Philology at the National Research Tomsk State University: History and Modernity

Abstract

The article provides a brief overview of scholarly directions developing within the philological school of the National Research Tomsk State University. It is shown that from the opening of the Faculty of History and Philology in 1917 to the present day, Tomsk philology has been developing on the basis of the main principles that determine its success: a) the combination of traditions and innovation; b) continuity of generations; c) integration of scholarly and educational processes; d) extensive interaction with leading Russian and foreign scholarly and educational centers; e) the pioneering nature of scholarly developments; f) productivity; g) fulfilling the role of an educational center, a popularizer of Russian verbal culture. Along with well-known schools recognized in Russia and abroad (as evidenced by the awarding of State Prizes of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology to two teams), new applied and interdisciplinary areas are actively developing. The results of research are introduced into the educational process, which is manifested in the opening of new programs, the creation of teaching aids, and the development of authors’ courses. Tomsk State University publishes five scholarly philological journals, which occupy high ranking positions and serve as a platform for discussing problems of linguistics, literary criticism, publishing, translation studies, imagology, and lexicography. Philologists participate in the implementation of federal target programs in the Russian language, their research is supported by numerous grants. Throughout their existence, Tomsk philologists have been conducting educational activities in the field of Russian culture, and today young researchers create popular science projects and develop digital platforms for the study of language and literature. Tomsk Philological School is not a geographical concept, since it involves representatives of different universities in Russia, united by the object of research, scholarly approaches, and joint publications. Despite the breadth and uniqueness of scholarly fields, Tomsk philology has common features that characterize it as a single whole.

Keywords:

Tomsk philology, science, education, traditions, innovation, enlightenment