scientist. Therefore, in Each country manages to implement its advance I would like to ask for indulgent attitude cultural-civilization identity in a different way. to my unprofessional notes, assertions about And such strife-competition has a deep practical art, art culture and culture in general. Several sense – both political and economic. With the times I’ve read the work by Dmitry Sergeyevich dominating trend to globalization associated Likhachov, Unprofessionally on Art, and I won’t with unification and standardization, the reverse keep to myself that it inspired me to a large side of a coin in this process is that in our days extent to discuss a set of issues on this matter. we extremely high appreciate peculiarity of one I should admit that judging, assessing and or another phenomenon, product, etc. Not with- selecting these or those names in the Russian out a reason the today’s world of economics and artistic culture, I was guided largely with per- business tributes that much of a value to a brand. sonal perception of writers and artists basing, To some extent, I think that this concept is ap- naturally, on a range of works of our well-known plicable to a state. A country wishing to be com- scientists, specialists, whose appraisals, gene- petitive as to the current standards should have rally, correspond to my own. its own evident brand, and culture plays a crucial And, clearly, first of all, it is related to diver- role in the provision of the one. Culture, however, sified and multidisciplinary works by Dmitry is to be considered in a wider manner, not tur- Sergeyevich Likhachov. I would like immedia- ning everything to only the artistic culture (here tely to state, that these works are not only a I’m in full agreement with the interpretation of scientific and aesthetic heritage, but also a mo- culture given by Dmitry Likhachov in his works, ral and conceptual one. We should remember and which corresponds to assortments made by about it, as the modern world of severe com- other well known men of culture, like Yury petition, domination of economic interests (which Lotman, Olzhas Suleymenov, et cetera). can be seen in all realms of our life including However, today I would like to draw your the world politics) presents the value of moral, main attention to some aspects of the specifically ideological sets as tremendously important, and, artistic culture as a very important component regretfully, they are quite a rare phenomenon. of national identity and provision of a respected It is impossible to be a modern great power position for Russia as a modern great power. without clear cultural-civilization identity. But Now several words on what I suggest to today the explicit cultural-civilization identity understand as a modern great power. I’m not of a state is ever more seldom and, corres- accidentally stressing this word – modern. The pondingly, more costly in the globalizing world, modern great power is a country with an where unification and standardization dominate effective government and actually stable, dy- more and more. All states including those of namically developing civil society institutions, A. A. Kokoshin 27 modern political democracy system; the modern plemented through television and also the Inter- great power should possess an entire range of net, the portion of the modern and traditional the world politics instruments of influence at high culture grows continuously. And such the international arena: the ones called the hard efforts for increasing of the high culture influ- power, which core is the country military ence on the mass culture should be one of the potential, and the soft power, where culture is most important joint ventures for us. We have presented as a main tool. And today culture is to define such objective and to shape it with becoming more and more important and purely some operational pattern. operational factor of existence and development What are the components of the national for the modern great power providing its com- artistic culture of Russia being the most critical petitiveness among other subjects of the world from the point of view of our culture and ci- politics and economics. vilization identity? I would define seven of such If to mention a political class of Russia, critical components. First, this is the great Rus- naturally, it recognizes this fact. It is well sian literature of the 19th century, which was known, how much attention was paid to culture continued and developed further by the authors in the address of President to the Federal Duma of the Silver Age and following decades. Having in 2007. Now the scientific, political community been preparing to this event, I once again looked and artistic elite of Russia faces, among many through lectures of Vladimir Nabokov on the others, the objective to transform those state- Russian literature of the 19th century given in ments, which were clearly defined in President’s one of the American universities. I should say address, into particular actions. It is quite that this great writer just stroke out the entire evident today, that the state and society owe to Soviet literature with a single dash of a pen. our great Russian culture. And, I have to mention he was absolutely wrong. We have already started to discuss some of I think the Soviet period (1920–1930’s and the these issues with Alexander Sergeyevich following decades) provided the world with Zapesotsky and Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky. many outstanding writers and wonderful pieces And basing on the results of our today meeting, starting from ’s Tikhiy Don we can state that we are going to take some (Quiet Flows the Don). specific steps to strengthen activity of the great Talking about noticeable achievements of Foundation – the entity which gathered us all the Russian philology at the 2nd half of the together to support development of ideas of 20th century (and beginning of the 21st cen- Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov. tury), one cannot avoid mentioning such names I can’t avoid mentioning that talking about as Konstantin Paustovsky, , the cultural and civilization identity of Russia, Rasul Gamzatov, Vasily Belov, Victor Astafyev, as well as any other country, we, first of all, do Valentin Rasputin, Chingiz Aytmatov, Vasyl think about high culture, but, however, we Bykov, Daniel Granin, Ion Drutse, Nodar Dum- should take into account mass culture as well. badze, Fazyl Iscander, etc. Interaction of high and mass cultures, to my Secondly, this is, of course, Russian painting mind, is still not sufficiently studied, it is really and sculpture – both realism and avant-garde, multidimensional and far from being unam- started with the ‘great three’ of Repin-Surikov- biguous. Naturally, today one can clearly notice Vasnetsov, sculptors Golubkina and Konenkov. a threat from the side of the mass commercial Thirdly – architecture, and I mean not separate culture advancing to positions of traditional buildings, but complete architectural complexes, high culture formed in various regions of the featured in different regions of Russia and, first world, including Europe. of all, in St. Petersburg. This city is an outstan- During one of the previous Likchachov’s ding creation from the point of view of inte- conferences, Academician Mikhail Piotrovsky grity, seamless architecture solution for a large noted, that currently the Internet became a megalopolis. As you know, Likhachov talked terrible dump. I can agree with that to a large about that a lot in a passionate way. extent, especially as the Dean of Moscow State Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov turned his University Department. When our students attention to small Russian towns as well. With present their works being just ‘scooped’ from his ideas about beauty of the Russian remote this dump, we as professors have to ‘take mea- places I recently initiated a large meeting with sures’. However, at the same time, the Internet participation of all major cultural and historical is a very important development factor in the centres presented by small Russian towns modern economy, civilization; and it is quite including Rostov Velikiy, Suzdal, Tobolsk, valuable to strive, that in the space of the Inter- Borovsk, Staraya Ladoga, etc. We together with net and the mass culture, which is largely im- the head of ROSKULTURA, Mikhail Shvidkoy, 28 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD held this meeting in Rostov Veliky, and as a Seventh, it is contribution of Russian tribute to remembrance of Dmitry Likhachov, creative personalities to the film art. The Rus- we outlined a complete plan of action for revival sian cinema art is famous with such names as and preservation of cultural and civilization Pudovkin, Eisenstein, Romm, Chukhray, Gerasi- heritage of the small Russian towns, especially mov, Bondarchuk, Tarkovsky, Konchalovsky, wonderful architectural and natural landscapes Govorukhin, Mikhalkov, etc. Many of them are surrounding them. also well-known abroad – both to specialists Fourth, it is the Russian classical music, and to the public at large. renowned with the works by Glinka, Tchaikov- In conclusion, I’d like to remind that Dmitry sky, the ‘Mighty Handful’ composers, Scryabin, Likhachov several years ago said that modern Rakhmaninov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostako- Russia still does not have any concept of culture vich, such performers as Richter, Oystrakh, and cultural development. Now, I think, we have Gilels, Rostropovich, Gergiev... an opportunity not just to set forth such a con- Fifth, I’d like to mention our classical ballet. cept, but also to contribute to the one. As many Dmitry Likhachov expressed a set of quite keen of those here, in my talk at the fringe of political and important statements on this type of science, history and culture studies I tried to Russian art, which I do fully agree with. I think bring forward a set of major parameters of that the idea of saving and developing spe- our cultural and civilization identity playing, cifically classical Russian ballet is absolutely as I see it, an important role for provision of right. Naturally, one can argue that classical Russia with the great power status. Russian ballet is, first of all, a dance looking I do think that now we have both an op- like a fairy tale, that it is something festive and portunity and tremendous need in developing bright, but dance is the essence of ballet, rather such concept. And it seems to me that we should than callisthenics, as Dmitry Likhachov correctly start with our cultures – both highly artistic noted. Of course, ballet should develop, but we, and mass ones. We shall, first of all, determine with no doubts, should retain the look of our parameters of interaction of high and mass ballet, as it was mentioned by Dmitry Likhachov, culture. whilst it is one of the most important components Our concept, to my mind, shall reflect world of our cultural and civilization identity. wide achievements, and widely known achieve- Sixth, we have certain ‘legal grounds’ to ments of the Great Russia culture, and cultural include into the list of the main components of achievements of other ethnoses living in the our cultural and civilization identity the Russi- Russian Federation and neighbouring nations, an drama, which is associated, mostly, with such the ones that previously were parts of the Soviet names as Stanislavsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko, Union, and prior to that – the Russian Empire. Meyerkhold, Okhlopkov. A lot in this respect has All these issues together form a highly rich pa- been done and is being done here, in St. Peters- lette of the Russian national culture and ‘the burg. In this connection, we can’t but recall, Russian world’ that now is actively talked about, for instance, the personalities of Georgy Tov- especially after the speech by President of Russia stonogov, who recently passed to the Federal Duma of the Russian Federation. away, and among modern actors – Lev Dodin, When developing the concept for our cul- whose works and theatre I’m likely to know tural and civilization identity, it is of importance best, because he visits Moscow quite often. And to us to find a keen balance between retaining I’m honoured to be a member of the Board of traditions and becoming modern. And also it has Custodians of Lev Dodin’s theatre. an applied sense for the destiny of our culture.

L. JINGJIE, President of Chinese Association of Research of Russia, Eastern Europe and Middle Asia, member of the National Political Consultative Committee of Chinese People’s Republic, academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Studies

ADOPTION OF THE WESTERN CULTURE: NO BIAS EITHER TO THE ‘LEFT’ OR TO THE ‘RIGHT’ CAN BE ALLOWED In accordance with the traditional historical nism society, slaveholding, feudal, capitalistic materialism, the human society is developing and socialistic (communistic) society. When the within the following pattern: primitive commu- capitalistic society reaches some stage in its L. Jingjie 29 development, it is inevitably replaced by the Lenin’s concept and made a set of left-oriented socialistic (communistic) one. But when exactly mistakes in theoretical spheres, as well as with does such replacement take place? According the specific political practice. These errors can to K. Marx and F. Engels, ‘the society has too be mainly classified as follows: big a civilization, has too many of vital re- 1. Thoughtless identification of contra- sources and possesses too much of industry and dictions between socialism and capitalism as trade. Productive forces in its disposal do not an opposition and antagonism between countries serve anymore to the development of bourgeois with different social systems. property relationships; contrariwise, they 2. Consideration of trends in historical become excessively great for these relationships, development of the human society related to the bourgeois relationships hinder their deve- final substitution of capitalism with socialism lopment <...> bourgeois relationships became as a choiceless association between countries too narrow to contain the riches they deve- with different social systems: either winners loped’*. It means that only when the capitalist or losers. system can’t contain developed material and 3. Simplification of the diverse world spiritual wealth, it will be substituted with classification – both socialistic and capitalistic; another social system, that is, the socialist one; confidence that only black or white may exist. at the same time, only when socialism develops Flat negation of the capitalistic civilization higher labour performance and more advanced considering it as tremendous evil. spiritual culture, it will be able and capable of From dialectic point of view, a relationship substituting capitalism. between socialism and capitalism is a relation- However, prior to the October revolution, ship between new and old where, it is impossible Russia was far from being a developed capitalist to be fully pro or contra, but joint existence of country, as it was thought of by Marx and approval and disapproval is allowable. Socialism Engels. Though the capitalism in Russia of that rejects only the part of capitalism that lost its time was somewhat developed, it, however, in vital power, transforms and adopts all of its general could be regarded as an agrarian viable aspects making the latter into organic country. And as to the range of countries that component and basis of its own development. became socialistic after the Second World War, The new and the old is a unity of oppositions. including China, none of them ever passed the But opposition does not mean antagonism. It stage of developed capitalism and even many is feckless to consider relations between of them were at the pre-capitalist stage. socialistic and capitalistic countries as class Thus, revolutions in Russia, China and some struggle, as relations between life and death; it other countries taking place in the 1st half of is a typical sign of metaphysics. Regretfully, the 20th century did not correspond to the such metaphysics for a long time played a theory of Marx and Engels. But what should decisive role in the world socialistic movement. the communists do after taking power? As to Obviously, external policy developed by the the V. I. Lenin’s opinion, first of all, it was leaders of socialist countries in accordance with necessary to seize the state power and then to the given concept was unable to develop properly develop material and cultural preconditions of relationships with the capitalistic countries. For socialism. Lenin even raised an issue on a long time communists were concerned with studying and adopting capitalistic values to the fact, that extension of exchanges and the level of determining perspectives and cooperation with the capitalistic countries destiny of socialism; he emphasized that ‘to damages the state sovereignty and facilitates transform the total amount of the richest and penetration of the western ideology. Therefore, historically inevitable and necessary for us for dozens of years all socialistic countries reserve of culture, knowledge and technology ‘locked the doors’ thoroughly and, in fact, accumulated by capitalism is to transform it refused of the policy of openness to the outer all from a tool of capitalism into a tool of world. I don’t mention the issue of consciously socialism’ . studying from the capitalism. However, in regard with the capitalistic As it was demonstrated in real life, such culture and the issue of association between policy brings forth limited freedom of action socialism and capitalism, Russia, China and and is self-weakening. Eventually, the commu- other socialistic states drifted from the stated nists in the USSR and the Eastern Europe did not retain their own ‘purity’ and lost the go- * Marx K., Engels F. The Works. 2nd ed. M., 1955. verning party status. CCP chose a way of re- Vol. 4. P. 430. forms and openness to the outer world, adopted Lenin V. I. Complete works. 5th ed. M., 1962. Vol. 36. P. 382. the best from the human culture, including 30 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD cultural advancements of the developed western Eastern Europe entered the path of stable capitalistic countries. Thus, our country is development fast, facing relatively less of developing rapidly, and CCP keeps the leading hardships. position. If to study further, one can notice that the The most important event at the end of the countries, which earlier than others overcame 20th century for the humanity development was the crisis and reached the path of stable the fall of the USSR and dramatic changes in development, have the following particular the Eastern Europe. To a large extend it reminds features: firstly, due to historical traditions the adoption process of the Western civilization. and culture, they are similar to Western Europe; Therefore, one can say, that the break-up of the secondly, the reforms were conducted there to USSR and the changes in the Eastern Europe this or that extent without dramatic changes, altered not only the world’s political map, but as a result, some factors of the market economy also development of the world culture and appeared. Other countries, which still are civilization. A process of social transformations overcoming the hardships, do not have such in these countries has not yet been completed. conditions. Obviously, it can explain the truth, But today it is quite obvious, that a set of which statesmen usually neglect: when tremendous and irrevocable changes has taken adopting foreign values, one should take into place. account one’s own conditions and realities. Firstly, there was a refusal from the ‘model The ability to learn from other countries of the Soviet socialism’, which was characte- and nations, to adopt and accept all achieve- rized by ‘united party’, ‘united ideology’ and ments of the human civilization is a symbol ‘united property’; it was acknowledged that it and a source of continuous development of is necessary to learn from the developed prosperity of any state. However, while learning Western capitalism; and the way of development from foreign countries, it is necessary to take was chosen. into account our own traditions and culture. Secondly, in the sphere of the political All foreign social systems and cultures appeared system, there was a transfer from the so-called and developed in specific conditions; and even ‘totalitarianism’ to the ‘democratic republican if they are perfect, they in none of the cases form of government’. In some countries, evident should be adopted in a mechanical way. Even traces of the old system are still present, but 2000 years ago Chinese wise men used tange- the form and the practical content of the rines as an example: they can’t be transplanted ‘democratic republican form of government’ by force, otherwise fruits will be uneatable – so does not fully correspond one another. that people never utilize mechanical adoption. Third, in the sphere of the economic system, The matter is that in China sweet fruits tan- there was a transfer from the united property gerines usually grow to the south of the Hwang and centralized planned economy to diversity Ho River, but if they are planted to the north of forms of property and market economy, of the river, the fruits gain strong odour and though many of the countries are still far from are inedible. And the reason is that different reaching the latter. banks of the river have different conditions. Forth, in the sphere of culture and ideology, This story teaches us, that when adopting there was present a rejection of the leading beneficial experience from abroad, it is not good position and role of Marxism-Leninism and, to mechanically copy it and ignore our own, instead, implementation of pluralism in this specific conditions, otherwise even previous sphere. advantages might disappear. Fifth, in the sphere of external policy, there The humanity moves from yesterday to was a refusal from confrontation and, instead, today and further, to the future. Yesterday, seeking of cooperation with the West; some of today and tomorrow are closely interrelated and the countries via participation in NATO and cannot be divided arbitrarily. With regard to EU joined the West. the historical culture, people may implement During the last decade of the 20th century, transformations, create, but it cannot be divided there were tremendous changes in these on separate fragments, or some parts of it countries, and most of them had to pay eliminated. When someone wants to break and enormously for that. For instance, in Russia, eliminate his own national historical culture, comparing 1998 and 1990, the GDP decreased he will be severely punished. The ‘culture by 50 %, and the standards of living of the revolution’ in China is a vivid illustration for population by 40 %, and clearly one could see that. During the reforms in the USSR and the weakened total strength of the state. Among Eastern Europe one can find lots of such 27 states only some of the countries in the examples. M. M. Joshi 31

If one considers refusal of the socialist Since the end of the 1970’s, China started to countries of capitalistic values as left-biased implement a policy of reforms and opened to errors, then the diseases of ‘democratic naivety’ the external world. Overcoming capitalism and can be considered as right-biased mistakes. At its replacement are no more objectives of CCP – some point in time this disease was spread in the latter is for diversity of the human civi- many countries. These ‘patients’ assume that lization and mutual adoptions between socialism the western democratic system implies prospe- and capitalism. rity, and after it is implemented, everything Diversity of civilization in many countries ought to get on like a house afire. For many is a main feature of the human society, and at years the theory is promoted, that ‘certainly, the same time the driving force of the human democracy brings forth development’, it became civilization. One should respect the historical a kind of a law. However, they can’t prove it in culture, social system and developmental models practice. According to the existing data, 62 % of of all countries, and to accept diversity of the the countries in the world declare, that they modern world. Different civilizations and social have a democratic system, but not too many of orders in the countries of the world shall co- them attained true progress and prosperity. At exist for a long period of time, so that at the the same time, there are absolutely different process of competence and comparison, they can examples: many countries and regions, where obtain from one another what is useful for them the western democratic system is not installed, and develop jointly, basing on what they have in a short period of time implemented industria- in common, while retaining the differences. lization and modernization, considerably dimi- During the last more than 20 years China nishing a gap with the developed countries. achieved notable success, implementing the Naturally, such comparison is given not to policy of reforms and openness – this is the claim, that democracy is bad, or good for no- result of adoptions from the Western capita- thing. Quite the contrary, the true democracy is listic civilization and retaining its own cultural a common hope of the entire humanity. Without traditions and national particularities. There- any doubts, sooner or later all countries in the fore, China calls its socialism as ‘socialism with world will follow the road of democratization Chinese specificity’. in various forms. However, democracy, both as Entering the new age, the Russian elite again ideology and a system, is a product of develop- turned to the ‘Russian idea’; then there emer- ment of economic foundation and productive ged the discussion on ‘sovereign democracy’. forces of the society. Within the framework of This discussion demonstrated that Russia a political system, democracy shall be developed adheres to values of the entire humanity and on the corresponding economic basis, and follows the path of democratization and market appropriate political culture provides particular relations. Along with that, our great neighbour guarantees. This is the only way democracy can emphasizes that it is necessary to be based on continue to exist and function effectively. The one’s own cultural traditions and national Western democratic political system corres- features, adopting achievements of the Western ponds to the existing economic foundation and civilization. Russia should get rid of the left- culture. It is formed and developed during a wing errors made at the USSR period and of long historical period. An attempt to adopt the right-wing ones of the 1990’s. In short, such system in one day, without proper economic adopting the achievements of the Western basis and political culture, is not just a fantasy, civilization, the less developed countries should but a gamble. not allow ‘left-wing’ or ‘right-wing’ biases.

M. M. JOSHI, Member of Parliament of India, Doctor

DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILISATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD The clash of civilisations and cultures has grow in isolation from each other, and the increasingly been recognised as a central issue angularities and the sharp edges of civilisations of the contemporary humanity. This clash has and cultures are now openly in battle with each for its setting the irreversible globalisation of other, and the Time Spirit demands that these the world. Civilisations and cultures can no more battles are worked out in a new way, in the way 32 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD that is appropriate to the higher aims of occupied by the ideological battle during the civilisation. It is in that context that the method Cold War has now been filled by the global of dialogue must be accepted and practiced to religious revival. How can these conflicts be its logical conclusion. harmonised? Expectations of a peaceful world It may be pertinent to ask: What is civi- after the end of two catastrophic world wars lisation? At the basic level, civilisation may be during the last century and other conflicts defined as a state of civil society governed, proved to be a mirage. Neither violence nor organised educated, possessed of knowledge and affluence could create a peaceful, and democra- appliances. It is an evolved state of society tic world. It is, therefore, imperative that the which also seeks to infuse knowledge in all art and science of dialogue among cultures and aspects of life. And by culture we usually under- civilisations becomes an instrument for stand the entire way of life of a society; its sustainable peace in the world. values, practices, the way it defines the human The techno-economic system which has relationships not only among the members of produced mind boggling affluence and stag- the society but also with the environment, the gering heights of consumption is based on symbols it uses in its arts, literature and also Cartesian-Newtonian mechanistic or reduc- the assumptions and beliefs which are commonly tionist world view. According to this approach accepted by the society. The clash of civilisations the complex ‘whole’ can only be understood first and cultures, therefore, has its roots in diffe- by fragmenting or reducing it in to its basic rences of visions that aim at relating indi- building blocks – ‘parts’ – and then by ex- viduals and collectivities. ploring the laws regarding their interrela- Many scholars have argued that some cul- tionship. The natural consequence of this tures resist economic progress and change while paradigm has been separation of mind and body, others promote it. In a competitive market that of the man and the ecosystem and ulti- economy this would generate cultural conflicts mately between man and man. However, alongwith the clashes of economic interests. towards the middle of the twentieth century, Further, in this concept, there would be certain particularly after the advent of Quantum Phy- cultures which are inherently antidevelopment. sics, scientists (physicists, biologists, psycho- Such a society would face internal conflicts. logists) have increasingly realised that instead Several studies indicate that the world today of ‘parts’ one should begin with the ‘whole’ is far more poorer, far more unjust, far more Holism thus seeks the unity in the complex violent, and far more divided than it was in matrix of the ‘whole’. Scientists are now con- the last decades of the twentieth century. The tending that there are reasons to believe that ethnic, religious and civilisational divides are there is in the realm of the physical laws a continuing and every day a new conflict ap- hidden non-computational element and the pears on the horizon and makes life miserable. phenomenon like consciousness should be Some studies have shown that cultural factors, inherent at least potentially in all material deeply influenced by religion resist the things. adaptation of scientific methods. Conflict On the other hand, in the realm of spi- between scientific rationalism and religions rituality, there are new trends which have come adds another dimension to the already existing to accept that the physical world is not an tensions. illusion created by physical senses, but a After the end of the Cold War, it was dynamic reality reflecting the operations of thought that a new world-order would emerge spiritual consciousness. These developments and the World would become more peaceful and provide a meeting ground for science and would move towards zero conflict situation. spirituality and hence one can reach a point However, the globalised world is now tormented where the conflict between science and spi- by extremism and exclusivism under the rituality can be overcome. As a result, the irrational pressure of fundamentalism. This conflict among religions and also cultures and shows that economic development and/or rise civilisations can be harmonised quite convin- in trade and commerce brings peace is not valid. cingly through the route of science and spiri- It has also now been argued that the genesis of tuality and this route admits only one method: religious fundamentalism lies in market fun- the method of a sincere and synthetic dialogue. damentalism. Moreover, religion is occupying The recent break through in information and more and more central space and is influen- communication technology offer both a chal- cing political decisions both internationally lenge and an opportunity for holding a dialogue and also within many countries. There is among civilisations and cultures in globalized sufficient evidence to show that the space world. Y. S. Vasilyev; A. O. Chubaryan 33

Y. S. VASILYEV, President of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Presidium of All-Russia Council of Presidents of Universities and member of the Presidium of St. Petersburg Council of Rectors of Universities, Dr. Sc. (Engineering), professor

GREETING MESSAGE TO THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov once was higher technical educational institutions of our complimentary about the Polytechnic Institute, country and, first of all, of St. Petersburg, the as it was called those days. Thus, to my mind, range of humanitarian subjects gained a new this academician promoted the necessity of momentum. And here materials of this con- training engineers in our country. ference, that Alexander Sergeyevich Za- I think that international Likhachov scien- pesotsky kindly sends also to the higher tific conferences held in the famous St. Peters- educational institutions with technical profile burg University of the Humanities and Social comes in. Sciences play an important role not only for On behalf of the community of rectors of the humanitarian sphere, but also for the universities of our country, I would like to greet higher technical educational institutions. the Conference participants and to wish you Therefore during last several years in the fruitful work.

A. O. CHUBARYAN, Director of Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of State University of the Humanities, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor

DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE STUDIES AS MEANS FOR THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS First of all, I would like to join those who was not the gap, but the dialogue. This was the expressed their gratitude and satisfaction with first impulse. our presence here, at the Likhachov Scientific The second response came from the united, Conference. But I would also like to add that prosperous, flourishing Europe being proud the University itself, where the Conference is that there were no complexities and hardships held, and its President have made a lot to provide after the successful process of its integration, that such controversial subject called ‘culture but suddenly faced quite serious problems studies’ gained some support in Russia recently. within its member states. In our life, we see situations when initially For all new European leaders the problem quite pragmatic, as it seems, activity grows into of emigration is a focus at their election an entire scientific field. This is what happened campaigns. The matter is not only how to build to the topic of the culture dialogue we are dis- relationships with hundred thousands and cussing. millions of people living now in Europe, but Essentially, the problem of a dialogue is a the problem of adaptation of the new culture problem of a method and means. When one says: and civilization. ‘Dialogue of civilizations and culture’, it im- I should tell you that when Dr. Sarkozy plies that the culture studies is somewhat a form let drop an inapt phrase, that France was going and means. One can confidently say that now it to be strictly against admittance of Turkey into is a fully developed scientific area, a subject the united Europe, the head of the German go- that deals with the dialogue of cultures and vernment objected, that half of these Turks al- civilizations. And it appeared from highly ready live in Europe and, first of all, in Germany. pragmatic basis. It was a kind of a reaction on Already there are special studies dedicated the well-known theory of a gap between civiliza- to how the Arabic culture adapts to the Euro- tions, which was in the clearest way expressed pean. They consider there the French experience, in the famous book and articles by Huntington. the Turkish community in Germany, and that And many countries, if not all, reacted, that it how in general Islam and oriental life style can 34 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD be assimilated in Europe and in the West further are the problems of a dialogue, tolerability, on. Eventually, searching for the solution to hostility, image of the other – a stranger, et this purely pragmatic task resulted in that we cetera. Besides, one should take into account are having today a new scientific subject. that each man has an inner dialogue with him- I would like to dwell briefly on peculiarities self or herself. Our Institute has the Department of the dialogue of cultures and civilizations. of Cultural Anthropology, Historical Anthro- Culture appears to be the most synthetic and pology, and its activity is getting closer and integrated phenomenon in history and in the closer to purely biological issues. In short, we modern world. Culture absorbs almost every- are observing an important scientific process. thing, that was attained by the humanity, that It is necessary to develop actively culture stu- is related to science, technology, intellect in dies and to identify all of its scientific components. general and with the past, the present and the And the last. This subject immediately, and future – the entire way or style of life. The this happens hardly with every science, gained concept of civilization in the Russian scientific exceptional political and social urgency – both tool set recently gained an important place. for our country and for the whole world. In Initially it was just an antithesis to the forma- Russia, one of the central tasks these days is tion method and Marxist ideology. But gradu- the solution for the inner dialogue problem, ally it gained somewhat of a unique character. taking into account that we are one of the Nowadays more often, even without deep know- multinational and multiconfessional countries. ledge of the theme, they try to prove that in the Unlike Europe, where Islam came from human history everything can be explained via outside, Russia has its own Islam, which ori- the civilization development. ginated there and which is the leading religion Culture studies immediately after being for the part of the Russian society. And it in- formed became interdisciplinary; it included a creases for us the necessity of the culture great many of various subjects – from philo- dialogue. sophy, history to psychology, anthropology. In Nowadays in Russia the culture dialogue has the last years, such diffusiveness resulted in gained a social importance and become a part of much discussion on what the culture studies is, the concrete policy as an instrument in the whether this science exists as such, or it is just system of relationships among political parties a part of other subjects. Therefore, I think that and public organizations. Therefore, the problem our task for the coming years is to thoroughly of the dialogue became the central node for develop methodology and instruments for this solution of one of our tasks, that is, development subject. It has a great number of aspects: these of the civil society in Russia.

N. AL-ATTAR, Vice-President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor

THE DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS: MUTUAL AID AND PARTNERSHIP The writer and thinker, Mircea Eliade, thinks to be imprisoned by its limitations. This process that ‘contemporary man presents himself as has been alive since the shores of thought and a historical being formed by the whole history life have met in an embrace that broke away of the humanity’. This positions us in the midst from the dimensions of time and place. of deep civilizational perspectives with which In our urgent pursuit, it was wonderful to we restore our historical memory and enter a see the luminous lights and amazing depths of pattern of absolute existence. Then, we detach the unknown and unwritten history of the ourselves from the ‘illusion of the moment,’ beginnings of humanity, through discoveries according to Nietzsche, and try to build our and scientific research which have attracted the universal awareness of the world, starting from intellectuals of the world, and to listen to the a totalitarian perception, more genuine and ancient Syrian poet, Meleager, of the ancient human. This perception is almost as old as life Syrian city of Gadara, saying in a mystic itself. It stretches from the childhood of huma- outburst of passion, ‘Don’t think me a stranger, nity to the beginning of the 21st century. It dis- all of us come from one country, the world.’ tances itself from the biases of the present and In our present day, activating epistemo- from the narrow limits of geography. It refuses logical dialogue between civilizations, building N. Al-Attar 35 relationships, enhancing cohesion, has become and in other academic institutions will be able an extremely important task. It should even be to restore the civilizational memory of the world, the common human concern, if we understand and to build an invincible front of the world’s civilization as a total act which lies at the heart intellectuals who are concerned with drawing of human society, and which brings together the features of a better future in which there the distinguishing features of the nation, the are no attempts to cancel and isolate multi- total sum of its knowledge, values, creations cultural and multiracial peoples and which and its ages old memory, its identity, originality, genuinely protects diversity and interaction and the meaning of its existence and its creative believes that any nation, no matter how small, contribution to the cultures of the world. has something to offer to the world. It is the process through which human If man is a flash of lightening on the glit- beings develop their spiritual, mental, physical tering surface of life, he will undoubtedly leave and creative capacities and realize their greatest an indelible mark on the immortal stones of ambitions. It endows their life, values and futu- time. The accumulation of these marks are re with new significance which constitutes their worthy of our attention and of being part of human substance and sheds away the ambigui- our visions. ties which disguise themselves as civilization We must remember that removing barriers and use its language with abhorrent banality. erected between peoples is one thing and remo- It was wonderful for the Federal Republic of ving peoples, their histories and creations is Russia, through the University of Social and something else; We must remember too that Human Sciences, to host the ‘dialogue of removing barriers existing between civilizations civilizations’ conferences in the great and ancient and cultures is essential, while cancelling na- city of St. Petersburg with their honest con- tion’s civilizations and cultures and replacing ceptions and their rejection of rigidity and them with a one faceted and one dimensional cul- extremism. These conferences constitute an ture is not only rejected, but even very dangerous. appropriate response to the politicized and Allow me to point out here that our land, extremely reckless approach adopted by ideo- which swims over a sea of ancient and modern logues, such as Huntington, who think, as you civilizations, which has pushed the boundaries know, that the relationship between civilizations of the past and broadened our knowledge of the is that of conflict. This is also associated with history of man and the universe, was the the theory of the end of history advocated by greatest cradle of civilizations. Documented Fukuyama. Both of them advocate a wrong and research, based on successive archaeological misleading ideology of unipolarism which discoveries, shows that it saw the beginning of preaches relations based on hostility and conflict civic life and the oldest spot on which intellect among peoples, and argues that the history of created the principles of civilization and govern- justice and enlightenment has ended. However, ment. In that region, humanity knew its first these two theories have been exposed, and the discoveries; and from its shores extended the world has realized the dangers they pose. In first bridges to communicate with the world return, there has been a call for a dialogue among and bring it peace, information, trade, gifts civilizations in order to arrive at concepts and sail to farthest horizons. Yet, it remained, reconciled to logic and the truth, and to put under all circumstances, generous, proud, things in order. Civilizations, now and in the humane and noble, upholding moral values and past, have always been in a state of interaction, all forms of cooperation and giving. in a state of give and take, and have always Civilization, in our conviction, should always developed as a result of this interaction and be open and interactive. They don’t cancel each exchange, each giving and adding to the other, nor are they cancelled by each other. contributions of the others to a process which No civilization cancels its predecessor, it has not condescended to the false logic of conflict. rather enhances it by influencing it and being The world around us, on this planet, is fed influenced by it. In the final analysis, a up with such theories which are riddled with civilization is the property of all humanity; and hostility. It looks for a just alternative in the its holy fire is ever showing the way and shape of dialogue which constitutes the call of overcoming all borders and barriers. conscience, the wish of a yearning soul and the I would like also to stress that we absolutely will of intellect in order to achieve human reject, on epistemological grounds, the theory communication that realizes a moral mission of the clash of civilizations which leads to and builds the ‘reason front’, according to Eric destruction rather than development, drives Hobsbawm. We hope that the dialogue of civi- people apart rather than bring them closer and lizations which is conducted in our conference leads to reductionism instead of integration. 36 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

Ladies and gentlemen, We have talked at This is by no means strange to you. Your length about civilizations, and this is by no country’s civilization has long conducted a means wrong. But the question remains about dialogue with the world’s literary conscience the relationship between civilizations: is it a through astonishing literary creations that relationship of dialogue or integration, through have formed our memory from the first moment which every civilization takes from its predeces- of our reading of the geniuses of Russian sors, assimilates and then creates a new addition, literature throughout the ages. as the Arab civilization did when it carried, In the distance which isolates us from each through Andalusia, the treasures of knowledge other and which makes the globe orbits of to Europe. Its role was not only that of trans- dispute and misunderstanding, we shouldn’t lating Greek philosophy, for instance, it was allow it to isolate us civlizationally and episte- rather an epistemological structure which lear- mologically. People should get closer to each ned from its predecessors, assimilated this other through knowledge which generates knowledge and built on it. understanding, and could lead to a mutual Today’s civilization, in the countries of the clearer road. advanced world, is building on and adding to We look forward, through honest cultural the achievements of its predecessors, which allows openness and exchange, to prospects of coo- us to talk about a civilizational integration, peration, where creation becomes an ambassa- partnership and participation which does not rob dor qualified to build the best foundations for the present of its achievements and additions; Arab Russian relations, based on mutual yet it consults the foundation and roots of the understanding and respect and the civilizational building and what the past gave to the present. trust we highly value. We applaud the role played Hence, your endeavours, my friends, to by the University of Social and Human Scien- arrive at new and enriching conceptions are ces and we trust that it will succeed in accom- highly appreciated. They are efforts which aim plishing its mission and that it will achieve the at insuring deep human connectedness without progress it aspires for in a city which is the which man’s humanity cannot be realized. epitome of creativity, glory and civilization.

A. V. SALTANOV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of President of the Russian Federation on the Middle-East Issues

ISSUES OF INTERCIVILIZATIONAL CONTACTS IN THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES Relevance of our current meeting topic is lems of intercivilizational dimension of the undisputable. Ideological confrontation of the modern international relationships are dis- cold war era with its negative predictability is cussed. This is the way to a dialogue, and the substituted with threats of considerably more dialogue is the way to an intercivilizational dangerous intercivilizational break-up. Provo- partnership. But this path is not easy, while it ked by terrorists and objectively accompanying assumes some transformations of intracivi- them with adherents of single-sided, including lizational resources, their accumulation to fight coercive, approaches to resolution of interna- extremism, xenophobia and other concomitant tional problems, this approach is hard to control issues. and regulate, while it is beyond the frame of Talking about the cold war, it is likely to be interstate relations. Not only strive for unified a conflict within one civilization, and it cannot approach and desire to eliminate cultural and be allowed that the transformation, which is civilization differences are dangerous, but the ongoing at the European continent, will create ideology of such policy itself being based on a new opposition or, as they commonly say now, the confrontation predisposition of diversity of new demarcation lines. And, uppermost, the cultures and civilizations. matter in hand should be avoiding opposition Admittance of this challenge appeared to be of the integration process at the CIS space to the driving motive for all those being present the European construction process. As Presi- here and for many other forums, scientific dent of Russia noted in connection with the symposia and political discussion, where prob- 50th annual anniversary of the European Union, A. V. Saltanov 37 it is impossible to achieve complete unity of to fight against the common evil, the common our continent until Russia, being the largest threat. And the challenge of modern times also European state, becomes an integral part of the requires solidarity and unity. Certainly, in this European process. And the issue seems to be respect, the UN should adapt to the modern not only political unity, but restoration of the realia, but the reforms are not the main issue, European civilization integrity. Our civilization they shouldn’t be an end in itself. The most heritage, experience of international, inter- important is that the UN, retaining its unique confessional coexistence and, largely, inter- legitimacy, is to be able of more effective action, might mean a lot. This is all enrooted reacting on challenges of the 21st century to into our culture, which sources are within unite nations and countries. Christianity. Nevertheless, at the same time we Undoubtedly, the Group of Eight plays an are the country, which is unique concerning its important role in it, and Russia within the multiconfessionality and, may the scientists framework of its participation in the work of excuse me, multiculture. this group actively assists to the process, that In the modern globalizing world, when the promotion of the well-known initiative of the competition realm involves value marks and Big Eight on building up partnership with the development models, the main purpose of the countries of the Middle East and Northern intercivilizational dialogue is to unite efforts African regions corresponds to stabilization of of all the states, large and small, and to develop situation in the world. Stabilization of inter- together principles of living for the world civilizational relations, no intrusion of recipes, community. From our point of view, they should but mutually respectful partnership, which be built on common view of how to use should facilitate making bridges between reasonably those advantages of globalization civilizations, strengthening the dialogue of and to minimize its negative effects. First of confessions and cultures, are the topmost all, it is related to diminution of the space of important today. However, the initiative on social and economic degradation and over- reformation of this large and, regretfully, still coming poverty, basing on equal access for all very uneasy region shall originate from the to the following: globalization advantages; countries in this region, taking into account preservation of national identity and cultural its specifics, traditions and understanding how and civilization diversity of the world; counte- to setup better living. The international com- racting to global challenges and safety threats munity and the Big Eight are only to render and stable development, including settlement assistance to these efforts. of crisis and conflict situations; improvement Naturally, it is hard to imagine that the of manageability of world processes and forma- reforms and promotion of democratic basis at tion of a safer, just and democratic world order. this vast space can be implemented without Naturally, here we can see opportunities and settling one of the most important regional potential of Russia for contributing to promo- conflicts of our days, the Arab-Israel one. tion of these principles and developing the new In connection with it, since we are talking world order on their basis. A significant step about intercivilizational relations, I would like ahead on this way was the World summit of to note the following. Recently more and more religious leaders held in Moscow last year. In often, the idea is worded out, that what is going December 2006, on our initiative the resolution on at the Middle East is already a collision of of the UN General Assembly was adopted, Jewish-Christian and Islamic civilizations, emphasizing inadmissibility of restoration of though it does not fully square with reality, any forms of racism, race discrimination and since the conflict roots are different. The main xenophobia. We joined the group of supporters danger is that continued abeyant conflict of the UN-approved Spanish-Turkish initiative started to gain intercivilizational consequences. for the civilization alliance, and intend to faci- Therefore, it is within the interests of the entire litate actively its promotion. The UN Secretary international community to help to the Middle General was presented with a report of the high- East countries to develop peace agreements. level group with Russian participation, formu- Undoubtedly, improvement of the inter- lating specific directions for our activities. civilizational relations is facilitated with such We think that now it is time for more active multifaceted configurations as CIS, EurAsEC, involvement of the civil society to these efforts. SCO, CSTO and the Organization of the Islamic We are fully confident that the United Nations Conference. By the way, recently I was present must lead the process for prevention of inter- at the meeting of the ministries of foreign civilizational break-ups, as far as this process affairs within the framework of this conference, was born because of united international efforts and I can say that the topic of intercivilizational 38 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD relations, the dialogue between Islam and other emerge. Are we prepared to accept those results religions becomes one of the highest priorities of democratic development, which often do not at this forum. Leaders of majority of Muslim correspond to our perception and, moreover, states understand, that this is the common political aspirations? We can’t exclude the challenge – both for secular societies and for situation – and such examples appeared recent- Islamic religious figures. ly – that as a result, I should stress it, of ‘pure’ Certainly, we can’t perceive this global democratic elections in some countries and problem only within the framework of resolving regions, the power was gained by such parties, contradictions or, to be more precise, via the that, as per assessments of some of our partners, dichotomy prism: Islam, Christianity, etc. The are carriers of extremist ideas. What shall we matter in hand should be on building up of do in this case? How shall we interact with such interaction among all civilizations and cultures, reality? Shall we oppose it with coercive measu- rather than the Christian West and Muslim res, cancelling the results of the democratic East. It is very important for us that, at the elections? Shall we never respect the democratic international arena, the current multi-view choice of this or that nation? Or there is another policy of uniting pattern gathers pace. It is way – the way of constructive, positive influence important for us, since this approach is mainly through the dialogue? I think there are no doubts determined with the following: in the issues of that the second way is more effective, while it intercivilizational understanding, interests does not result in further flares and, what is of internal and external policy and security of the most terrible, new bloodshed. Russia are inseparably connected. Moreover, this Each country comes to democracy at its own issue contains challenges to the existence of pace, in its own time, considering its history, Russia as a united state. Therefore, of course, culture, traditions. The same is true for Russia. the intercivilizational break-up is absolutely Our country has built freedom and democracy, unacceptable for us. and at the scale of the Russian priorities the We don’t dispute our European choice, but democratic values are not substituted with the we can’t be unambiguously self determined economic growth or social well-being. But we taking side of this or that civilization. The are also for the process of democratization in outside observer role is also not appropriate for the international relations, removal from them us. It seems that the historical mission of our of imposing someone’s will and double stan- country is strengthening of mutual under- dards, when democratic slogans are used standing and tolerance at the cultural and sometimes to cover intrusion into internal af- civilization level. Now when globalization gains fairs of the other state. ‘the Asian look’, it is mostly important. In Another important issue directly related to Russia there were created centers for Islamic the democratization is a relation of the human and Arabic researches, Foundation for support right and freedoms and the security issues in to the Islamic culture, science and education, conditions of the growing wave of extremism we have the strategic vision group ‘Russia and and terrorism. Where is the brink, beyond which the Islamic world’, which third session was held we cannot and, maybe, should not limit the recently in Istanbul. rights and freedoms? Although we know that After the globalization processes moved there are countries with internal regulation in beyond the borders of the Western civilization, this space, that impose certain restraints. the competition also gained civilization dimen- Certainly, it is a very serious issue, which must sion. It is necessary focusing on our competitive be resolved. advantages to seek for the ways of agreement In conclusion, I should repeat that the in resolving common problems. Indivisibility urgent objective of today is to develop the of security and prosperity in the modern world dialogue leading to interaction, partnership leaves us no other alternative, at least the in the intercivilizational dimension. And this reasonable one. But the attempts of reintro- should be a dialogue of Russia, the EEC and duction of ideology and militarization into the USA. In our current world subjected to international relationships constitute a serious the globalization processes, both Europe and hindrance. The Russian diplomacy successively the United States and many other powers opposes these dangerous trends. There are no become more and more multinational and doubts, and no doubts can be, that the cardinal multiconfessional and come to a complicated way of development for civilizations is a demo- situation when the ‘melting-out tank’ mecha- cratic governing. nism stops to function, and within the country We shall admit that main principles of de- the permanent population group with clear mocracy are universal. Further, some questions cultural and civilization features appear. Re- A. A. Guseynov 39 gretfully, tension inside intercivilizational efforts can become a true foundation for relations in the world is steadily increasing. promotion of the intercivilizational dialogue, This problem affects everybody, and it is where Russia and our CIS partners can play an impossible to ignore it. The solution with joint appreciable role.

A. A. GUSEYNOV, Director of Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS? When in our conversation we use the notion The idea I would like to express is as follows: of civilization (culture), when we talk about not civilizations, but people (individuals, interaction (dialogue, cooperation, competitive- nations, states) being part of different civili- ness, conflict, etc.) of civilizations, then it should zations interact there. Moreover, as a rule, be taken into account that these are high level almost in 99.9 % they interact not owing to abstractions, generalized characteristics of their civilization differences, but due to specific many empirical objects. It is filled with exact problems, which they are concerned with and content only within the framework and as a which resolution they contact one another for. moment of particular systematized theories and Taking into account these simple and self- doctrines as, for instance, Toynbee’s, Spengler’s, explanatory statements, we can eliminate many Morgan–Engels’s. Beyond these limits it gains problems and difficulties, which are seemingly approximate, blur, metaphorical and, quite often, irresolvable at the level of metaphysical images totally transformed sense. Civilization as cultu- and logical formulas. re (when the latter is talked about in a meaning For instance, let us take such wheeze equal to civilization) does not have any subjecti- question, whether the East and the West can vism, dose not exist as an empirical object. It meet. Where should they go? They met a long does not exist as something separate, as some- time ago. Aren’t there hundreds of millions of thing that functions independently and can be people travelling from the East to the West rigorously fixed, is located within the framework and backwards moved with different, quite good of specific target-organized activity, in brief, as plans and interests?! Aren’t European cities rich something that you can point at. It is a kind of in oriental restaurants, and do oriental cities conditional, ideally marked result compiled of ignore the European cuisine? Aren’t there actions of tremendous, virtually uncountable millions, dozens, hundreds of millions of people number of people as well as multiple, uncountable of the East and the West who are married, thus problems, forms of activities, events. forming family unions – the closest, most inti- We are talking about the dialogue of civi- mate unions existing among humans?! Do eas- lizations, but I would like to ask you, where and tern and western countries refuse to trade with how civilizations meet, where they face one an- each other?! Are there many of the western other as civilizations. They meet in such capa- languages, which ‘The Arabian Nights’ has not city nowhere. And no one can call such a place. been translated into, and oriental languages Ethnographers found that some, neighboring which Homer’s, Shakespeare’s, Tolstoy’s works with one another archaic tribes were divided have not been translated into? Which of the great with territories that none of them owned. It spiritual leaders of the West during the last was neutral, no man’s land. There members of two centuries did not turn to the East at heart, different tribes could contact each other and and which of the great figures of the East did practice forms of behaviour, prohibited within not get accustomed with the Western culture? their tribes. Modern civilizations cannot fun- Wasn’t the ‘West-Östliches Divan’ a poetic peak ction as one whole, like ancient tribes, and there for Goethe, and were not Confucius, Koran and is no neutral (‘no man’s land’) territory be- other sources of oriental wisdom table-books tween them. They penetrate, flow from one into for the later Tolstoy? Were not Mahatma Gandhi another in such manifold and deep ways, that and Ho Chi Min students in Europe and, what it is impossible to draw separation lines between is more important, haven’t they studied the them. school of European intellectualism? Finally, are 40 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD there people, events, things, which we don’t know truth of civilization (culture) being either Isla- where to relate, to the East or to the West? Where mic, European or any other is expressed. And was Christianity born, in the West or in the when they do it and, regretfully, they do it too East? Who owns Aristotle – the European West often, they reach beyond their competence and or the Muslim East?! Where to relate Russia – enter upon the path of irresponsible statements to the West or to the East?! And Judaism – is and demagogy. Naturally, one can claim, that it the East or the West? One can ask thousands each person, while he or she is related to this or of such rhetorical questions. But even those that civilization, carries it in himself or herself asked are sufficient to see how farfetched, and, therefore, has a right to talk on its behalf. speculative, far from reality are the arguments But it exactly means that there is no one with a trying to separate impassably or even to oppose specific, prior right to do it. Besides, civilization the East and the West. They cannot be of that identity is a kind of generic characteristics of kind for they operate with abstractions of the individuals not existing separately from their East and the West, as if they designate empirical particular, personal ones. Therefore, the right objects. And, as a result, these abstractions of everyone to speak for their civilization is become phantoms. And the phantoms are phan- not more than the right of all others to take toms; they are destined to scare us. these statements lightly. Civilizations (cultures) in their empiric rea- Civilizations in their reality are represented lity are represented with many people and their not only with many and different people, but unions, communities. There is a question, whe- also they are represented with many and ther there are among them those who personify different problems. And they don’t have (or civilization in a specific way, have unques- almost do not have) problems, which are so- tionable or, at least, prior right to represent, to called pure embodiment of civilization peculiari- talk on its behalf? There are no such perso- ties. Each of them has its own nature and, nalities, either separate individuals or their respectively, requires specific methods and groups. First of all, there are no such indivi- solutions. Migration has its own trends and duals, because civilization is represented not solution methods. Weapons of mass destruction only with a great deal of people, but also with are a problem resolved by other methods. Energy very different people. They are different even supply and consumption has its own specific in their understanding of the essence of their ones. And none of these and of that kind of civilization and its interests. For instance, who content problem is linked to the civilization today can speak on behalf of the Islamic civi- peculiarity. None of them does unite or disso- lization? Religious figures? But they represent ciate people as to criteria of general civilization, different religious branches and understand its religious, ethnocultural properties. And it’s role in the modern world differently, and not totally wrong to assign those troubles, collisions in all cases can they rise above religionmotiva- appearing at the process of resolving specific ted and often murderous enmity in the Muslim problems, where representatives of specific world itself. Not mentioning that the Islamic civilization (cultures, religions, ethnic groups) civilization today is not entirely religious. are involved in to those differences, to conclude Political leaders, country leaders? But the from them uplifting to the level of civilization Islamic world states quarrel with each other opposition. A typical example for such substitu- not less, than with the Western ones. Many of tion of the particular with the general are them are closer to the USA and European attempts to associate activity of Al-Qaeda and countries, than to their neighbours. Thinkers, other similar terrorist organizations with Islam, philosophers? They never enjoyed unconditional to associate to such extent, that there are talks authority, and in the modern world they have starting about particular cruelty of Islam, much less of the one than ever. Some Western drawing conclusions on this terrorist activity politicians and mass media display the case in from Islam. Such way of thinking is logically such a way, as if some of those cultivating wrong, while it is clear that Muslims aren’t terrorist movements in the Islam world do obligatory terrorists, and terrorists aren’t only represent it. But, in fact, they are marginal, Muslims. It is also false and socially destructive, and in the Islamic world their position gives since it obscures causes of terrorism and, thus, them no more rights to speak on its behalf, as hinders its effective handling. These terrorists ultranationalist, neo-fascist groups in the appeal to Islam depicting themselves as its European countries have, when they speak on warriors; in such case they abuse religion, use it behalf of the latter. as a cover, and when people fighting against the In brief, there are no specific individuals or terrorism think in the similar fashion, it means groups of individuals, out of whose mouths the that, in fact, they are close to the terrorists. A. A. Guseynov 41

Diversity of communicative and objective It is a normal and sound reaction of normal situation of the modern man considered via a and sound persons against personal insults. ‘prism’ of civilization and cultural difference Problems, hardships, collisions appearing is presented, at least, in two (or, maybe, only between the people in association and at the edge two) situations, that are directly related to these of their civilization differences (religious- differences and are considerably determined by cultural and ethnonational symbols – the most them. They deal with civilization and cultural vivid indicator of such differences) could be symbols. First, there are names, objects, places, successfully resolved, if we consider them which have the sacral value and which within a mainly and firstly in regard to an aspect of particular culture and for its representatives person’s moral dignity. Surely, the civilization are considered holy. Second, there are external identity symbols can be considered from gnoseo- forms of behaviour and everyday life, under- logical, sociological, political and other points lining civilization and cultural identity of indi- of view. At that, it is necessary, first of all, to viduals. These situations being widely known take into account that some people associate their recently can be illustrated in the first case personal dignity with it, and to reveal, dealing with the so-called cartoon scandal, and in the with them, such degree of deference and respect, second – the case of shawls. These are situa- that within the framework of ethical behavior tions, which people face exactly as represen- correctness is expressed by one person, even tatives of particular civilizations, cultures and when someone expresses disagreement with him in regard to which one can talk about the or her over some points. civilization or culture incompatibility, if there Collisions related to the civilization-asso- is no solution acceptable for all parties. Actually, ciated external behaviour forms without such they do have a solution – such solution is hard, general and sacral profile, as religious and it requires some efforts, compromises, education, national symbols, are resolved somewhat diffe- formation of culture of dialogue and tolerability rently. but, nonetheless, such solution exists. A typical case of the kind is the so-called Conflicts related to holy symbols are resol- case of kerchiefs. The matter in hand was ved within the framework of properly built whether French schoolchildren are allowed to ethics of interpersonal relationships acceptable wear demonstrative marks of their confessional for all people, regardless of their cultural and denomination (Muslim girl’s kerchiefs, Chris- civilization identity. tian’s large crosses on the clothes, Jew’s caps). The civilization identity is a part of indi- The French society and legislation system vidual’s core. It constitutes one of the most answered: ‘No’. And to my mind such a solution important elements of his or her personality. can be considered exemplary. Its sense is to Religious-cultural, ethnonational symbols of delimit spheres of private and public life in the civilization identity merge with the personal modern democratic society. To draw such border ‘Ego’ completely to such extent, that it is for many reasons with purely technical one as impossible to break them one from another not the last becomes today harder, nevertheless, without deformation of each of parts of this it exists as it is. And if one understands twofold complex. Something is considered to differences of the private and the public issues be holy, until there are people considering it in their values, then it becomes even more holy. And these people are who they are, until important. A person may worship any gods and they consider this thing holy and bear it in visit their shrines at the time and look as he or their hearts. Therefore, to insult a sacred object she considers appropriate and what is acceptable is to insult a man for whom this object is sacral. in the corresponding environment, but in a Muslims were filled with indignation seeing secular state civil institutions are non-confes- the cartoons with Prophet Mohammed, because sional. Private spheres are the ones, where we they felt insulted. And the matter in hand is live because we are different. The public space is not their specific mentality. Similarly, Chris- an area, which we enter because we have some- tians would take offence (and did take it!) several thing in common. centuries ago, facing something alike in regard Currently public behavior in regard to ap- to their religious symbols. About 10 or 20 years pearance, manners, embellishments becomes ago many in Russia would have been revolted more and more variable, individualized. A demo- with what one of the literary men wrote about cratic society doesn’t have these strict frames Pushkin without habitual and due respect to for regulation of what is considered decent and the poet; they would have been outraged, since acceptable, as it was and is in traditional, class- they considered Pushkin a national symbol and based societies. Thus, internal mechanisms of to such an extent, as they consider him a symbol. mutual respect become more important, and one 42 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD of the most important among them is tolerance ‘Do not use violence on others’. In this case, it to people of other views and beliefs. is clear how to behave, which deeds to commit Tolerability is often interpreted mainly or (better to say, which not) for a person, who even only as tolerance to other views, as ack- strives to act in accordance with the given nowledgement of another person and a desire requirement. At least, within the framework to understand this person. Certainly, such of individual-responsible behaviour, it is clear understanding reflects the essentials. But it what practical conclusions can be made on it. hinged on a question, how far our tolerance can The same concerns tolerance. A positive formula go and what to do in cases, when it faces a is ‘be tolerant to another person’s views un- position negating the tolerance itself. This acceptable for you’. But it is unclear, what and question, as far as I can see, has no answer; at how to do in this respect and to what extent least there is no answer at the level of common one should tolerate something from the other formula, generally accepted rule. It is hardly side, which from his or her own point of view possible to appear ever. To escape such emer- is intolerable. And if one understands tolerance ging difficulty, it is necessary from a positive as a requirement not to impose one’s own formula of tolerance, ‘be tolerant to heterodoxy opinion on others, then uncertainty, ambiguity (opinions, beliefs) in others’, to transfer to its disappears. negative formula, ‘do not impose others on our The culture dialogue can’t be understood as own heterodoxy (opinions, beliefs)’. Within such a localized and visible sum of actions, which in a formula, the issue of what are limits of being their entirety can be purposefully regulated. It tolerant falls away, since it allows to accept also can’t be locked on people, whose formal or tolerability as a categorical (absolute) principle informal status makes them speak on behalf of of public behaviour. It means that opinions and this or that culture (clergy, writers, ministries beliefs are my own (personal, private) business. of culture, etc.), or diminish to events, directly I do not impose them on others. And I enter discuss fate of culture, though, naturally, both public relations with others on the issues that positions of these people and these events are unite us. Thus, I admit for the other the right tremendously significant. In the modern world to have his or her own opinions and beliefs where people, countries and nations are inter- including the ones, which are unacceptable for related every day and in many forms, the me and, from my point of view, false. In this dialogue of cultures is a process, developing at case, I can and must be concerned with issues all levels of human contacts and public activity only, which he or she never brings his or her in all spheres of life. And (that seems to be the views and beliefs outside a threshold of his or most important) it follows laws of mass pro- her own ‘home’ (confessional, ethnic envi- cesses, which can be influenced consciously only ronment, etc.), so that they never hinder him via institutional and regulatory limitations. or her and me to walk along common streets, The essence of such limitations being mainly to be citizens in one state, to live on a single of ethical or legal origin is to outline a space planet. for the dialogue of cultures. Being more specific, Generally, I should note: universal moral to set as general as possible such parameters, principles imparted into positive formulas which provide an area of intercultural inter- cannot be interpreted unambiguously as specific action with a cultural status. It is achieved, cases. Such a certainty and absoluteness is only first of all and mainly, via small in number but possible when concerning universal prohibi- categorical in power prohibitions. To make tions. Tolerability as a universal principle of culture interaction develop with the dialogue behaviour is not an exclusion in this case. Let pattern, ways of confrontation between them us take, for instance, the commandment to love should be blocked. One can name here, at least, neighbours. What should one do, how to behave, three interrelated bans, which are obvious and how to act in these or those situations, if one have unconditional, categorical sense. sincerely wishes to obey this commandment? The The first prohibition blocking the culture answer on this question is always specific and confrontation should be refusal of the idea of depends on a particular individual. And it is culture-based confrontation. It means that cul- not a fact that the adequate answer will be found. tural peculiarities and differences cannot be How many children were spoilt, because they a justifying basis for any violent actions. were loved blindly by their parents?! How many Moreover, basing on presumptions of cul- crimes were committed supposedly for the sake ture equality, it is necessary to move beyond of love for the Motherland?! And a completely a scope of dialogue, to exclude comparisons different story is when the same commandments totally from a public discourse and, especially, are formulated as prohibitions: ‘Do not kill’, contrapositions of cultures based on value R. X. Khokhar 43 criteria, to ban words, actions or any other more adequate or complete compared to other symbolic and sign manifestations, which might cultures, implementation of those higher ideas be perceived in any culture as insulting. To in- and values, which it targets to comprehend and troduce a topic into an agenda of the dialogue achieve. They said ‘modesty beautifies man’. means to make it a problem, to impeach or to It beautifies culture as well. question it. Therefore, exaggerating in a sense Prohibitions, obvious in their humanistic but, at the same time, exposing core of the issue, orientation and generally accepted in their one can say that the dialogue of cultures can flatness, can only create conditions for the cover all topics, except world-view and value dialogue of cultures. They just outline the most basics of these very cultures. general frame, only within which the productive, Finally, another categorical ban is a neces- each time specific and inexhaustibly diverse sary condition, giving green light to the dia- interaction of men and resolving of issues at logue of cultures – it is a refusal of absolute the fringe of different civilizations and cultures pretensions, of announcing one’s own culture might take place.

R. X. KHOKHAR, Special Representative of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM: CAUSES & REMEDIES The gulf between Islam and West is on the warriors. Late last year Pope Benedict quoted increase. Some argue that the conflict between the words of the 14th century Byzantine emperor Islam and the West is not a post-Cold war phe- Manuel the Second: ‘Show me just what nomenon as Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civili- Mohammed brought that was new. And there zations’ theory imagines it has been going on you will find things only evil and inhumane.’ since the early years of Muslim ascendancy in This was the biggest misrepresentation of the the 7th century. true spirit of Islam. Misperceptions about Islam: Causes and No doubt that the imperialism and dis- remedies is what will be the focus of my presen- criminative policy of the West also lead to tation. Elimination of misperceptions is a key reinforcing misperceptions about Islam and imperative for sincere, constructive and result- consequent rise of radical and militant Islam. oriented dialogues. The solution lies in highlighting the true mes- Koran is the Islam: everything is based on sage of Islam, in eliminating of discrimination it. So long as Muslims adhere to its injunctions and unjust policy of the West, and in educating they would be able to bring progress and and moral development of the Muslims. enlightenment to the world. When they deviated The historical factor can be traced to the from its teachings the civilization that they period of crusaders: battle between the Christian had created began to crumble. It is said that Europe and the Muslim Middle East. The civilizations are born and continue to grow only traditions traced back to this period have so long that they are able to meet the challenges poisoned the European minds against Islam. But of their times but decay when they fail to apart from religion, there were political and respond. Muslims were able to contribute to the economical reasons of this confrontation. Sub- intellectual assent of man to the spirit of scien- sequent penetration of the Muslims in the me- tific inquiry. dieval era deep into the Western Europe resulted Considering Islam three important facts are in hostility between peoples. ignored: But apart from hostility there is general 1. Violence and aggression are contrary to ignorance about Islam. For example, people in the Koranic doctrine. the West do not understand the true meaning 2. The Muslims themselves are among the of the word ‘jihad’. Due to mass media they victims of terrorism. understand it only as ‘warfare’, while in reality 3. The Islamic world is not a unified this word means ‘striving, struggling’ imply- monolith that can oppose the international ing more spiritual aspect. This means the jihad community. is meant for discovering the truth. War is only There is a perception in the West that Islam permitted in Islam as defence or self-defence, is an ideology that breeds terrorism and fanatic or against oppression and injustice. 44 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

It isn’t true that Islam was spread by sword. The Muslims need to undertake genuine It was wide-spread predominantly due to its reforms and revert to the actual teaching of simplicity, lucidity and rationalism. Even now, Islam. There is also need for the international Islam happens to be the fastest growing religion community to stop stereotyping Muslims as in many western countries. Actually there is extremists and understand the doctrinal em- no theocracy in Islam. The birth of Islam was a phasis of non-aggression and peaceful revolution against superstitions, injustice and coexistence. If this is achieved then genuine oppression. cooperation between Islam and the West will The foremost contemporary threat to global replace the hostility that has endured for peace and security is terrorism, which knows no centuries. boundaries and no nation is immune from it. We have no choice but to share this planet This provides sufficient reason for the Islamic and to live in harmony. This is a necessity world and the non-Islamic world to cooperate for us and for the future generations. Let us and build a peaceful world on the basis of com- build the bridges of understanding and coo- monalities, interdependence and cooperation. peration.

G. A. YAGODIN, Professor of Russian Chemical-Engineering University named after D. I. Mendeleyev (Moscow), academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Chemistry)

EDUCATION AT THE MODERN STAGE Beginning of the third millennium coincides education lacks dramatically the central part – in time with transmit of the humanity to a new school course on Basics of Environment and development form called as ‘permanent de- Sustainable Development. velopment’. Work and implementation of this subject Acceptance by a society of ideas for stable into a general education system will facilitate development is possible only via a system of since early childhood development of personal training and education. This is a sphere of knowledge, skills and properties, that are activity that is able to change people’s mass required for bringing into life ideas for stable consciousness, targeting it on retaining of na- development, realization of his or her own role tural and cultural values, ethical, humanistic for future improvements, close interrelations attitude to life, search for compromises, where among nature, economy and society. economic interests of production are in conflict This course shall systematize knowledge of with ecological interests of the society. the students in many other subjects (not only Currently the comprehensive schools suc- natural sciences, but also humanitarian), to set cessfully provide in classes knowledge of laws basics for scientific foundation, to facilitate of nature and society, but there is actually no development of behaviour norms, since without education on laws of compatibility, interactions the knowledge no conscious practice is possible. of society and nature. As a result, an entire And it is very important at the current stage generation of children studies according to of the society development to bring to every traditional (obsolete to-day) models of civili- young person understanding of concepts on zation development, which became non-per- interaction of nature and society in the history spective for the entire humanity. Meanwhile, of humanity and on perspectives for future ideas of stable development correspond to environmentally aware development of the objective current challenges. They may deci- humanity. sively influence future of Russia, play an impor- In 2003 the Department of Education of tant role for determination of state priorities, Moscow opened experimental site Environ- perspectives and strategy of social and economic mental Education for Sustainable Development, development of the country. which is based in 27 schools of our city under Understanding absolute necessity of ecolo- my scientific guidance. It is planned to teach a gical knowledge, developing and integrating course of Environmental Basics for 10-year them with other subjects, one should speci- students and Sustainable Development Basics fically emphasize that the modern school for 11-year students, as well as to conduct V. V. Popov 45 a vast extraschool program on school environ- influence on environment, to develop systematic mental monitoring, excursion and project works thinking in the students. of schoolchildren. Working period of the expe- Education for sustainable development has rimental site is scheduled for five years, and a complicated interdisciplinary character, re- its results will be utilized for a federal experi- quires concepts on global and regional processes mental web-site. with personal and group participation in prob- In the Chemical-Engineering University of lem solution. Methods allowing feeling perso- Russia our first and second year students at nal involvement in the problem and adding to all departments have a study course Issues of traditional educational methods are interactive Sustainable Development. We have developed (active) ones. and conducted profound testing of a program The active methods provides training in the for this course, as well as published methodical process of communication of participants and guidelines. The course is interdisciplinary and include role and simulation (business) games, includes a range of subjects from various fields: gaming techniques of team creation, working chemistry, physics, philosophy, ethics, demo- in small groups, games, exercises helping graphy, sociology, biology, ecology, legislation, participants to better understand each other economics, etc. Significant role is dedicated to and to unite for resolving of complicated issues abilities to work in group, to make collective of stable development. Currently there have been decisions and to implement them. developed original sets of games, adapted the Active educational methods were intro- best world patterns to conditions and educa- duced in the course. Also the game workshop tional tasks of our country. They are widely was set up on training for team creation and used in educational process of the Russian working in them. We played the simulation Chemical-Engineering University. Besides, game of D. Medouz, World Fishery, and watched many teachers at schools have been trained to series of movies, Run to Save the Planet. use them at special seminars. Compulsory constituent of the course for all Education for sustainable development students is participation in the network game, includes also general education for all citizens Stratigem. that largely determines their behaviour. Thus, The purpose of the course is to provide education can be provided at the basis of edu- students with integral concept of the world to cational facilities, which do have highly quali- help to come closer to understanding of the fied personnel already. world surrounding the man and complicated To my mind, global education for sustainable interactions there, to comprehend himself or development is a way allowing to prevent global herself as a part of this world, to give an idea crisis and helping the humanity to learn to live on values and consequences of anthropogenic in harmony with our environment.

V. V. POPOV, Ambassador at large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Director of the Centre for Partnership of Civilizations of the Scientific-Coordination Council on International Researches of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

ON PARTNERSHIP OF CIVILIZATIONS Some political scientists state that now it is and spread of television, the world is becoming the ‘Golden age’ for the humanity. The world to look like a small village. Some say that, in economy is on the ascent. The world enjoys this fact, the Internet and mobile communication period of prosperity and flourishing not seen emergence made the world one large home. since the beginning of the 1970’s. Due to break- But this is just one side of a coin. At the through achievements in a field of technologies, same time, our world became the world of sharp first of all, information ones, there appeared inequalities, where few citizens of a ‘prosperity unprecedented opportunities, including the ones pole’ enjoy all the good of progress, prosperity bringing people closer to one another. Due to and freedom; majority of others rolls down into globalization processes, dramatically increasing a pit of poverty, sufferings and humiliation. mutual dependence of societies and countries, Inequality of economic growth in some countries 46 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD and whole regions due to the growing inte- with its set of values distinct from the Western gration into the world economy increases from perception of the world, society and a place of year to year. And all these things happen along man in it. Thus, the Anglo-Saxon or American with serious shifts in disposition and distribu- model of development appeared to be not the tion of powers among different civilizations. only one being capable of providing swift and During the last centuries starting from the steady development. The contest was confidently Age of Great Geographical Discoveries, the joined with other players destroying the Wes- world gradually became more and more ‘europo- tern monopoly on rapid economic growth. centric’. And by the 19th century several On the other hand, more evident role at the leading European countries became the main international arena is played by a factor of general geopolitical and economic centre deter- complicated relationships of the West with mining the course of the world development, Islamic world countries. To some extent, it can while the other ‘peripheral’ world got separated be considered as the ‘civilization’ opposition, into zones of influence rolled around them. This and at this front the image is considerably less small ‘concern of powers’, which included optimistic. Moreover, relationships of the West Russia, and in the 20th century the USA that with the Islamic world have a trend to be more joined it as well, became the centre of the world acute and, regretfully, there is still nothing to economy, politics and culture. indicate any possibility for its principal chan- During almost entire 20th century, examp- ging in the future. les for another world and, first of all, for de- This opposition has a long history. It is the veloping countries were, so to say, Anglo-Saxon, colonialism heritage accompanied with complete or American, and Soviet models of development. or partial loss of political independence, unequal Achievements of the USA economic development exchange or direct plunder, destruction or trans- after the 2nd World War were impressive, formation of traditional economic and social therefore, the USA had some grounds to claim, relationships, taking out of cultural values. It is that if this or that country desires to have also related to multiple problems of post-colo- enhanced growth rates, it should follow the nial development. These are territorial disputes, American way. many of those, in particular, the Palestinian Doubtlessly, an important landmark of the problem, due to specific sensitivity and wide 20th century history was the collapse of colonial international resonance outgrew a scale of their system, when liberated countries of Asia and regions long time ago, and many other factors. Africa started to search for their own ways of This opposition gained a new profile and development and their place in the post-war absolutely different scale in the 21st century. world, separated onto two camps of severe cold The most clear dividing line became the events war opposition. Its completion, as well as the of September 11, 2001, in the USA resulting in Soviet model following break-up, again brought military operation in Afghanistan and occupa- the Anglo-Saxon (American) model at the leading tion of Iraq later. positions as seemingly better grounded, more For almost six years fighting terrorism viable and attractive. And the United States became one of the main international slogans assumed a role of a world leader and a new order for all international relationships, but its re- creator. sults are not only reassuring, yet, contrariwise, Now the situation is changing once again. becoming more and more dispiriting year after On the one hand, there appears another model year. Recently published annual report of the of development, so-called Asian, which proved US State Department noted, that in 2006 its effectiveness and successfulness in practice. number of terrorism acts increased by 25 % com- The Asian tigers (Malaysia, Thailand, Singa- paring to 2005, and number of victims among pore), India and China are among the leading civilian population increased by 40 %. In 2006 countries for more than dozen years with the GDP in the world there were 14,338 (in 2005 – 11,153) growth rate of 9–10 % per annum (the deve- terrorism acts, resulting in death toll of 20,498 loped countries of Europe have, in average, 3 %, people (14,618 in 2005). At that, almost half of India – more than 9 %, PRC – above 10 %). the terrorism acts against civilian objects (up Some American political scientists try to explain to 45 %) happened in Iraq. There the number this fact with these or those specific peculiarities of such incidents doubled comparing with 2005, of Asian nations, in particular, with supposedly from 3,468 to 6,630. ‘incredible diligence’ of Chinese people. Surely, Afghanistan is still a ‘chronic hot spot’. it plays not the very least role. But the ‘pheno- From this central Asian country, which is for menal’ Chinese diligence is largely determined more than quarter of a century is consumed with with civilization order in the Chinese society civil war accompanied with foreign military V. V. Popov 47 intervention, every day we receive reports on composed at the Russian grounds. Contrariwise, new terrorism acts and victims, including great Russian philosopher, Nicolay Berdyaev, among the civilian population. In 2006, the said that we are the East-West. And known to number of terrorism acts there increased by everybody Russian scientist and a person with 50 % – from 491 to 749. Mostly terrorism encyclopedic knowledge, Dmitry Ivanovich strikes the regions of the Middle East and South Mendeleyev, said that Russia shall be a peace- Asia, and, mainly, victims are Muslims – they maker for the East and the West. represent half of all killed and wounded. Among Therefore, an idea of a civilization partner- the victims of 2006 there were 1800 killed and ship, from our point of view, shall become one wounded children, which is higher by 80 % vs. of corner stones for the Russian Federation the data of 2005. policy. Withdrawal of the American troops from We assume as advisable to formulate prin- Iraq is inevitable. It will be rather dramatic ciples of new public movement to comprise point in the history, taking into account in- participation of politicians and public figures, fluence and strength of the USA, both in the representatives of business, scientists, culture region and in the world. However, it seems to persons, representatives of clergy and intelli- be advisable to listen to voices of those who gentsia, young people – in short, all who care warn – the withdrawal of Americans from Iraq of the destiny of our world. We do hope that can become not and not that much of a Washing- our famous guests being present in this hall ton’s defeat, but a victory of extremism forces also will contribute to the development of coo- with all following negative consequences, first peration in this respect. of all, for countries in the region. The Middle And, it is not accidental that we raise this Age oriental wisdom states: ‘Before entering a matter right now and right here, at the house think how to leave it’. In any case, it is International Likhachov Scientific Conference. time to think profoundly, how to leave the ‘Iraqi Topic of the dialogue of cultures, civilizations home’ that became so inhospitable, in a way is a continuation of activities launched by Dmit- that allows avoiding hopelessly uncontrollable ry Sergeyevich and a next stage of what the situation in the country under governance of academician entrusted us, who thought that care extremists, as well as in the entire region. Well, of culture in its integrity is a assignment for it is rather difficult to forecast, when the situ- the whole world, since the development of culture ation changes in the Middle East, which is one is not just an advancement, but also a world- of the most ‘sensitive’ regions in the world, level selection of all the best created by the and how it can influence the Arab-Israel conflict, humanity. that for almost 60 years spoils atmosphere of Dmitry Sergeyevich assumed that current international relationships. stage of the human civilization development In connection with that, we assume that gave birth to necessity to develop and accept creation of the Centre for Civilization Partner- some general principles, making possible ship in Moscow State University of Foreign further retaining and development of culture Affairs, alma mater of the Russian diplomacy, as heritage of the entire humanity. His project is a response to the epoch challenge. New cold ‘Declaration of the Rights of Culture’ formu- war between the West and the Islamic world – lated the basically novel approach to determi- it doesn’t matter who launches that war and nation of a place and role of culture in life of a what is the reason – is not in line with our society. He understood culture as a main sense interests. We cannot and will not take a position and value of the human existence, condition for at any side of barricades. Our objective is to continuing to live in intelligent way. Outside dismount them. culture, existence of nations and states loses And Russia as no other country suits for sense. A right for culture, in fact, is set in one this role, for we have large percentage of the row with a right for life. Globalization, which Muslim population. Christians and Muslims in in its present form brings to the humanity both our country live next to one another for more indubitable use and no less obvious evil, was than 1000 years. There were no religious wars understood by academician as a process moved, in Russia. One third of our country is in Europe first of all, with not economic, but culture and two thirds are in Asia. We are Eurasia. interests. Therefore, such poetic lines as those in the According to Likhachov, globalization famous verse by Rudyard Kipling – ‘Oh, East should be implemented not only for the ‘golden is East, and West is West, and never the twain billion’ of citizens of some countries, but for shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently the entire humanity. It is necessary to develop at God’s great Judgment Seat’ – can never be a concept of globalization as a harmonic process 48 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD of the world culture development, keeping claring refusal of wars as a tool of international balance between cultures of large nations and policy and admitting, that settlement or small ethnoses, reaching for mutual enrichment resolution of all disagreements and conflicts and preserving uniqueness of every of them. despite of their origin should be conducted via Culture of any country will inevitably be peaceful means only. In the meantime, the internationalized, but each nation shall surely humanity failed to implement the idea – but have a culture space for originality. This is the today it turns to be possible. very problem of balance. To search for the latter, 4. In conditions of growing lack of re- it is necessary to lay foundation for another sources, firstly, energetic ones and water also, principal approach, which main task is to direct as well as competitive activity becoming tougher the organic and inevitable process along a proper and tougher continuously, it is necessary to path. strengthen already existing and, if necessary, From its side, our Center for Civilization to develop novel mechanisms for resolution of Partnership established under the aegis of problems of this kind with economic, financial Moscow State University of Foreign Affairs of and contractual methods. Utilization of military the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian forces in economy is absolutely not acceptable. Federation also considers important to formu- 5. It is necessary to create global and late general principles and statements of a new regional centers for preventive diplomacy, movement, aimed on facilitation of streng- dedicated to prevention of conflicts not waiting thening interrelationships among different for new crises. Now this is the greatest possible civilizations and cultures, where the principal objective that, regretfully, the modern diplo- basis is to admit their equal value: macy does not always handle successfully. 1. There are no and cannot be any ‘higher’ 6. It is necessary to return to the idea of and ‘lower’ civilizations, as there cannot be any total disarmament with the nuclear disarma- ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ cultures, races and nations. ment being the first priority. The humanity They all and each of them in its own unique already possesses such supplies of weapon, that way make a unique contribution to the world are more than sufficient to destroy completely culture treasury. the yield of our Earth, and it is necessary to 2. All parties in the dialogue shall be con- eventually abandon this dangerous path leading sidered as absolutely equal partners, who should to collective suicide. listen to and hear each other and take interests 7. I consider necessary to make the yield of of one another into account. Only upon obser- scientific and technological change, firstly, in vance of balance of partie’s interests, it is pos- a field of medicine and pharmacology available sible to approach in a constructive manner all for all humans, and to provide free access to existing problems of international relationships. these civilization benefits without any exclu- 3. The modern world doesn’t allow resolving sions. problems with coercive means only. Use of force 8. We can’t expect any mercies from nature can be only short term and conceals inside a after what we have done to it. It is a task to hazard of new, more dangerous crises. It is handle climate changes and global warming impossible to impose and implement solutions issues. We need to make our planet cleaner and of ethnoconfessional conflicts, prepared from more comfortable not only for the ‘golden outside. It appears to be advisable to return to billion’. the idea of Brian-Kellogg pact (1928), that We together have to develop our new world denounces a method of starting wars to be used acceptable for all civilizations and to pass it to for settlement of international conflicts, de- coming generations ‘home and dry’.

G. M. REZNIK, President of the Lawyer’s Chamber of Moscow, Chair of Law at the Academic Law University of Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, M. A. (Law), Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation

CULTURE AND LAW IN THE MODERN GLOBALIZING WORLD At the previous conference I was bold enough Avoiding the argument, whether intelli- to present a report named Human Rights within gentsia disappeared completely or some of its the Context of World Civilizations. representatives survived, I would like to say G. M. Reznik 49 that there is none among reasonable persons material values have been produced. Why did who, to my mind, does not include an issue of they manage to do it? Well, because they had what is going to happen to our country and the culture development there with the help of the world into the scope of one’s considerations. protestant ethics. And initially it was a nation As a lawyer, I’ve got accustomed to use facts, of castaways and adventurers, extruded from trying to find, at least, something as a foun- Europe for various, including political intole- dation for my mental schemes. rance. They came to the New World and created In our rapidly developing world, it is hard a new democratic country from a scratch. They to make any prognoses, whilst we experience in were not less capable, than citizens of the great several years what previous generations got nation of China, as it was also mentioned in the through during a century. There are two talk of the representative of the Ministry of interrelated issues that can be divided for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. methodical purposes, given the fact of the What happened here? We did not enjoy such culture sciences conference here. These two culture development. As a result, today ac- issues are the following: culture development cording to sociological studies 53 % of the po- of Russia and the role of Russia in culture pulation support slogan Russia for the Russians; development in the world. 40 % are infected with xenophobia, that is, are Considering the culture development in afraid of non-Russians, newcomers; 81 % have Russia, my mind is overwhelmed with some expressed at this or that extent their hatred to alarming notes. If one relies on history and, businessmen; 53 % provided positive state- first of all, contemporary history, on the facts ments in regard to Stalin’s image, and the that our life and sociological studies expose, worst curses of the overwhelming majority of then it is impossible to stay calm. those polled are related to the 1990’s, the time We have a unique country. Certainly, every of Yeltsin in power and liberal reforms. Why country can be considered as unique but, in fact, did it happen? Russia is something special. Nothing can stay The matter in hand is that right now such here: neither monarchy, nor socialism, nor cultural ‘phenomena’ are produced to a certain liberalism went through. Here everything turns extent. We really entered the information age, into its opposite. For instance, almost all lofty we live in the mass culture society. Television words in our times become almost abusive. and Internet form customs and tastes. Initially there appeared an abusive word, One should admit that today we have a very ‘monarchist’, then – ‘communist’, and then, bad situation with schools. Those who were respectively – ‘liberal’. Now the word ‘demo- unable to enter any other higher education cracy’ is actually transformed into abusive. It facilities come to the pedagogical ones. More- is rather interesting, but somewhat grief. over, those graduates of these institutions, who It seems to me that a drama of our country were unable to find a job anywhere else, get the is that in Russia liberal values have been never one in schools. in demand. What are the liberal values? It is hard to add anything else about televi- Everybody is talking about it in somewhat sion – it is all that obvious. And those working abstract manner and, in fact, not understanding on television do not feel shy to confirm it, what happened to Russia in last years, meaning, saying that our television is just a commercial what are the consequences of our freshly ‘baked’ enterprise. The director of one of TV channels pseudoliberalism. And a liberal is a freely gave the following answer on a role of television: thinking person. And liberal values are those ‘Well, you know, a TV set is the same domestic listed in international legal enactments, device, as a fridge, nothing more’. It is not inscribed in constitutions and laws of all that sincere... In mass society television pro- countries. These values are: freedom of speech, vides the strongest influence, forming people’s press, gatherings, separation of powers, consciousness. presumption of innocence, freedom of move- The thesis that ‘demand breeds supply’ is ment, independent court, et cetera. Can anyone irrelevant and false for a long time. We are in our country state, that he refuses these liberal living in times, when the supply forms the values?.. demand!.. Moreover, the supply imposes on us But in our country, to my mind, all these the needs, which a person never had before, values were distorted. The matter in hand is artificially creating them! culture development in Russia. The represen- This is all that brings forth an idea that, at tative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the first glance, seems to be paradoxical and even Russian Federation has talked about successes preposterous: today production of values and of the Anglo-Saxon world, where enormous senses is not different from, for instance, 50 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD production of cars, sausages or any other the public television – it is necessary just to product. give people this public television. At the end, I would like to remind that And the last. To my mind, the humanity Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov was not only still has a common instrument able to regulate an outstanding scientist, but also a great many controversies and to be protecting – this citizen. He understood perfectly well, that is the law uniform for everybody. And there is without influence of high culture, of intellec- the only organ capable of supporting this law, tuals on the society nothing would move on. able to reconcile in a tolerant way the most The truth is that none of us has a right and different interests and values – this is the strength to make life a paradise on Earth. But United Nations. First of all, it is necessary to the main task of humans is not let it to become strengthen legal basis of living in our country hell. First of all, targeted state policy shall serve and to support in all possible ways uniform legal this purpose and the state should see its basis in relationships between states and responsibility for formation of specific customs civilizations. And, in this case, the problem of and tastes in people. How to achieve it? Actually, the dialogue won’t be that critical with the lapse it is easy. For instance, let us stop talking about of time.

A. A. LIKHANOV, Writer, Chairman of the Russian Children Foundation, academician of the Russian Academy of Education

PRECEPTS OF DMITRY SERGEYEVICH LIKHACHOV IN ACTION (А greeting message for the Conference participants) One year ago at the previous Likhachov publication. Thus, this book being created gra- Scientific Conference in this hall, there were dually transformed into the textbook – the text- lots of teachers from various regions of the book on morals. country. And that time listening to wide, kind As you know, there is no such subject in the and slightly bitter word of Daniel Granin about modern school curriculum. But when book Near Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov, all of a sudden, to Heart was published, we turned to another I thought that until new generations of the St. Petersburg citizen – the Plenipotentiary Russian people read Likhachov’s work and feel of President of the Russian Federation in the deeply, what he wrote, all our scientific gathe- Central Federal Region, Georgiy Sergeyevich rings and lofty words are useless. Therefore, Poltavchenko, who agreed to help us and wrote these are teachers and books that are able to letters to all governors of this region. Soon resolve this task... with amazement and joy we received many of Thus, the idea appeared to publish new, considerable applications for this book supply. extraordinary book by Dmitry Likhachov, selec- Thus, the thoughts of Dmitry Sergeyevich ting from his works some prose verses – impor- spread along entire Russia. tant thoughts, that the man can’t live without. I should admit that 73 branch offices of the Soon we will publish with circulation of 100,000 Children’s Fund also made a lot for this. For copies a book called Near to Heart. It is instance, in the Belgorod region this textbook symbolic, that not mentioning the author of on morals appeared in all schools and not as this book, the publication was originated by just one copy, as well as in all libraries. Besides, residents of Leningrad/St. Petersburg. The all schools of the Belgorod regions held Likha- publication ideologist was, surely, Alexander chov’s classes, facilitated by teachers, who par- Sergeyevich Zapesotsky. The Children Fund I’m ticipated in the Conference last year. That was, heading worked on compilation of the book. actually, the aim of work of our Conference. Daniel Alexandrovich Granin agreed to write However, as I assume, the Kirov region an introduction to the book, and another repre- became the ‘champion of Russia’ in this respect, sentative of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia, where the governor not only bought majority professor from Pedagogical University named of the books we published, but also exhibited after A. I. Herzen, Tatyana Galaktionova, wrote significant activity in the field of culture. Be- methodical guidelines for professors for this sides, in his region they found nice, wide, smart V. P. Kazarin 51 young woman, Elena Olegovna Galitskikh, who we gathered and published the best of them. performed tremendous work in this respect: And, as a sign of great respect and gratitude, she gave trainings to the teachers on how to I would like to present such book of children’s conduct the Likhachov’s classes in school, and compositions to Daniel Alexandrovich Granin. dozens and hundreds of teachers from the I assume that no one doubts, that this is furthest schools asked her for assistance in these a sign of true enlightenment for the good of issues. So, in hundreds of schools in this region our great Russian culture, which Dmitry Ser- wonderful Likhachov’s lessons were held. Child- geyevich Likhachov wrote about so much with ren read Likhachov anew and wrote many of such great love, calling us to save it for future talented compositions in this topic. Certainly, generations.

V. P. KAZARIN, First Deputy Chairman of Sevastopol City Administration, Dr. Sc. (Philology), Professor

GLOBALIZATION AS OBLIGATORY ELEMENT OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION (A greeting message to the Conference participants)

Dear friends! I’d like to greet you on behalf I should admit that I was somewhat sur- of the Ukrainian delegates at this wonderful prised, that we are talking about globalization conference, that one can figuratively call ‘a feast and the problems it brought with as if it is of communication’. Due to the International something new, as if we faced them just right Likhachov Scientific Conference we can hear now. But this is not right. straight from high ranking persons the point Thinking about it, one can see that the of view of the key countries of our world: globalization was always present – it was an Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Syria, and others. obligatory element of historical development Maybe, the Ukrainian delegation is not the of our civilization. For instance, what was the largest, but in return, I dare say, it is not the Silk Route, which branch turned to the Crimea, least influential at this forum since we have as not one of the signs of globalization? Or what many friends among famous people of Russia. was creation of the greatest empires controlling For instance, Governor of St. Petersburg, Valen- many surrounding lands as not a globalization tina Matvienko, was born in our Zhitomir sign, and so on, and so forth. region, as well as many of other influential Another thing is that at the current stage Russians. globalization with all its organizational, mate- It shows how still strong the ‘Ukrainian rial, financial, informational and other types lobby’ in Russia is. I hope, it is a pledge that of resources gain such strength and value, that not very successful development of the Russian- it actually threatens the very existence of the Ukrainian relationships will finally get out of modern world culture. the crisis phase. Seeing the reality of the globalization As a deputy of the Crimea parliament and threats, we start to talk about them a lot, as the First Vice-Governor of Sevastopol (at forgetting that this event grew gradually, but the territory of our peninsula we have two not appeared only today, therefore, it has a very administrative units: Autonomous Republic of long history, that should be carefully studied. Crimea and Sevastopol), I’d like to greet all Realizing this fact, it seems to me, we can find participants of the Conference on behalf of all additional keys for resolving any of global my colleagues and all Crimea citizens. problems of the current times. And it is especially pleasant to speak here In this respect our experience, that allows on the Day of Slavonic Letters and Culture, to the Crimea with all problems of multinational which our cities, Sevastopol and Chersonese, and multiconfessional land to be still not are directly bound, since Cyril and Methodius converted into one of multiple hot spots in our at the land of Chersonese conceived the Slavonic country, can be used as a kind of illustration alphabet. and manual for resolution of such problems. 52 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

F. A. ASADULLIN, Head of the Scientific Department of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Sheikh ISLAMIC-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF RUSSIA (Experience elicitation) Today lots of good words were said about cow Rus, due to strong positions of the Tatar- Islam and the Arab-Muslim civilization. In horde elite, murzas and beys, was perceived by general, I agree with those approaches, that were many at the West as Tatar Muscovy. expressed here both by foreign participants of Russia did not need before and, moreover, today’s large event and the ideas that were said does not need now to cut the window to the by our compatriots, famous experts in Arabic East. It is actually even today both an organic studies. And all I have to do is, generally sup- part of the global Eastern civilization and of porting the tone set by the talk of Mikhail the Arab-Muslim civilization in particular. To- Borisovich Piotrovsky, to specify some points. day, when the interest to consider the historic In fact, it is quite obvious and the course of specific of Russia is being reborn in our society our conference today confirms it, that the again, including via a ‘prism’ of its spiritual interest to Islam, at least, in the Russian society and historical tradition, I would like to stress today, is more and more intelligent. The thin- once again, that this civilization and historical king part of our society strives for having specifics are related also with the special context their own concept on the religion, which is that of the Islamic-Christian coexistence, the Islamic- much mentioned in mass media due to so many Christian consensus, which was so brightly reasons. I can support the pathos of the Dr. Rez- described by the Islamic intellectual, Ismail nik’s speech. Indeed, we need a state program Gasprinsky, at the beginning of the last century. for culture development of representative of And today the matter in hand should be various religions and nations. Today at the acknowledgement of the fact of coexistence of territory of Russia there live about 170 nations equally worthy religious doctrines, cultures, and and various ethnoses. It is necessary to make cultural and historical types that are so intri- these ethnoses to communicate. And today’s cately synthesized in the Russian history and Conference is a step in proper direction. We civilization. have a very good school of Russian Oriental There are many of examples of what I’m studies established by outstanding arabists, talking about. One of the founders of Moscow Krachkovsky and Bertold. Today we have heard along with Yury Dolgorukiy was the Volzhski the talk of the corresponding member of the Bulgarin, Stepan Kuchka, who accepted Chris- Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikhail Boriso- tianity and was baptized. It was quite brightly vich Piotrovsky, and we will listen to the largest written in Novel on Beginning of Moscow – the specialist on modern Islam, Vitaliy Vyacheslavo- work that was dated vaguely as the end of the vich Naumkin. And I know that Daniel Alexand- 16th – beginning of the 17th centuries. rovich Granin, in the meantime, also studied at Recently historical data have been found, that the Oriental Department and learned the Arabic one of liberators from the Polish invasion of language. In our country, we have a tremendous 1612 was Nizhniy Novgorod Tatar, Kozma Mi- potential of tolerance and a task of representa- nin, the son of Nizhniy Novgorod salt manufac- tives from both various confessional societies turer, Mina Ankudinov. These facts known to and Russian intelligentsia is to develop this many of representatives of the Russian intelli- potential, as well as, if possible, traditions of gentsia are included into new textbooks on the religious tolerance. I can see here a great number Russian history. of young people, many students. Therefore, it Probably not so many people know that the is important in this audience to emphasize once author of a popular Russian song ‘There Stood again, that uniqueness of the Russian civili- a Little Birch Tree in the Field’ was a Tatar, zation is that when it was formed after the professor of Kazan University Nigmat (Nikolai) Christian-Slavic constituent an important role Ibragimov (1778–1818). Such an unexpected was given to the Islamic-Turkic tradition, which mutual discourse of Turkic Islamic and Chris- was simultaneously religious and cultural one. tian Slavic worlds made the Russian culture. Until the moment, when Peter the First at the The Western and Eastern origins joined in the edge of the 17th and 18th centuries ‘cut a win- Russian culture making a perfect duet. The dow into Europe’ and, thus, also via establishing main cultural symbol of Russia, Alexander of the Northern capital strengthened the link Pushkin, who is called in Russia ‘our every- of Russia to the Western civilization, the Mos- thing’, had, according to modern ethnological V. V. Naumkin 53 researches, not only Afro-Russian roots, but or Nevsky and Fontanka River. This context, Tatar blood as well (Musins + Sharafetdinovs). evidently, expands boundaries of under- The inheritance of our honored citizen and standing of religious tolerance both in regard our contemporary? the biggest scientist of the to the Prospect and the City as a whole. twentieth century, Dmitry Sergeyevich Likha- Therefore, dialogue of different religions and chov (this Conference is called after his name) cultures, Islam not excluded, proceeded from gives a lot of information to understand the the moment of founding Peter-and-Paul nature of Russian culture, history and even the Fortress, and Tatars had a direct relation to whole civilization. Opposing the feature of all it. It will be not a big exaggeration to call the Russian ethnoses, which is the high feeling Tatars a city-forming ethnos: for example, the of patriotism, to nationalism and chauvinism French aristocrat and traveler, marquis de he said with bitterness that ‘nations know too Custin (1790–1857), who visited the capital little about their neighbours’ culture, have poor of the Russian Empire in 1830s, called it in his knowledge of history. And at the same time there diary ‘the Greek city, improvised for Tatars’. are a lot of myths, false images and fakes in the V. G. Belinsky in his ‘Physiology of St. Peters- historical science’*. The above-said can be ap- burg’ (1845) wrote about the Asian entity of plied to the contemporary agenda of interethnic the metropolitan society. All this makes us and, broader, inter-confessional relations in remember the famous words by Chekhov, which Russia. While making analysis of the Past of he said either seriously or joking: ‘our Russia, which D. S. Likhachov estimated, mainly, development is Asian, whereas our self-esteem in the frame of the European area, he put dif- is European’. ferent accents with respect to entities of the In conclusion, I’d like to say that in regard Russian reality. He noted in one of his articles to interpretation of the perspectives of the that ‘the Russian land always was not only a Islamic-Christian dialogue in modern Russia, thousand of towns and cities only, but also a it is important to draw attention to challenges thousand cultures’. And he illustrated this threatening today multinational Russian so- statement with example of the main remarkable ciety. Regretfully, today under the flag of figh- sight of St. Petersburg – Nevsky Prospect. In ting international terrorism, there are attempts the 19th century, Nevsky Prospect, or the pro- to separate the world society on the world of spect of religious tolerance, as the foreigners Islam and the world of Christianity. These ex- used to call it, was a site where different chur- ternal impulses sometimes, distressingly, collide ches were located – the Dutch, Lutheran, Catho- with circumstances of our reality, damaging lic, Armenian, and two Orthodox – Kazansky considerably international and interreligious Cathedral and Sign of the Cross Church. It can relationships. be added, that long before opening Cathedral I think that in conditions of globalization, Mosque in St. Petersburg (1913), local Mus- value of the interreligious dialogue will increase. lims, mostly Tatars, in order to observe Islam This dialogue shall be conducted not only among prescriptions, carried out in 18–19th centuries representatives of the religiously-oriented their festive divine services in rented premises intelligentsia, but also among secular scientists. in the corner between Nevsky and Mojka River, Thank you for your attention.

V. V. NAUMKIN, Head of the Department of Regional Problems of the World Politics of Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, representative of the Russian Federation in the High Level Group of the UN Project Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor

ROLE OF ‘THE ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS’ IN THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE SETUP In December 2006, the UN Secretary General Civilizations. The report contains many ideas, was presented with a report prepared by the which being implemented can be useful for the High Level Group he formed to formulate the global dialogue setup. Authors of the report concept and plan of action of the Alliance of proceed on the idea of wide consensus of states, cultures and religions in regard to that all * Likhachov D. S. Selected Writings. M., 2006. P. 140. societies are interrelated, interdependent and 54 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD united in their strive for stability, prosperity ‘Victimization’ feeling appearing in Islamic and peace. communities helps extremists to profit from Tremendous danger for achievement of these fears and to involve people into violent acts. purposes is attempts to bring the world into Terrorism acts with participation of repre- the ‘civilization corrals’. Local societies are sentatives of the Muslim communities facilitate internally changeable and diverse, they are a appearance of inadequate concepts on that the site for debates, which are not less serious, than Islamic religion is endogenously characteristic the debates among cultures. History of rela- with violence. This evil concept, in turn, can tionships among them is not just wars and beget an acute response. conflicts, but also constructive interaction and In fact, any religion can play a crucial role peaceful coexistence. for formation of the necessary positive rela- Growing tension of relations between the tionships to other cultures, religions and life West and the Islamic world is one of the most styles. Their diversity is a basic element of the hazardous harbingers of intercivilizational human society and a progress driver. break-up that can be still prevented. For that Russia with its rich experience on coexis- it is necessary, first of all, to resolve a range of tence and closest culture interaction can play political problems and, especially, the Arab- the most significant role in formation of a new Israel conflict and the Iraqi crisis. system of global multiculturalism. To establish In the modern globalizing world, there are the global dialogue, joint efforts of govern- attempts to provide prosperity through refusal ments, corporations and civil society are of culture identity and traditional life style. required.

O. T. BOGOMOLOV, Honorary Director of Institute of International Economics and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

CULTURE AND ECONOMY: EDGES OF CONJUGACY The concept of culture involves many sides The nation culture can be fairly assessed of development of the human society and is through its outstanding representatives: close in its content to the concept of civilization. writers, poets, artists, actors, scientists, philoso- In a wide sense of this word, ‘culture’ means phers-enlighteners, preachers, political es- experience accumulated by the humanity and sayists, inventors, et cetera. They form the every nation on creation of material and spi- society spiritual climate, enrich the culture with ritual valuables, as well as preserved values and their creativity, determine its topmost achieve- benefits, ennobling and elevating man, impro- ments. The intellectual and artistic elite efforts ving quality of his life. provide progression of knowledge, technologies, One can say that the material culture is development of arts, establishing of aesthetic embodied, first, with economy, national riches and moral ideals, humanistic principles. Not of the country, its productive forces. The degree accidentally Maxim Gorky called the writers as of the economy development reflects the degree ‘human soul engineers’. But in our days minds of the material culture of the given nation. are falling under control of television and However, the main content of culture is re- cinematography, they are subjected by the mass presented with its spiritual, humanistic consti- media. tuent. Achievements of human mind, scientific Elite brings culture into masses. But here attainments, art masterpieces, richness of one should make a reservation. Those usually language and literature, moral and religious associated with the society intellectual elites, ideals determining people behaviour and rela- including the most influential part, political tionships – this is what in the social conscious- class, are quite diverse. By no means all of them ness is usually associated with the concept of can be considered as culture bearers. Vulgarity, culture and its degree estimation. Intellectual, ignorance, platitude, immorality, unscrupu- spiritual culture of a nation today, as never lousness also have their representatives in elite. before, is the main factor of social and economic Using their influence, they can corrupt human progress. The modern society and economy are souls, impart false knowledge and deals, based on knowledge, on top culture achieve- inoculate bad taste and behaviour norms. Both ments. in culture and society, there is a clash of good O. T. Bogomolov 55 and evil, elevated and vile, innovation and human factor, low professional culture, lack of reactionary attitude. Eventually, a fight of discipline, negligence to one’s own duties are oppositions provides progressive development, to be blamed. but temporary move back can also happen. High level of crime and corruption in Russia Changing of a social system basing on radical indicates alarm status of the mass culture. Su- liberal reforms plunged the Russian society into rely, it is a product of many unfavourable cir- the deep crisis, concomitant with degradation cumstances. of the mass and elite culture. First of all, it is caused by destitution of Low culture is a serious hindrance for the large mass of population, as well as weakness economic development. Regretfully, it is usually of the state and its law-enforcing agencies. But underestimated. I would like to only point out one is also able to see, that along these hasty to some lines of joint influence of two mentioned and ill-conceived reforms spiritual basics of the spheres of the social life. Analysis requires society were sapped, its culture and culture separate consideration of elite and mass culture. bearers were devalued. Moreover, television and Both of them are interconnected, but affect the press connive at the vilest tastes and interests; economy in different way. Increase of its effec- take violence and bandits, sex as prevailing tiveness and competitiveness is mostly depen- topics for books and TV shows. In fact, the dent on a status of mass culture, rather than ‘culture bearers’ deliberately deprave our the elite one. At least, it is related to the current society. Fraudulent schemes of MMM, which value. In the strategic sense, the elite culture tens of thousands of trustful people had suf- has the defining value. fered from, were even advertised on TV. The Examples of low standards of culture for mass media agencies promote luxurious life of the majority of population are seen everywhere. the upper class and Western consumption At that, no counteraction to lack of culture standards unaffordable to the most of the results in its increase. Violation of law and Russians. An ordinary person hardly making elementary behaviour norms in groups and so- ends meet and burdened with multiple everyday ciety, self-interests and egoism defying inte- problems feels like being humiliated. The society rests of others, unreliability, slovenliness, indi- has been destined and is being destined on vidualism neglecting any signs of human soli- spiritual ennui. It also affects labour produc- darity and mutual assistance – in brief, they tivity. Fair and selfless labour appears to be all spoil social climate in the country and negati- unclaimed and not rewarded either in moral or vely influence labour and economic activity. material respect. The more destructive consequences are To the list of spiritual and moral flaws of results of mass spread of corruption, theft and the society, one should add lack of necessary fraud, that become the grave disease of economy. political culture, civilian responsibility for the It suffers of hard drinking and drug abuse, state of things in the country. Those who petty tyranny of officials. Such other signs of accepted the changes with inspiration and had the culture lack, like non-observance of hygiene great expectations of the reforms experienced and cleanliness rules, environment pollution, disappointment and lost faith into reformers. and barbaric attitude to the nature are also not Destitution of large stratum of population, that harmless. As a result, the economy suffers concerns for survival did not leave to many significantly, quality of life of our population people much of strength and time for social worsens and its health is under threat. The activity and thinking about politics. The mass country has to maintain enormous army of media sources distracted them from the life limbs of law and private guards, to inflate mess, showing various action series, low-grade controlling bureaucratic structures. Conside- variety humour, music shows, sports programs. rable efforts and funds are to be spent to clean Their consciousness was manipulated by offe- rubbish and trash in public accommodations. ring information suitable for authorities. These No desire to observe traffic laws, yearning were the conditions, when formation of a civilian to get ahead of others in the car jam, to gain society with effective democracy was hard to something at the expense of law-abiding drivers achieve. Deficiency of the political culture trans- is a typical pattern in modern Russia. Its price formed into a hindrance on the way for expres- is thousands of victims, many accidents. People sing of the creative potential of the nation, lose time, not mentioning their property and perfection of the social structure, complicated health losses. Our country beats records in economy revival. number of deaths on roads per thousand of cars. Critical role for counteraction to the mass Economy suffers enormous losses caused by culture decline is given to artistic intelligentsia, catastrophes, fires and other disasters, where public politicians, public and religious figures, 56 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD business leaders. Ideally, they should be an demand of the mass audience for recreation, or, example of having knowledge, culture of intel- to be more exact, for distraction from depressive ligent and responsible behaviour, careful attitu- daily routine. de to national culture inheritance, moral values. Schools were required to reduce hours for Their role for identification of errors and in- studying the Russian classical literature and advertences in politics and correction of their language. The best samples of spiritual creati- course, for retaining of national culture can be vity of the nation became less and less in demand rather significant. Regretfully, the Russian and lost their educational role. elite, first of all, the political one was below the Market freedom negates non-market laws par. The level of its experience and knowledge of the culture development. There are more than evidently did not correspond to the scale of enough of examples of antagonism of market implemented transformations, and its moral and morals, market and culture. Not that many standards retreated in the face of lust for power of positive facts can be opposed to them. There- and rapid enrichment. Thus, false reference fore, calls to restrain market egoism, uncont- marks of behaviour for considerable part of the rollable pursuit for gains, to require social re- population were set. Spiritual values were short- sponsibility from businesspersons and officials ly forgotten to please lucrative interests. The become louder. In other words, the society waits market needed mass and unpretentious demand, from them not only to care of their own, but promising fast and notable profits. also public good. The costly elite culture was found to be Economy suffers from negative changes in unclaimed, since it had a narrow circle of people’s consciousness and behaviour. Rude- customers and its achievements did not promise ness, spite people face every day at home and any quick money. Therefore, by no means ac- outside can spoil the mood for a long time. Now cidentally, literature, cinema, television stopped they spoil social climate, reflect on work quality showing honest and fair workers, who became and performance. Until moral norms and prin- poor at once, as their main characters. They ciples are not a part of general culture, it is were replaced by knights of fortune – nouveaux necessary to coerce into law-abiding, observing riches, mobsters and fraudsters of various rules of communal life, utilizing authority of kinds, surrounded by their spongers. Teachers, the powers, press and television. A role of the doctors, scientists and other representatives of entire education system for development of intelligentsia and former middle class turned culture and morals is of importance as well. into ‘new poor’. Their social status decreased, But it seems that it is not a cause for concern and the public attention proscenium was oc- for authors of outlined reforms in this field. cupied by ‘new Russians’ with their expensive Children at schools do not actually study prin- cars, luxurious apartments, out-town mansions ciples of courtesy, household hygiene, behavior and other attributes of ‘high’ social status. in public places and many other things – neither Fortunes of dubious origin became symbols of at the school desk, nor by the example of their success of market reforms, making men in the teacher’s example. Not every family can, ac- street envious. tually, compensate this disadvantage. Commercialization of public relations af- In general, if one talks not only about fected the artistic intelligentsia, literature, modernization of our economy and life for the cinema, music, theatre and fine arts. Many of sake of saving the nation and statehood, then culture votaries sacrificed their high ideals of mentally one should imply a raise of culture on good and everlasting to please unpretentious civilized basis.

S. L. SHIPTON, OBE, KFO, Coordinator of the Three Faiths Forum (Muslim-Christian-Jewish Trialogue)

DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILISATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD First may I thank the Russian Academy of The dialogue of cultures and civilisations is Sciences and Russian Academy of Education for of extreme significance today in the global world inviting me to participate in this, the 7th Inter- of ours and dialogue is the keyword. Dialogue national Likhachov Scientific conference held leads to mutual respect and understanding two here in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. of the most important factors essential in our S. L. Shipton 57 future and the future of those who will come ferences and the encouragement of respect for after us. each other on a basis of equality and under- Ten years ago Sir Sigmund Sternberg, standing. Sheikh Dr. M. A. Zaki Badawi and the Reverend The forum operates at various levels. Its Dr. Marcus Braybrooke established a national small staff includes a Project Director, and organisation ‘The Three Faiths Forum’ and Education Officers who are funded through I was asked to become its Co-ordinator, at first grants from the Government’s Faith Commu- being the only staff member involved. Let me nities Capacity Building Fund. say a word or two about our three Co-founders The forum has an Advisory Board composed which I believe is important. Sir Sigmund Stern- of leading members of the three communities berg is a businessman, leading interfaith ac- who meet regularly to discuss the work of the tivist, winner of the Templeton prize in 1998, Forum and act as a think thank and body to Patron of the International Council of Christian report to. and Jews and President of the Reform Syna- The Three Faiths Forum enjoys the confi- gogue movement in the UK. The late Sheikh dence of different levels of Government, as Dr. M. A. Zaki Badawi KBE was founder/ demonstrated by its close personal relationships principal of the Muslim College, expert on Is- with influential individuals; with government lamic banking and International Muslim Ad- departments like the Foreign and Common- visor and the Revd. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, wealth Office who regularly send high-ranking prolific author, writer and public speaker on overseas visitors to meet the TFF leadership; interfaith matters, former Director of the with the Diplomatic Corps in general, and am- Council of Christian and Jews, President of the bassadors. World Congress of Faiths and the recipient of The work of the TFF is not limited to the UK the degree of Doctor of Divinity given by the alone, as it is constantly invited to be represen- Archbishop of Canterbury (this is not an hono- ted at interfaith meetings abroad. rary degree and is rarely given except in excep- Let me give you four examples: tional cases). 4th Doha Conference on Religious Dialo- The Three Faiths Forum was set up to pro- gue – Qatar, April 2006 mote understanding and dialogue between the Nine rabbis, including two from Israel and three Abrahamic faith traditions (Jewish, Rabbi Reuben Livingstone from Hampstead Christian and Muslim). An important develop- Garden Suburb Synagogue, were among the ment in its founding was winning the first Muslim, Christian and Jewish participants in recognition by the Charity Commissioners in the Fourth Doha Conference on Religious Dia- September 2002 on the legitimacy of promoting logue held in the Arab state of Qatar last week religious harmony for the benefit of the public under the auspices of the Emir. The Three Faiths as a charitable purpose. The Forum is not prima- Forum was represented by its co-ordinator, rily a religious organisation, but brings together Mr. Sidney Shipton. people from the three communities. Its prin- The weeklong deliberations by religious cipal aims (as set out in its Trust Deed) are: leaders on ‘the role of religion in building the 1. Educating Muslims, Christians and Jews human being’ ended with a series of declara- to appreciate each other’s distinctive beliefs and tions including one commending the work practices and their common ground; already done in correcting the false images of 2. Encouraging friendship, goodwill and religious communities conveyed in school books, understanding amongst people of the three in the cinema and in dramatic works. Abrahamic and monotheistic faiths of Islam, The participants condemned those ‘fanatics’ Judaism and Christianity; who killed innocent civilians in the name of 3. Promoting support for and public recog- religion and, proclaiming the right of all human nition of, the importance of groups where people beings to choose their own religion, called for of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths meet the wide dissemination of the ‘religious values’ and share common fundamental and ethical of justice, tolerance and equality. interests; West-Islamic Dialogue in Geneva – August 4. Promoting education and research lea- 2005 ding to respect of religious difference between ‘Understanding the other and overcoming the three faiths on a basis of equality and ignorance should be major objectives,’ said understanding; Sidney L. Shipton OBE, Co-ordinator of the 5. Promoting education and training of Three Faiths Forum (Muslim-Christian-Jewish ministers of religion of the three faiths in their trialogue), when he spoke at a brainstorming common roots, the understanding of their dif- workshop held in Geneva organised by the World 58 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

Economic Forum. The workshop was chaired his lecture in the Franciscan Monastery of by Sherif El Diwany, of the World Economic Fojnica high in the hills above Sarajevo. Forum, who acted as moderator throughout the Among the 40 participants there was only daylong discussion. one other from the UK, Imam Abduljalil Sajid Professor Klaus Schwab, President of the and Shipton said it was a pity that there was WEF, who broke off from his holiday to attend no UK Christian representation. Shipton poin- what he considered ‘a very important meeting’ ted out that the Three Faiths Forum worked welcomed the 20 participants from the three both nationally and internationally and he Abrahamic faiths including several young stressed the vital importance of dialogue, Muslim Leaders from Denmark, Germany, Italy, although he said it differed in style and content the Netherlands and the UK. from country to country. World Congress of Imams and Rabbis in Working Locally and with Others Seville – March 2006 The Three Faiths Forum also works closely ‘Bringing together 350 Imams, Rabbis, and with local, national and international religious experts for a conference such as this was a leaders and the leadership of places of worship mammoth task,’ said Sidney Shipton OBE. The of the three Abrahamic Faiths, together with Coordinator of the Three Faiths Forum invited such organisations as the Foundation for Recon- from the UK to the 2nd World Congress of ciliation in the Middle East, the UK Programme Imams and Rabbis in Seville, Spain. ‘Alain of Forward Thinking and St. Ethlburga’s Centre Michel and his team at Hommes des Paroles for Reconciliation and Peace, on education inter- must be congratulated on organizing such a national relations, and youth; and work with historic event.’ the Vatican on ecumenical issues. Although Prince Hassan of Jordan could Medical and Lawyers Group not attend the Congress, his message was The Three Faiths Forum works with profes- conveyed by video. ‘The noble art of conversa- sionals through its Medical and Lawyers groups; tion,’ he said, ‘is not a martial art! Dialogue is with different local communities through the essential between adherents of faiths and development of specific programming through humanity at large. We must look at each others’ local TFF groups, which include Wales, East texts and respond to the spread of disinfor- London, Kensington, SE London, Surrey and mation about each other.’ Hants and Dorset, and forums for young people ‘This Congress led to numerous informal in Eton College. By twinning synagogues, chur- contacts being made, to be followed up in the ches and mosques, the Three Faiths Forum has months ahead.’ In addressing the plenary been able to develop a strong network of local sessions, Mr. Shipton emphasized that the groups who meet quarterly to discuss strategies deliberations of this Congress and its final and local programmes. declaration must percolate to the grass roots, Before I conclude let me share with you some otherwise an important opportunity would be recent activities; wasted. A seminar was held with the Institute of The Three Faiths Forum in Sarajevo – Education on Faith Schools and Social Cohesion: November 2005 Help or Hindrance? The results of the discussion ‘The title given to my presentation,’ said has led to a follow up which is being considered. Sidney Shipton OBE ‘is ‘Learning from Other’s A consultation on Sacred Voices: conver- Experience’ and this is essential if under- gence and contrast in the music of the Abrahamic standing and respect are to follow.’ faiths was held in St Georges House, Windsor Shipton, Co-ordinator of The Three Faiths Castle, between 30th January and 1st February Forum, Muslim-Christian-Jewish Dialogue, was participants included St. Georges House, The speaking at the International Consultation Institute of Ismaili Studies, The Festival of ‘Visions of a Just Society’ held in Sarajevo, Muslim Culture, The Jewish Music Institute and Bosnia and Herzegovina. the Three Faiths Forum. During this unusual The Conference was organised by the Abra- and possibly unprecedented conference a concert hamic Forum of the International Council of of music from the three Abrahamic traditions Christians and Jews (Professor Stefan Schrei- took place in St. Georges Chapel and was vir- ner) in association with Konrad Adenauer Stif- tually a sell out. tung (Dr. Christina Catherine Krause) and as A meeting with 100 Ambassador & Heads of the only British Jew participating, Sidney Ship- Mission held at Ambassadors Court, St. James’s ton said he felt doubly privileged not only for Palace on the 13th February 2007 and the this opportunity of giving a presentation on speakers included Sir Anthony Figgis (HM the work of The Three Faiths Forum but giving Marshall of the Diplomatic Corp), Sir Sigmund D. V. Yatskevich 59

Sternberg, Sherif El Diwany (Director of Middle Security and Resilience Department for Defence East and C100 and Arab Business Council of and Security at its Politics and Terrorism the World Economic Forum), Sir Peter Ricketts annual conference held at their Headquarters KCMG (Permanent Under Secretary and Head in Whitehall on 14/15th February 2007. of the Diplomatic Service), Gary L. Krupp Youth Education Department – Our text- (President of Pave the Way Foundation, New based programme and Tools 4 Trialogue were York), Rabbi A Soetendorp (member of C100/ delivered to five universities in and around WEF). London, as well as to the British Library for its A reception was held at the Romanian Em- ‘Sacred’ exhibition. Together with St. Ethel- bassy hosted by the Charge d’Affaires Mrs. Ra- burga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation and duta Matache, and Sir Sigmund Sternberg of with the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, the the Three Faiths Forum to mark the accession Scriptural Reasoning programme is being deli- of Romania to the European Union. vered as both a civic and youth practice at the A presentation was made on the work of the British Library and at Camden Council. Three Faiths Forum by the Co-ordinator at a Iraq in Common – a network of young people meeting of the Women against Fundamentalism of Iraqi origin living in London – held a meeting and for Equality held in the House of Lords on at Chatham House with Patrick Cockburn, the 13th February 2007. author of ‘The Occupation’ A presentation was made by the Co-ordinator This is how we commit ourselves to the of the Three Faiths Forum to the annual meeting dialogue of cultures and civilisations in the of the Royal United Services Institute Homeland global world.

D. V. YATSKEVICH, 11-year pupil at School No. 411 ‘Harmony’ at the Petrodvoretsky district of St. Petersburg, winner of the All-Russian contest of creative works of senior students D. S. Likhachov’s Ideas and Modern Times D. S. LIKHACHOV’S IDEAS AND MODERN TIMES It is a great honour for me to be present at Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov already through the annual International Likhachov Conference. one person, my father. He had (and still has) a Certainly, I never expected such a high appre- friend, who in childhood lived in one house, one ciation of my composition, though I hoped to riser block of flats with the academician. They become the contest prize winner. met quite often, in the elevator, at the stairs, in For this success I would like, first of all, to the yard, greeted each other, and the strongest thank my parents, school, where I heard for the impression after these meetings of the friend first time about Dmitry Sergeyevich, my lite- of my father, who at that time was about 8 or rature teacher, Olga Borisovna Moris, and other 9 year boy, was that the respectable academician teachers and, of course, St. Petersburg Univer- always addressed him in a respected formal sity of the Humanities and Social Sciences for manner and let him to be the first at the doors... establishing such wonderful contest. I think At school, our humanitarian cycle teachers that Dmitry Sergeyevich will be proud of how often mentioned the name of this great person, his precepts on saving the Russian culture are but initially, to my shame, I did not have any implemented and how his main ideas in this specific interest in Dmitry Sergeyevich Likha- respect are brought to life. And not by chance chov, knowing only that he was a symbol of the Dmitry Sergeyevich became the first Doctor Russian and St. Petersburg intelligentsia. But honoris causa of this University. later, learning the Silver Age culture that was My feeling embarrassed about such appre- specifically considered at the classes of literature ciation of my modest composition and invitation and history, I thought: ‘Where is the continua- to the International Likhachov Scientific Con- tion of these greatest days, was everything ference has, as a matter of fact, excuses. I’m indeed completely destroyed by the revolution?’ speaking for the first time at such large scien- Right then, searching for answers on this tific forum. What is going on seems for me question, I read memoirs of Likhachov, contai- unreal, as if it happens not to me. ning dozens of names of scientists, philosophers All the things in the world are intercon- and poets of those days. I tried to follow fates nected. Therefore, in fact, indirectly I knew in generation of people being born at the end 60 Plenary session DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, It seems to me that the best remembrance and understood that it was Dmitry Sergeyevich of Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachov will be any Likhachov, as well as Daniel Granin, Mikhail particular good and creative deed, and would Bakhtin, Lev Gumilyov, Alexey Losev and other really like to find such one and to dedicate my geniuses of the epoch, who are direct heirs of life to it. the Silver Age. I wanted to write a composition In conclusion, I cannot but express most on these not loud, but true heroes of our recent sincere gratitude to St. Petersburg University past – representatives of the great Russian of the Humanities and Social Sciences for or- culture. I would like to be like these people, ganizing that wonderful contest that allowed though this level is extremely high. me to open new horizons. In 1993, when accep- Searching for materials on the Likhachov’s ting a cloak of the first Doctor honoris causa generation, I read lots of books and understood of this University, Dmitry Sergeyevich Likha- many of ‘copy-book maxims’ anew. It became chov said: ‘There are institutions being proud clear to me, that high tragic nature, brightness, of their past. And our University can be proud responsibility of non-standard, creative persons of its future. I feel myself in the University of make them different from the crowd. Certainly, the 21st century’. Now this is the 21st century, I was unable to mention all such people in my and I think that Dmitry Sergeyevich, if still small work – I just mentioned the most impor- with us, would be proud and glad, that his words tant, indicative names. have been so remarkably brought to life. Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

Conference Hall, Radisson SAS Hotel May 25, 2007

Moderators: A. S. ZAPESOTSKY Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Peters- burg Intelligentsia Congress, President of St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Cultural Studies), Professor, Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation V. V. POPOV Ambassador at large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Director of the Centre for Partnership of Civilizations of the Scientific-Coordination Council on International Researches of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation)

Participants: N. AL-ATTAR Vice President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor A. CLESSE Director of Luxembourg Institute of European and International Studies (Luxembourg), Doctor Y. DROZD Consul General of the Polish Republic in St. Petersburg P. DUTKEVITCH Director of Institute of European and Russian Studies (EURUS) at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), Professor A. A. GUSEYNOV Director of Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V. P. KAZARIN First Deputy Chairman of Sevastopol City Administration, Dr. Sc. (Philology), Professor S. Z. MAHMOOD President of the Interconfessional Coalition for Peace (India), Doctor W. MITTER Professor of German Institute of International Researches in the field of Education (Germany), foreign member of the Russian Academy of Education V. V. NAUMKIN Head of the Department of Regional Problems of the World Politics of Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, representative of the Russian Federation in the High Level Group of the UN Project Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Sc. (History), Professor A. E. PETROV Scientific Secretary of the Department of History and Philology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council on the issues of young people at the Presidential Council on science, technology and education, M. A. (History) G. M. REZNIK President of the Lawyer’s Chamber of Moscow, Chair of Law at the Academic Law University of Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, M. A. (Law), Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation 62 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

V. S. STEPIN Head of the Section of Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and Law of the Department of Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Head of Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences M. TLILI Founder and Director of the Dialogs: Islamic World – USA – West Program, University of New York (USA), Professor G. A. YAGODIN Professor of Russian Chemical-Engineering University named after D. I. Mendeleyev (Moscow), academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Dr. Sc. (Chemistry)

A. S. ZAPESOTSKY quite wrong. As we see from the actions of the current Government they do not understand – Dear friends, we continue our dialogue the normative aspect of the European Union dedicated to problems of cultural interaction, completely. They are taking the actions with interaction of civilization in the global world. no regard to well-established European tra- It seems to me that it is appropriate at the dition. So my point is: even within the Western beginning of our today’s meeting to give a floor civilization we have a lot of work to do in under- to those of our guests who did not have a chance standing each other. But we have certain in- to speak yesterday at the plenary sessions. stitutions, like the European Union or trans- I think they should have special advantages. atlantic institutions that help us to form an Therefore, let me give the floor to Dr. Dutkevich. active dialogue. It is especially pleasant for me to note that If you see the current situation in the US, Dr. Dutkevich is Doctor honoris causa of two you will notice contradictions there. I can see very famous Russian universities in Moscow. at least three of them: the contradiction between globalization and protectionism, the second P. DUTKEVICH contradiction is between the perceived power – I would like to present some thoughts on and the real power of the US, the third lies within conflict and dialogue versus cooperation and the notion of stability. The US prosperity competition of civilizations. First of all I want requires a high level of stability, but its actions to say that we are living in a binary world, worldwide create a lot of instability. when approaching this issue. Dialogue is The problem (or should I say a challenge) opposed to conflict. Dialogue is spontaneous for us is also China. Obviously, there is an and it has the UN spirit and the clash of interest to cooperate with China at the moment civilizations that was so expressively presented but in the long term we will not cooperate with in the works of Dr. Huntington. I would say China, we will compete with China. The problem that current international environment requires is how to peacefully compete with China rather switching the gear to another approach, namely than to form a dialogue. All these questions are to consider the possibilities within which we very serious and deep questions but my point would probably be able to go a bit deeper in is that we should probably think of the key understanding and collaboration of civilizations question: What is universal among our civili- or partnership of civilizations versus competi- zations? First, we have to understand the tion of civilizations. universality of our approach, because the coo- First, we are living in the world that is quite peration or partnership is not possible without unstable. Within the certain civilizations that understanding the communalities. I would say are supposed to be more or less unified we can that there are some issues that are universal. see the cracks. If you look at the European We are not ready yet to be universal. My point dialogue, transatlantic relations, there are some is that there are 4 elements of this universality cracks – the evidence we are not going the same or the ground base – zero ground of our colla- way. The cracks are normative, the cracks are boration and cooperation. legal, the cracks are economic, the cracks in One is the issue of poverty, not even poverty ensuring security. Europe is a bit cracking. within the states but the poverty as the cause If you see the European Union and its new mem- of globalization, the result of globalization. bers like Poland, for example, the Poles think Unfortunately, there is no time but I have won- they are the perfect Westerners. But this is derful data to show that the income inequality A. S. ZAPESOTSKY; Y. DROZD 63 within the countries isn’t so great – about ten need a competition. The competition will answer times, but frankly speaking globalization is those fundamental questions about health, increasing this level to hundreds. This is a very education, poverty, dignity and tolerance. We serious problem and if poverty is defined cultu- need this competition to answer the most rally we will have a very meaningful discussion important question of our time: ‘Are we in the about that in the future. Defined culturally it West rich because the rest is poor? Or may be may be solved on individual and collective level. the rest is poor because we are rich?’ My answer The second is the issue of security also very is: ‘ We are rich in the West because the rest is broadly defined as a potential base for coo- poor.’ The question is how to make the rest less peration among nations. Security which will poor, more adjusted to the Western standards. include the individual security, collective secu- It will change the entire world and we will live rity, state security, the issue of terrorism, in the different world. So we need the compe- security of the people of the old age. The third tition as we need cooperation. element is education or studies. Two thirds of the world lives with no knowledge of how to A. S. ZAPESOTSKY read and write, among 6 milliards people two – I would like to give the floor to Yaroslav thirds can not communicate with each other. Drozd, Consul General of the Polish Republic I can continue and continue but there is no point in St. Petersburg. in that. The issue connected with poverty and lack of education is health. There are common diseases and diseases that will harm the whole Y. DROZD world if they become widespread. – Dear ladies and gentlemen, the interac- The forth is the issue of tolerance. How to tion of cultures is the most interesting build tolerance among civilizations? What is constituent of the social and public processes, common in our doctrines, in our norms, in our which are to be experienced by our society. What values, including religion? Sometimes we do not was done gradually in the past, due to limited understand that Islam and Christianity are travel possibilities and communication, no- closer than we think. They have the same roots, wadays, on the contrary, is happening at they have the same or similar background. breathtaking speed. The dynamics of the Anyway, we should know this and try to under- transference of people and information brings line the similarities rather than differences. up the interaction of cultures to another level, In current world the great leaders are saying to the one, individuals and society are not ready that the future coalitions will be temporary that for. That’s why our estimations (assessments) the future coalitions will be the coalitions of and comments are often impulsive and emo- the willing. We have to specify the common tional. Our reaction to separate events is some- ground in the terms understandable to different what conservative since our perceptional and civilizations. The question is how to find uni- analytical mechanism is traditional against the versality within these 7 or 8 major civilizations, technical progress, the speed and complexity of and ideally we can write a Manifesto, starting culture’s interaction processes in the modern with the words: ‘We, people of the world without world. the tradition and identity.’ This is the idea. To clear my further reasoning I would like We will probably not reach the point of this to give you an example based on the real life. Manifesto because the people can not live without Lieutenant Shmidt Bridge in St. Petersburg the tradition and identity. We need tradition designed by the Polish engineer Stanislav Ker- to perfect and to some extent to protect the bedz had been built for eight years (1842 to state, but with time we will find the links to 1850). Its opening meant a new epoch of the link the states and civilizations. bridge-construction in Russia and created I would like to conclude by saying that we preconditions for the railroads development need a competition. We need a competition of including the Transsiberia railway. The new civilizations. The problem is how to make this bridge in St. Petersburg was erected as a symbol competition not violent and streamline it into of mutual cooperation and understanding by certain areas. We need a competition because the Poles, Russians, Germans and representa- we don’t like the world in which a certain tives of other nationalities. Their common aim civilization dictates the others what to do and was that one which could serve as a good ground how to do that, how to do the best. There is no for the interaction of their cultures. The bridge one solution, you know. We have spoken about was opened as Blagoveshchensky (the Bridge of it so much yesterday. There is no one civilization Annunciation) then it was named Nikolayevsky that is better than other and that’s why we Bridge, Lieutenant Shmidt Bridge and now it 64 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD is said to be retained to its initial name Blagove- A. S. ZAPESOTSKY shchensky. – I would like to give the floor to Dr. Armand Regardless of the changed names by the Clesse, Director of Luxemburg Institute of leading policy and social regime this bridge and European and International Studies. Welcome, many others have all the time been serving for the floor is yours. the society. That is why the word ‘bridge’ has a broader meaning, represented for us as a symbol, as a union of people, cultures, religion and a A. CLESSE challenging creation of new opportunities. – Is a dialogue between religious and secular Having used the example, which is so typical cultures more difficult than a dialogue between for such a multi-national and multi-confessional two religious cultures or two secular cultures? city as St. Petersburg is, I wanted to emphasize How may the religious element facilitate a dia- the importance of searching and cultivating logue and how may it hamper it? the highest values and focusing our activity 1. Dialogue between two secular cultures. on them. It’s necessary to build different What does it mean to exclude one dimension – bridges in every sphere of our life and activity, the religious, spiritual one? Is such an exclusion since there is always lack of them in the modern bound to lead to an impoverished exchange, world of various cultures. That’s why it is hard a diminished or even a trivial one? Or may such for me to agree with some utterances and a dialogue rest on firmer, more rational ground opinions of Dr. Dutkevitch, director of EURUS, and in the end prove to be more substantive and concerning Poland. The usage of the words more productive. ‘absolute Westernists’ speaking about my 2. Dialogue between two religious cultures compatriots because of Poland’s membership such as Iran and Iraq, societies with strong in the European Union as well as the conclusion religious underpinnings or even foundations, about incomprehension of the normative aspect significant religious influences on all aspects of the EU in Poland, points out a rather of society including politics, culture, even simplified way of the theme presentation. economics and foreign policy. Such a dialogue My country, with its centuries-old history, may be characterized by high potential for a has a very rich experience of interaction with rivalry, misunderstanding, jealousies, latent or various cultures and societies. The part of this open animosity due to different forms of pro- tradition of co-existence with other nations selytism, a relentless contest about who posses- arose exactly in St. Petersburg, the city where ses the truth, who is more successful and can before the revolution of 1917 more than attract more followers. But it may also reveal a 250,000 Poles lived, forming the third largest higher potential for interaction, genuine mutual national group in the city. The example of a understanding and respect since both sides may display of the tradition is the already mentioned be on the same spiritual wavelength and pursue genius engineer Stanislav Kerbedz. similar metaphysical aspirations. That’s why it’s very hard for me to agree 3. Dialogue between a religious and a secular with the assertion that any nation is ‘absolu- culture such as between the Arab world and tely’ such-and-such or so-and-so. In our natio- Western Europe or perhaps even the USA and nal and cultural tradition the concept ‘absolute’ Western Europe. In such a dialogue there may is mostly a religious or philosophical category. be an inherent strong tendency to convince the The usage of it while hastily and emotionally other side that one’s own model is superior, for estimating any political situation is rarely well- the religious side to denigrate the ‘infidels’, the grounded. ‘atheists’, the ‘materialists’, their decadence and It’s necessary to look for common values perversity. For the secular part there is a and use their integrating influence. Intelligent- temptation to condemn the others as being sia plays a very important role in it. It is in- irrational, as behaving as fundamentalists, telligentsia who should set the tone of the dialogue zealots and crusaders, to use people with reli- between different cultures and civilizations in gious beliefs for political ends. Such entrenched the global world. Its special receptivity, the way positions may make it difficult to have a sub- of expressing sympathy and antipathy influ- stantive dialogue since each side may be con- ence on the way our states and societies look in vinced of the superiority of its model. the eyes of others. That’s why I think that we Of course the distinctions between a religious need to carry on the dialogue in the spirit of and a secular state are not always very clear. mutual understanding but not making the Western Europe has experienced half a century things absolute. We need to build bridges of secularization with a considerable shrinking because there is always lack of them. of religious beliefs and even more of religious A. S. ZAPESOTSKY; M. TLILI 65 practice whereas the United States of America A. S. ZAPESOTSKY remains a very religious country. Poland re- – Thank you, Dr. Clesse. And now Dr. Mus- mains religious whereas religion may come back tapha Tlili will have the floor. He is the Founder in other Eastern European countries after the and Director of the Dialogs: Islamic World – end of communism. There may be a similar re- USA – West Program. Dr. Tlili has come to us vival in some Asian countries, even in China. from the USA, New York University, where he One may call the USA a model of the religious works as a professor. international actor, semi-religious, semi-secular, standing somewhere between a fundamentalist state such as Iran and a secular place such as M. TLILI Europe but it is not sure, contrary to what John – There is a kind of inherent clash between McCormick argues in his new book ‘The Euro- a certain monolith that is West and a certain pean superpower’, that ‘in a world where there monolith that is Islam. First let’s focus a little are many religions, and where fundamentalism bit on a concept of a clash. If you look at the has become a critical factor in the politics of history of the encounter between the Islam and many societies, the association between religion the West, this history is a long one – 14 cen- and political power inevitably works against turies. And the periods of cooperation and the United States, while its secularism works collaboration were longer than what Samuel in favour of Europe’. Hantington calls a ‘clash’. Now I come to make One should remain aware of the fact that a few remarks about his theory. differences in spiritual, religious beliefs may The moments of clash were presented and be superseded by basic political, ideological one of these examples is Andalusia. Everything differences engendered by diverging hard, there was created by three cultures: Jews, material economic and strategic interests. Muslims and Christians. That is part of the Is there a danger of polarization of the world, history Samuel Hantington ignores. I call the a new bipolarity setting what one may call whole idea of the clash of civilizations as the ‘religionism’ against secularism, replacing the pop-philosophy, rather than a philosophical old antagonism between communism and capi- concept rooted on knowledge or philosophy or talism. Certainly the new driving force towards the history of ideas or the history as such. I would a new division could be a vital and militant Islam refer to a magnificent book by my colleague at with other religions trying to resist and to Columbia Richard Butler ‘Muslim-Christian compete. In particular Christianity or rather civilization’. It’s a book about Muslim and Chris- what one could call ‘Christianism’ may take up tian cooperation. You look at these assumptions the challenge. The same may happen with and see they are not very dated. Hinduism with the danger of destabilization of We were explained by those who speak from large parts of India and even the whole Indian the face of the West that now it’s the time to society engulfing neighbouring states such as replace the monolith that used to be communism. Pakistan and Bangladesh. The end of the cold war of course provided that In general one may watch a radicalization, a opportunity and it was an easy fit for those strengthening of all kinds of fundamentalisms who follow that what we call the Carl Shmidt and militantisms. So-called secular countries ‘friend-enemy’ concept. They needed part of may become aware of a certain intrinsic weak- that concept to be fit and Islam seemed ready ness as compared to religious ones and may be to cease the opportunity. And, as we have heard tempted to compensate for the lack of spiritual September, 11 came at the right time to validate content with a certain economic and strategic this myth of the Islamic threat. So why should aggressiveness. This however would contain a we question the concepts, why we should grave danger of escalation and may lead the deconstruct them? Because deconstructing them world back to confrontations that were thought we notice more nuances both in the US and in inconceivable and obsolete following the disast- the Islam. When we speak about the West it is rous experiences of the past. The onslaught by important what we mean: Europe that is secular some Western so-called intellectuals, followed or the US which is constantly proving whether sometimes by politicians and journalists, on they are Democrats or Republicans, The White religion in general and Islam in particular may House or someone else. The truth is that 76 per prove to be a highly unwise and counterpro- cent of the US population believes in God and ductive approach. What is rather needed is a new in that point of view there are more commu- form of mutual empathy, of efforts to under- nalities between the Muslim world and the US. stand the difference, the otherness, to develop There are alliances that sometimes form in the in common a new sense of tolerance. UN on the number of issues such as birth control 66 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD and others of social nature where you see the pretend to speak of Islam. That is the radical natural alliance between the so-called conser- fringe ignoring 98 per cent of the Muslim world, vative European or I would say Western states which simply goes their lives as Russians go and the so-called Muslim states on the number their lives producing culture, producing goods, of issues. producing spiritual values and who are not part The Europeans today have problem of iden- of this monolith Samuel Hantington and his tity, no wonder that we are hearing here all colleagues try to create. different conflicting voices from both right and the left. Europe is facing a crisis not only A. S. ZAPESOTSKY vis-a-vis its destiny and its relations with the – Thank you ever so much. The next speech US, but vis-a-vis itself, its core values. We hear will be delivered by Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, all the time this talk about core values, I always President of the Interconfessional Coalition for ask what are the core values of Europe, I get no Peace (India), Doctor. answer, if there is any one. Europe is said to be a Christian nation, and on that basis Turkey should not be part of Europe, because it’s not S. Z. MAHMOOD Christian. Really, Europe is only believed to be – By now, humanity is mature enough to Christian. fully realize that the purpose of creation of the Let’s focus a little bit on this monolith – world is not mutual destruction but only Islam, that is believed to be: one – threatening, pursuance of an agenda of justice, peace, love, and two – sort of a block that is uniform in its equitable distribution of resources and universal beliefs and traditions. It’s important to distin- development. Therefore, the mandate given by guish what the Europeans usually mix – the the founder of every faith must have been in Muslim world and the Arab world. This is consonance with these laudable objectives. simplification and I should call it ignorance. If any apparent dichotomy is ever seen by That is the point I argued about with Samuel anybody between any two faiths it must be based Hantington, criticizing his historical ignorance. on some lack of understanding. It is, thus, Following this dangerous route we will come absolutely necessary that the leaders and the to the concept that will put the world to a followers of all the faiths, cultures and civili- dangerous way, based on pop-culture, lacking zations should not only read and understand intellectual integrity. Today we do not have the real import of their own scripture but also intellectual integrity, we offer to the world the sacred books of others. concepts that remain paradigms both for the This must be done without any pre-conceived intellectuals and those who do politics. If you notions, with an open mind and most selflessly. start analyzing the Islamic world you will No universal faith confines the area of its understand how diverse the Islamic world is. It operation to any given country or region of the is more diverse than ever in history and perhaps world. Nor does any faith disregard any phase more diverse than the Western world itself. of human history. On the other hand, cultures Who speaks on behalf of the Islamic world and civilizations are reflections of faiths, one today? What is the Islamic world like today? First or more at a time, in a given phase of human it is geographical and historical diversity. history and spanning given regions of the Diversity in the faith, diversity in expressing world. Yet, neither of them can override the it. Islam came to many parts of the world as a requirements of the mother faith. set of principles and then it simply adapted, The new millennium demands that a there was the contextualisation of the faith and combined effort should be made at the world it took different forms and different historic level to dovetail the various faiths, cultures and realizations that we nowadays see flourishing civilizations into a position of mutual equality in different parts of the world from conservative like the colourful strands of a beautiful spect- Saudi Arabia to Turkey today. There they have rum. They should not be subjected to politiciza- reversions of the Islam practice after the tion. Rather, they should be utilized for streng- Ataturk revolution who somehow tried to crash thening the bonds of friendship, love, equity, that part of identity of the Turkish people. And justice, peace and universal development. therefore we see all this diversity and we have Culture is the way people live in accordance to recognize that is the part of the picture. to beliefs, languages etc. But in the context of What we have also to understand is that the this conference we should agree on universally focus of the so-called theoreticians of the clash acceptable set of moral values and try to develop of civilizations and the media that gave them a universally acceptable culture. Those who the voice – is a very small fringe of those who followed culture should be known as cultured. A. S. ZAPESOTSKY 67

Then there shouldn’t be anything as high cul- urban country with large number of followers ture or low culture. This approach fully matches of Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Protestantism, with the late 19th century decision of anthro- and Catholicism, is a suitable place for carrying pologists to adopt the term culture to a broader out an international dialog between cultures definition that they could apply to a wider and civilizations. As Dr. Putin said recently, variety of societies. Attentive to the theory of we know how a powerful uniting force religion evolution they assumed that all human beings can be. Yet, people have to understand the were born equally and that the fact that all potential consequences of a clash of civilizations humans have cultures and must be derived from being imposed on the world. human evolution. This can be very well achieved through Edward Gibbons was interested in decline interaction, dialogue and praxis among the and fall of the Roman Empire. He said that the various cultures and civilizations at the global decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable level. Once the process begins with good and effect of immoderate greatness. The cause of selfless intentions it would be easy to find in- the destruction multiplied with the extent of numerable commonalities among the peoples – the conquest. The story of Rome is simple and in their precepts and practices. These can be obvious. Gibbons suggested that the final act developed, emphasized and taken to the masses of the collapse of Rome was the collapse of in order to make the world a place of mutual Constantinople in 1463. On the other hand advantage. Theodor Momsen in the ‘History of Culture’ suggested that Rome collapsed with the collapse A. S. ZAPESOTSKY of Western Roman Empire in 476 AD and he – Thank you. Dear friends, the list of also wrote about the biological analogy of ge- preliminary applied talks is over. Now I would nesis, growth, senescence, collapse and decay. like to say that we have here some people who Arnold Toynbee in his ‘History of Culture’ did not prepare any presentations but I would suggested that there had been a much larger really like them to speak briefly. In our hall we number of civilizations and that all civilizations have lots of foreign guests who often meet each have to go through the cycle identified by other at international conferences on these is- Momsen. Because of the fall of civilizations the sues, moreover, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs cultural elite became a parasitic elite when living calls them – and they deserved it – wise men. through the rise of internal and external pro- When we discussed the participants to be invited letariat. Similar was the case with the Indus to the Conference I was happy that we are going Delhi civilization. This civilization of plant ci- to have such great persons here. But in Russia ties came to an end around 1700 BC either we do have influential persons whom you are through external invasion perhaps due to drying likely to have never seen before. These are people of the earth caused by geological and climatic who enjoy special authority and respect. I would changes in the civilization area. like to name several of them present here: one Thus civilizations last for a limited period of the most famous Russian and world philo- at the most for a few centuries. So the life of sophers, academician A. A. Guseynov, Director any civilization is much shorter and is not of our Institute of Philosophy; academician necessarily very significant for the life of the V. S. Stepin who also is positioned quite high world. Yet, in a given phase of a human history in our scientific hierarchy and one of the most the prevailing set of civilizations does matter prominent Russian philosophers at the world and it is only prudent to take all possible positive scale. Yesterday I limited time for the speech joint actions to keep them together. Yet, the of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist who in modalities of this effect have to conform to the the former was called the outstan- larger universally acceptable principles of mo- ding Soviet scientist – this is Dr. V. P. Kazarin rality, coming across historical phases of human from Sevastopol (). Naturally, I was development. So is the very purpose of the exis- absolutely unsatisfied with the time that we were tence of the humanity. able to assign for Dr. G. A. Yagodin, the most The principles of cultural diversity and prominent scientist in the Russian education. pluralism must be integrated into all national Regretfully, we were unable to allocate sufficient policies in particular domains relating to quali- time for the reports of Dr. V. V. Naumkin and ty education, environment, heritage manage- Dr. G. M. Reznik. Dr. Naumkin represents ment, media information technologies and crea- Russia in the High-level Group of UNESCO. tive industries. Dr. Reznik is one of the most famous lawyers The Russian Federation, being the largest and a well-known personality in the Russian one of the most sparse populated predominantly humanitarian society. Near to Dr. Reznik there 68 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD is a young scientist, Dr. A. E. Petrov. He re- To see a world in a grain of sand, presents here the Department of History and And a heaven in a wild flower, Philology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And Dr. Drozd, Consul General of Poland in And Eternity in an hour. St. Petersburg has also joined us; he is a person We should come back to integral recognition who is well-known and respected in our city. of the world. Then: I don’t like the translation I do hope that everybody will add something of the poem by Marshak, so I would like to say to the subject of our discussion. Besides, we it the following way: ‘the broken egg cannot be have not heard Dr. Wolfgang Mitter, an autho- transferred into unbroken, it’s been broken rity in the field of education, honorary member forever’. We, people, have no rights to lose what of the Russian Academy of Education. we can’t recreate. And these ideas should be I’d like to exploit my rights as a speaker imparted into everybody since his or her early and give the floor now to Dr. Yagodin. years. Is it possible for civilizations to unite for G. A. YAGODIN the sake of such good idea as saving the hu- – Alexander Sergeyevich, thank you once manity in the future? Maybe. But for that it is again for both the invitation and the opportunity necessary to leave the mid-term political pur- to participate in this wonderful discussion, poses to the strategic one, slightly more pro- which is that important and duly. I think that longed in time. Before we thought that it is we underestimate tragic nature of the moment 300 years. No, regretfully, not 300. Now scien- and tragic nature of the main purpose of our tists assume that the point of the bifurcation generation. This purpose is to save the civili- forming after that it would be impossible to zation on the planet of Earth. The number of return just by holding back some factors is people living on the Earth these days is 6.5 bil- 20 (pessimists) to 80 (optimists) years away lion; it is unaffordable for the life support from the current moment. It does not matter systems. There are several important systems: for the generation studying at school now. Are the ozone layer holding back hard ultraviolet there any examples in the history of humanity of the Sun not allowing to destroy life; the where such outstanding purposes were attained? favorable for man climate that was being formed Yes. The Second and, I hope, the last World for a long time and photosynthesis mechanisms; War: Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill, three dif- atmosphere that appeared on the Earth as ferent ideologies, three different cultures that secondary containing significant portion of united and eliminated the threat of totalitarian oxygen and, thus, a source for transformation regime on the Earth. This threat was absolutely of chemical energy of food into body energy; real. Such joint efforts require another culture, sweet water. and such culture can emerge only via another All these systems are under a threat of education. destruction with existing number of people Refusal of the Ptolemaic point of view and because starting from 1986 resource use for the Copernicus statement that the Sun is the satisfaction of human needs exceeded their center made necessary to change the entire reproduction through substance turnover in the scientific and education system. But today open system, Sun-Earth. Since 1986 due to recognition that the biological constituent of imperfection of our technologies wastes amount life where the man is only a part, only an apex, exceeded natural assimilation capacities resul- automatically regulates the life supporting ting in worsening of quality of atmosphere, mechanisms made us to change the school fresh water, etc. Cardinal changes of life style, education system. We have an assistant, the most purposes, culture are required and the most important one – this is the nature. Climate profound reason for joining our efforts in changes of the last century were tremendous. fighting a threat of losing our civilization. To I am sure that if 300 years ago people knew my mind, at that the main driving force is an about cells and forms of life as much as we education system despite that two third of the currently knew an industrial revolution, ener- Earth population are illiterate. getic supply systems would not follow the path Experience of Russia and Soviet Russia has of burning carbon fuel increasing carbon dio- shown that such profound illiteracy can be xide in atmosphere that resulted in the climate eliminated in rather a short period of time if to change. We feel these changes since the climate focus efforts on this purpose. is an averaged weather of the last 30 years. Let’s turn to the ideal of the end of the And it hits the most insurance companies: 18th – beginning of the 19th century – the hurricanes and typhoons with sweet lady names English poet William Blake: incurred such losses to the financial world that V. V. POPOV; G. A. YAGODIN; W. MITTER 69 it actually made insurance business exclusively result in circumstances characterised by ambi- risky. But more changes threaten us. If Green- guity. As a prominent example of European land ice melts and it is melting though in some antiquity the Greeks are worthy of primary points its depth is up to 700 meters and the attention. Though divided into a number of Gulfstream is no more of temperature equal to independent territories, they considered their the average one of the Earth, taking into account common culture as an essential element in the that the water density is highest at 4 °C, and if demarcation of themselves from the – as a rule the Gulfstream becomes an underwater stream civilised – barbarians, whereby the common then the climate of England will come to Chu- language played an essential role. Moreover, kotka, and climate of Europe to the Polar re- language could also demarcate social groups gions. Understanding of these problems made within a political unit, usually following a shift Dr. Blair make the first talk the one on the Kyoto of dominance after war and conquest, such as protocol on maintaining measures for saving in England after the Battle of Hastings (1066), the Earth. Can we, people, conduct collective the Norman conquerors speaking French, the measures on maintaining the life support subjected Anglo-Saxons preserving their Eng- systems? Yes, we can. But for that we need to lish vernacular. In the modern periods this develop an ideology for such maintenance, its phenomenon has reached a new quality as a philosophy, and belief that it is possible. consequence of the continuous expansion of the space where such encounters take place, due to V. V. POPOV ‘discoveries’ and explorations of hitherto un- known territories, conquests, colonial imperia- – Thank you, Professor Yagodin. And I have lism and, in our days, globalisation and the es- a short question about your last statement. Now tablishment of electronic networks of informa- it is very popular to make various prognoses tion and communication. Taken as a whole the about demographic consequences of the global encounter of cultures can be observed and warming. It is said that in several dozens years discussed in two dimensions: firstly, of the about 1 bln of those living in the currently domain of international relations among states warm regions that will be covered by the World and regions, secondly, of the co-existence of Ocean waters are going to flood the Northern people with different cultural descent and iden- hemisphere causing a humanitarian catastro- tity within the borders of states or regional phe. What do you think about it, Dr. Yagodin? units. In the second of these two dimensions And, in general, should we talk and consider the concept of multiculturalism. such possibilities? This exemplary retrospect demonstrates that the history of the encounter and, in G. A. YAGODIN particular, of multiculturalism is millennia-old. – I can say nothing about flooding. When As regards multiculturalism in our current age I studied in the Imperial College in 1963 it was and its predictable perspectives the following a city of white people. And when I visited three main trends have to be distinguished. They London three years ago I was amazed with the are interrelated. Firstly, multiculturalism takes change of its population. The South-Eastern Asia a prominent part in the overarching globalisa- moved considerably to London and into Europe tion that has seized all continents and pervaded in general. This is a natural process of blending all societies with their economic, socio-political of the Earth population into a united human and cultural domains. It has its growing im- community. I think it is normal. pacts on mobility and migration. Lots of people leave their home places for what may seem to V. V. POPOV them a ‘better life’, be it in big cities of their own countries or somewhere abroad in the ‘rich’ – Thanks a lot, Professor Yagodin. Now or ‘safe’ regions of our planet. Often indivi- I would like to give the floor to Professor Wolf- duals (mostly males) move by themselves, but gang Mitter. more often they take their families with them. This trend challenges the receiving countries W. MITTER with the troubles of taking special provisions – The encounter of cultures is a phenomenon for social welfare and educational facilities in whose history traces back to pre-modern periods, the widest sense. and the same is true of whether such encounters Secondly, globalisation is paralleled by have caused hostile attitudes and actions or led trends toward regionalisation, such as occur- to peaceful processes and solutions focussed ring in Europe with the expansion of the on dialogues. However, in many cases they European Union, and localisation claims to self- 70 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD government and autonomy with regard to local the cultures of their home countries or regions. communities and schools or school centres. There is even growing evidence that such In regard to multiculturalism this means that commitment has reached members of the ‘third the macro-level with its global, regional and generation’ to a stronger degree than to be national ranges is reinforced by the micro-level observed among their parents. of local communities. It makes a great diffe- There have been remarkable efforts to rence, whether the given situation is the outcome promote various approaches to dialogue and of governmental or municipal planning or of communication as well as of co-operative unplanned moving-in, caused by the newcomer’s projects including nationals (including indige- financial and social circumstances. nous minorities) and migrants (of different Thirdly, multiculturalism, as a constitutive descent), in particular by the development of component of globalisation, has become an ‘mixed’ living areas. Intercultural education ubiquitous reality which makes it stand against has become a greatly significant domain. Its the ‘virtual reality’ that has been so well chances for success necessarily depend upon demonstrated in Goethe’s Faust (part 1), where willingness and action of those whose respon- a few townsmen have a chat ‘in front of the sibility is to enable and encourage people to live gate about war and murder far behind, far away in peaceful co-existence and to be provided with in Turkey’. Already Goethe presented this scene adequate socioeconomic and political conditions in an ironical view – two hundred years ago! to use these chances. Modern communication media provide people with data and facts on multiculturalism, even V. V. POPOV if they do not meet the ‘others’ in everyday – Thank you. Professor Mitter, you have reality. indeed dwelled on a very interesting and im- The growing stream of border-crossing portant issue. Now the floor is given to Andrew migrants as well as the increasing awareness Evgenyevich Petrov – Scientific Secretary of of cultural identity among members of indige- the Department of History and Philology of the nous and migrant minorities have radically Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman reinforced the impacts comparable events in of the Coordination Council on the issues of former periods had on education systems and young people at the Presidential Council on educational processes. science, technology and education, M. A. Intercultural education, with the develop- (History). ment of dual language awareness and compe- tence as an irreplaceable base, has to begin in the early childhood. In the everyday school A. E. PETROV practice the existence of multicultural pupil – I would like to give some comments on populations can be a source of conflicts, but also thoughts and ideas expressed here. Actually, a chance of mutual experience to be gained by my main concern is that recently we more and sharing co-operation, benefiting from multi- more often witness that humanitarian cultural faceted information and promoting co-educa- and historical issues and problems become tion inside or outside the classrooms. reasons for very serious tensions, conflicts and In principle, viability and success of all even victims. We all do remember rather recent approaches in the field of intercultural educa- conflict on cartoons about Prophet Mohammed; tion depend upon the availability of teachers we have just observed an episode related to the and, consequently teacher trainers, who are move of the monument to the Soviet soldiers capable and willing to undertake this special in Estonia. Right now in Iran that considers responsibility with regard to its cognitive, affec- itself as an heir of the Persian Empire we can tive and social components. see quite negative reaction on the new Holly- Multiculturalism is a substantial and essen- wood blockbuster about the Spartans, The 300, tial level of the encounter of cultures. In the where Persians are depicted as miserable, greedy current period, however, it must be correlated and terrible people. Quite often such ‘civiliza- with the level of international relations. This tion mini-clashes’ – I put these words into interdependence is caused not only by the brackets – have myths in their impulse point. growing establishment of global networks of In that sense, I do support Professor Tlili’s real and virtual communication and co-opera- words when he said commenting some of his tion, but also by the fact that in most cases discussions with Dr. Huntington that rather migrants (and also members of indigenous often authors of large culture generalizations minorities) maintain their cultural – and in are not aware of specific historical realities. It many cases also their political – affiliations to truly becomes an issue at some point. A. E. PETROV 71

For instance, in Russia, in Tsarskoye Selo common history. And I’m not bothering about there is a church with the cross on it and a mistakes, it is more of an issue for those nations crescent below the cross. Tour guides have to and countries where such ideology emerges and answer hundreds of times questions on the such mistakes are supported. meaning of the crescent below the cross. Usu- Russia has already come through those ally, it is assumed that this is a symbol of victory tremendous social and mental consequences that of Orthodoxy over the Muslim religion. What happen after new generations found out reality kind of victory? Were there any war? Was there and truth. The same enlightenment is going to the Crusade at all? take place in the Ukraine when they finally In fact, the Russian history shows that, first, realize that the famine at the early 1930’s was the symbols are different: it comes to absolutely not a deliberate genocide of the Ukrainian nation, different catacomb early Christian culture where that people in Kazakhstan and Volga regions an image of an anchor or a ship was a symbol along with people of other nations died as well. of salvation – therefore, there is this semi-circle Of course, it happened in rural areas not in under the cross. Secondly, reviewing facts of cities where fewer people died. the early Russian history we will doubt signi- The example of Turkey is very represen- ficantly on point of the victory of the Orthodox tative. Russia-Turkey relationships came to religion over the Muslim one. Yes, there were normal and Turkey made a declarative decision: conflicts between Muslim states (the Horde, to remove from the history textbooks every- Volga Bulgaria) and Russian principalities but thing mentioning the Russian-Turkish wars. as to the sources we have the Russian princes Is it right or not? The great time period starting even when they campaigned against the Muslims from the 17th century when civilizations inter- they fought against some ‘infidels’ but not acted in military way and in the 18th century specifically against the Mohamed worshippers. some acute issues emerged as well. What will There is a very good example in such wonderful happen next when the new generation is grown historical monument as the Legend of the up and they found out from somewhere, for Slaughter of Mamai. It describes the Kulikov- instance, from the works of German scientists sky battle, the marked event of our history, since there are many Turks living in Germany Mamai flight after the defeat – and the author, and in Europe in general that there were the medieval Russian scholar, in about 16th century Russian-Turkish wars, there were lots of injus- wrote: ‘And calling their Gods’, and listed those tice as in all wars in general from both sides? Gods: Khors that is the Slavic pagan deity, Rakli Should we do it at all? where one can identify Greek, Hellenic Heracles In connection with what was said I would as well as Mohamed and Salavat. In fact, in like to draw your attention to what Syed Zafar Islam thanksgiving prayers are called salavats... Mahmood said: a set of moral values is good, There were very hard periods in relation- important and necessary. But it is necessary ships of the Orthodox state being the united to have something beside these moral values Russian one and entering the path of the Empire obligatory or desirable for everybody: it is ne- development with those states practicing other cessary to have targeted policy and state cor- religions. It was the 16th and, certainly, the rectness. And the matter in hand is not only in 19th century, the Caucasian war. But even in textbooks. Prior to looking ‘at the speck of this case the religious slogans were used only sawdust in your brother’s eye’ pay attention as tools. By the way it was well demonstrated to your own to find there a large log. A good with the Caucasian war example when changes example is our last ambiguities with the Russian of the household, mood, consciousness of moun- holidays. There is a complete confusion. A new tain dwellers resulted in appearance of muri- holiday, November, the 4th, was introduced and dism. It emerged after some actions when people when they were asked about this date Caucasian territories were gradually brought said: ‘Minin and Pozharsky defeated the Tatars under control of the Russian Empire. at the Kulikovsky field’. Certainly, not every- Often we can see in newspapers, magazine body, not the majority but as polls show 11 %, materials funny historical mistakes in textbooks which is not a small number. It happened since on history of CIS or Baltic states, other bor- there was celebrated the Kulikovsky battle dering countries. We made fun on that: Esto- anniversary, 625 years, and the new holiday was nians conquered Constantinople instead of introduced. Anniversaries of cities, regions as Prince Oleg when the prince and his army were I can see are important for our country... asleep, and so on. Here we like to discuss it I love the city of Kazan with all my heart, it saying: ‘Look at how they present our common is a wonderful city but as a historian I can’t history!’ Well, without doubt we do have agree with the date of 1000 years since the day 72 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD of Kazan foundation. In a year or two Ufa will ‘Covenant on International and Political Rights’, approach respective authorities with the request multiple conventions on racism disapproval. to celebrate, for instance, 1200-year anniversary Basically, they should be followed. basing on approximately reasons. It is clear I can agree with academician G. A. Yagodin they aim for jubilee funding and special that, in general, there is an objective for the resource distribution. But are we doing right? humanity survival and it is clear that there are We should be more correct in this field. absolutely opposite tasks at all. Just one small In this respect I should note that, regret- example. There is a task for diminution in num- fully, our country does not have strategic policy; ber of people inhabiting the terrestrial globe but there is practice, which is momentarily and some countries are targeted on population in- associated with some specific political decisions, crease. I think that when we task for the Russian but we need long-term policy. Let’s not forget population increase it is just erroneous and is one interesting Chinese phrase that the most not supported with any objective trends. We do mass movements in history are conceived in not aim for the population diminution but I can separate, particular minds. And by no means is tell you that we should rely on the scientific it always the case that these minds are not data. As for the most optimistic prognoses by ‘hotheads’. We should not provoke dramatic 2050 the country population will diminish to overturns in minds but press for gradual chan- 116 million. A pessimistic prognosis says 90. ges for the better. We need just to rely on the scientific data, on what is actually inevitable and inescapable. V. V. POPOV And whether we want it or not globalization will result in disappearance of some ethnos since – Thank you, Andrew Evgenyevich. Now languages they speak will die out. An inevitable I would like to give the floor to Henry Markovich consequence of globalization will be increased Reznik. crime rate since social control is going to fall. Now attempts to return to actually religious G. M. REZNIK basics of governing the world are also absolutely – Globalization immeasurably increases utopian because we entered a whole different responsibility of political, religious elite in stage of world development and, in fact, we are various countries. That our colleague has talked talking about responsibility of political elites about right now – there was a keyword, using. and religious elites. Background of many There were no cartoons against Mohammed, conflicts contains interests of these elites, these initially there were no idea on demolition of the groups striving to retain their supremacy. monument in Estonia, its move, all these things These are interests of specific people and groups and other named conflicts are exaggerated and rather than some organic conflicts peculiar to exploited by politicians. Excuse me, but who of the humanity nowadays. those infidels and Muslims in other countries knew that some Danish magazine published a V. V. POPOV cartoon in style of Jean Eiffel or Herluf Bid- – Thank you for such an acute polemic talk. strup? Now I would like to give the floor to Professor Ladies and gentlemen, there is the following Vitaliy Vyacheslavovich Naumkin. situation: neither morals nor religion can pro- vide security and tolerance in international relationships or the ones among people. It can V. V. NAUMKIN be secured only with the help of law. – I’ll try to bridge with the last two talks: No compromise of law and culture as Alexan- the ones of Dr. Petrov and Dr. Reznik. In fact, der Sergeyevich Zapesotsky said with religion we are saying that there are conflicts and real is possible since it erodes legal criteria. Specific problems and, of course, there are manipulations compromises in politics are possible but the with religion and ethnicity, and among the matter is that the law has exclusive value; it manipulations with ethnicity there is such provides certainty in relations among people detrimental event as ethnicity biologization. and certainty in relations among countries. And Many current works of our political scientists, everything has been already created. Let’s take ethnologists and those trying to rule the minds a look: when yesterday I defined in concrete contain an adverse idea that there is kind of terms and brought to the level of specific rights genetic code, civilization code in nations, that and values what the liberalism actually was, we people are born with some codes and that some saw that everything was written in internatio- ethnic groups can be more predisposed to, let’s nal legal enactments. ‘Human Rights Charter’, say, crime behaviour than another. V. V. POPOV; V. S. STEPIN 73

We should do whatever it takes to make Dr. Reznik intended to express it but it hap- these concepts today not to spoil lives, not to pened this way. I can’t agree with it since manipulate ethnic identity and aspiration in globalization is associated with more complica- groups to advocate for their ethnic, religious ted processes. First, we are talking about that and other identity in order to oppose themselves we need to build relations emphasizing univer- against other groups. sal values. Then globalization is not related to Now let’s talk about those conflict issues conflicts but tolerant behaviour. that were mentioned. We should not forget that Indeed, universal values can be seen in any many of events pointed here are mythologized; types of cultures but the matter is that these conflictologists have a special concept, a myth- values in their pure form never programmed symbol complex. That is, some events are mytho- people. They create extremely general programs logized, changed, transformed into myths and of human life activity, these are like prohibitions legends, even if there is a historical basis. There Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal – these are events becoming symbols. A typical example are ideals being compulsory set off with par- of a symbol is an Armenian genocide. It does ticular norms, particular customs, habits, beha- not matter whether it was or not (I think it viour samples. They are fused and all together was real). That’s not the point but that this it constitutes an area of that culture which is event becomes a symbol starting to determine called national historic peculiarity. international relations, starting to determine: One should understand that in the modern to be in Turkey or not to be, for instance, in the western culture these values to a large extent European community. This myth-symbol complex are inseparable from ideals of a consumer starts to be more and more important at the society. And it is impossible to propose all people field of proneness to conflicts. One shouldn’t to live in accordance with the given ideals, at avoid it. least, because it is not enough resources to spend It is directly related to Russia. We set a for the entire population on the Earth if the task for consolidation of the Russian people, standards of living of a consumer society as the Russian nation, and lots of efforts are those seen in America and developed countries utilized in this direction. We have already of Western Europe. As for different esti- discussed the issue of relationships between the mations, America consumes approximately Russian and Tatars; not everything is all right 42–44 % of world energy, produces 2/3 of there. Looking at our own textbooks and the manufacture wastes, at that, these wastes are ones written by some Tatar authors we’ll see not in the States but in those countries where such contradictions that by themselves might manufacture is transferred to. These are the give rise to conflicts. I think that a role of the third world countries with cheap labour, compa- society that organizes such conferences is to nies go exactly there. find objective solutions as it was after the 2nd If the entire Earth population is brought to World War when one of the main breakouts for this level of energy consumption, all currently creation of the united Europe was development known resources that can be utilized will be of a united view on history among France and depleted in 15 years. Of course, technical Germany. We need to do the same. progress may discover some principally new energetic resources but so far I can with V. V. POPOV assurance say that since I know this process currently to set hopes upon, for instance, low – Thank you, Vitaliy Vyacheslavovich, it was temperature thermonuclear synthesis does not a very important talk. Vyacheslav Semyonovich seem possible. And, actually, all these new ideas Stepin wanted to tell a couple of words. You are still too far from technological implemen- are welcome. tation. There is a question: is it possible on basis V. S. STEPIN of modern values to set up the global world? – In fact, I would not agree with the idea All civilization clashes are collisions exactly expressed by esteemed Dr. Reznik that the Earth related to values. I have been developing the population should diminish, there is not enough following concept: there are several types of resources for all of us and that during globali- civilization development. For a long time there zation some ethnos should die out, and if in existed a type of civilization development that Russia the population is decreasing it seems to was related with traditionalist cultures; then a be fine and there is no reason to get concerned new type of culture appeared next to it. I call it with the population growth, let this ethnos die technogenic civilization related to utterly new out. This is the logic. I don’t know whether values being in many respects alternative, with 74 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD new understanding of man, activities, nature, neither traditionalist nor technogenic. Some- new understanding of personality, power and thing third shall appear. Otherwise, there shall strength. Coexistence of these two types of emerge such crises that will become aggravated civilizations resulted in appearance of moderni- all the time, and the humanity will go through zation processes. All these inoculations of another stripe of large catastrophes. Therefore, western values to traditionalist cultures begot I am rather sceptical about the idea that every- modern civilizations of China, India, Japan and thing is ready with regard to values and all we Russia where quite prominent layer of tradi- have to do is to accept them, nothing shall be tionalist but converted cultures exists. touched but they are just to be imparted into And now there is a whole set of questions oriental cultures, and then everything is going and discrepancies on this issue: some civiliza- to be fine. tions that we observe at present, which contain It seems like there are more questions than a layer of traditionalist cultures, they perceive answers and even in this distinguished and liberal values in a new way, differently, for in- eminent audience we won’t come to solutions of stance, human rights. To be a person in tradi- all problems. Nevertheless, to my mind our work tionalist cultures means to be a part of a clan, was very fruitful, and it happened to a large cast estate. There such community is at the first extent due to efforts of the members of the Or- place and a person is revealed though the ganizing Committee of the present Conference. community. In western culture traditions to be Once again I would like to acknowledge it. a person implies being sovereign, autonomic personality that chooses for him or her social V. V. POPOV links, teams where it is identified, and, in this – Thanks a lot, Vyacheslav Semenovich. respect, developed. In such case, the human I would like to thank academician V. S. Stepin rights in the western culture tradition are the for his very interesting opinion. It seems like main thing while in the traditionalist ones the there are more questions than answers and even main is likely to be rights of nation, rights of in this distinguished, good and eminent audience cooperation, and rights of some group. we won’t come to solutions of all the problems And there is a question: what to do there? we face. Nevertheless, to my mind our work Is it sufficient to limit the human rights with was very fruitful, and it happened to a large such interpretation existing only in the West extent due to efforts of the members of the Or- and written in various great declarations or ganizing Committee of the present Conference. one should think to make these two vectors – Once again I would like to acknowledge it. person rights and group rights, collective rights of nation and person rights – to be united some- how? I think the process enters the uniting pace. A. S. ZAPESOTSKY That is, the issue on values is a very com- – Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your plicated one, and the issue on value interaction attention to some fundamental principles, which is not that there are hard and fast values of the scientists-humanitarians won’t argue about. For Western culture that must be inoculated and instance, that all religions constitute a large that everybody should live according to them moral and cultural value of the humanity. but that both these and those values shall Certainly, each intellectual person, not only undergo change. And the last thought. One scientist-humanitarian must object to any should not forget that modern ecological and attempts to humiliate any religion and to insult anthropologic crises are associated with invasion believers. It seems obvious to me. And each into human corporeity opening options for culture is valuable, and that even culture of manipulation with inheritance codes; all these small nations has a value none the worse than crises are begotten with values of the Western, culture of the great ones, is also undisputable. technogenic civilization. I think these are things we all understand They have to and will change in coming similarly. years. There are going to appear ideas, trends, We are going to distribute to all present tendencies oriented on changes of these values. here Declaration of Rights of Culture developed Great Western philosophers are talking about under the guidance of academician Likhachov. it: Jurgen Habermas with his idea of new It is published in Russian but I do hope you modern, Ulrich Beck, quite famous Western will facilitate its translation into various philosopher who writes about the same subject. national languages. This document, to our mind, It seems to me that changing values that in the world society will be at the same level of may happen can be salvation for the humanity. importance as Declaration of Human Rights. It will be entering some new development cycle, True, culture is not a subject of law; it cannot A. S. ZAPESOTSKY 75 come to court and file a lawsuit. Suits to protect to all other countries and cultures how they culture should be filed by men. But it seems to should live. Therefore, now a very serious issue me that the very idea of Declaration of Rights is development of unified approaches, unified of Culture is important. views and, perhaps, not leadership of some This is truly St. Petersburg Declaration cultures but leadership of those ideas that all where we suggest stating fundamental world cultures may accept. principles to be a basis for joint world approach In this connection, there is a question how to culture. I think that eventually this docu- we should live in this world of many cultures ment will be adopted by UNESCO though still and how the humanity will live in the multi- it requires a compromise between a classic cultural world because today it is already clear science of law and interests of culture. It seems that each man will have to live in the world of to me that the very ideas of the Declaration are many cultures in the future. Certainly, there important. will be a danger for small cultures concerned I would like to dwell on two more significant with the problem that they will be suppressed problems existing today. One of them is a crisis with larger ones representing huge ethnos and of leadership in the world society. It seems to having greater history. These concerns are me as well as for many of those here that a understandable. single-pole world with one country, one religion, It seems to me that we have to consider one culture dominating cannot exist. It is Huntington’s concept as one of those of many impossible. And it seems to me that the attempt possible that constitutes just one version for for the 2nd Crusade undertaken by some forces the event development. In this sense I would is very dangerous. compare it with Karl Marx’s concept who stated Some of guests present, for instance, Dr. Rez- that in the future a class struggle would domi- nik, who as far as I can see is a bearer of clas- nate at the world arena. But the time showed sic liberal Christian values, perchaps will not what came up. Therefore, when Huntington says agree with me in the following opinion. But to that in the future there is going to be an ethnic my mind today in Russia a public opinion cau- struggle we can listen to him attentively but sed by extreme disappointment about modern should not forget that the future, actually, can values of the West gains momentum. For the be totally different. We should see positive sides last 15 years we conducted tremendous reforms of such prognoses since they enable taking into that were initiated at the beginning with consideration some possible scenarios of suc- exceptional attractiveness of the West values, cession of events. As if, for instance, the West firstly, the ones of the USA and Western countries seeing what happened in Russia, that Europe. However, today many Russian intel- is, the revolution and the triumph of Karl Marx’s lectuals came to an idea that we were cynically ideas, took this experience into account and cheated. We believed that the West follows all understood what they should do to avoid domi- values it declares but, in fact, it is obsessed nation of the class struggle. At the same time, with greed, itch for money, world domination, Karl Marx’s ideas won and strengthened not suppression of other cultures. only in Russia but in some other countries... Russia learned it by doing and can see it by This is experience as well. That is why, looking examples of other countries such as Yugoslavia. into the future, into the intellectual space that The West defied international law that we should appear further on we shall consider all consider an important civilization achievement. lessons of history. Therefore, now many people in Russia look at Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your China and know what they say there: ‘Look at special attention to the most dramatic and dif- those terrific errors Russia made cheated by ficult problem of our days – situation of a type the West, and by no means should we repeat of ‘overturning’ of a culture system of a count- them’. It is a bitter lesson for us. ry, when a small ethnos with its culture in The speech of our Chinese friend was several dozens of years catches up in number a dedicated to the issue that none of the countries main nation inhabiting this area, and starts to or cultures should be tempted to make abrupt, strive for gaining rights for its culture equal hasty, ill-considered moves on the way of its with the dominating nation. World civilization development. I agree with him. already faced it during various wars, conflicts, We think that Russia is no less a European territory seizures but it never happened before country than, for instance, France or Germany. as a result of peaceful culture development. And But these times we can hardly consider Western today we can see that there is a range of regions Europe or the United States as moral leaders in in the world where there develops rapidly in this world – a leader that has a right to explain numbers those segments of population that bear 76 Round Table THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES & CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD with them another culture, another cast of mind, with more than 30 % of the Russian-speaking and they challenge dominating cultures. population the state decides that there is no Each dominating nation is ready to be very place for the ... Or in the benevolent to another culture if the latter is Ukraine, which is the country where half of the not going to become dominating. For instance, population is Russian-speaking and experiences in France today we can see the results after strong pressure from the authorities. incautious statement of Dr. Sarkozy about Regretfully, the humanity now has no prac- Turkey and we understand why it happens. tical mechanisms to resolve these issues and There is a growing foreign cultural community even directions for their search are not quite tremendous in number that is not ready to clear. It is easy to say: ‘We would like equal accept the culture of that country as the main rights for all cultures’. But it is very hard to one. France can already see that it is quite provide such equality. There are large, tremen- possible that multiple members of a different dous problems on this way. culture will say: ‘we would like to be principal At some point in each of us biological in- there, our culture will dominate’. And then as stincts wake up that say that a foreign language, a result of demographic procedures they may a foreign culture should be suppressed, even gain such an opportunity. There appears a new destroyed, that the native culture should be the type of culture struggle, extremely acute cultural main one. This becomes, to my mind, not a less conflict. acute issue than the financial interest conflict. The same is happening now in the Baltic Actually, money does not rule the world. I think countries with more than 30 % of the Russian that we are to make sure not once that culture population. Members of the dominating culture rules the world. But it also carries considerable beware of their influence, therefore, to struggle threats if we do not develop proper mechanisms with them they utilize such methods that are for the dialogue of cultures. far from being democratic. In conclusion I would like to thank you for Let’s take a look how today particular people your fruitful work at the 7th International of various cultures live, how such combination Likhachov Scientific Conference and to wish is possible. For instance, in the Baltic states success to each of the participants. INDEX OF NAMES

Al-Attar, N. 34 Naumkin, V. V. 53, 72 Asadullin, F. A. 52 Petrov, A. E. 70 Bogomolov, O. T. 54 Piotrovsky, M. B. 23 Chubaryan, A. O. 33 Popov, V. V. 45, 69, Clesse, A. 64 70, 72, 73, 74 Drozd, J. 63 Reznik, G. M. 48, 72 Dutkevich, P. 62 Saltanov, A. V. 36 Granin, D. A. 20 Shipton, S. L. 56 Guseynov, A. A. 39 Stepin, V. S. 73 Jingjie, L. 28 Tlili, M. 65 Joshi, M. M. 31 Vasilyev, Y. S. 33 Kazarin, V. P. 51 Yagodin, G. A. 44, Khokhar, R. X. 43 68, 69 Kokoshin, A. A. 26 Yatskevich, D. V. 59 Likhanov, A. A. 50 Zapesotsky, A. S. 18, Mahmood, S. Z. 66 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, Mitter, W. 69 67, 74 Scientific edition

DIALOGUE OF CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD The 7th International Likhachov Scientific Conference May 24–25, 2007

(ДИАЛОГ КУЛЬТУР И ЦИВИЛИЗАЦИЙ В ГЛОБАЛЬНОМ МИРЕ VII МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЕ ЛИХАЧЕВСКИЕ НАУЧНЫЕ ЧТЕНИЯ 24–25 мая 2007 года)

Выпускающий редактор И. В. Петрова Художественное оформление В. Б. Клоков Технический редактор Е. Ю. Николаева

ISBN 978-5-7621-0392-3 Ïîäïèñàíî â ïå÷àòü ñ îðèãèíàëà-ìàêåòà 25.09.07. Ôîðìàò 60õ90/8 Ãàðíèòóðà Schoolbook. Óñë. ïå÷. ë. 10,0. Òèðàæ 500 ýêç. Çàêàç ¹ Èçäàòåëüñòâî Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðãñêîãî Ãóìàíèòàðíîãî óíèâåðñèòåòà ïðîôñîþçîâ 192238, Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã, óë. Ôó÷èêà, 15 Îòïå÷àòàíî â ÃÓÏ «Òèïîãðàôèÿ «Íàóêà» 199034, Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã, Â. Î., 9-ÿ ëèíèÿ, 12