TV BRICS to Introduce Indian Students to Images of Russian Winter in Literary Texts

The TV BRICS International Media Network will hold a telebridge on 2 March 2026, titled "Russian winter in literary texts", for students from India. The central studio will be organised at the I. M. Rudomino All Russia State Library for Foreign Literature in MoscowTV BRICS reported.

Students from 14 Indian universities will join the telebridge. The participants’ geography covers 13 cities and 9 states, including Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolhapur, and universities in Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, and other regions. An Indian postgraduate student studying at the State University of Education in Moscow will also take part in the online meeting.

Alongside TV BRICS’ "Modern Russian" project, the organisers of the meeting are the Indian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (INDAPRIAL), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Russian Houses.

“Over years of cooperation between Russian studies specialists in India and TV BRICS experts, linguistic and cultural telebridges on various topics have been held. Each time, we tried to choose relevant directions for discussion, go beyond conventional clichés and expand the linguistic horizons of foreign students. This time, the calendar suggested a new topic to develop: the Russian winter is beautiful and treacherous at the same time, an ambivalent image in Russian literature; winter is the time of traditional holidays, and there is much to tell; the ‘winter’ landscape lyric of Russian poets is magnificent. We hope that the telebridge will help Indian students broaden their understanding of both Russian culture and the Russian character,” noted Tamara Skok, Director of the Department of Innovative Linguistic Projects at TV BRICS and Project Leader of "Modern Russian", Candidate of Philological Sciences.

Participants in the telebridge will refer to the works of A. S. Pushkin, L. N. Tolstoy, N. V. Gogol and other Russian writers. Special attention will be paid to the image of the blizzard in prose and poetry: students will learn about the etymological connection between the words "метель" (blizzard), "мятеж" (rebellion) and "смятение" (confusion). The programme also includes an analysis of Russian proverbs about winter, viewing excerpts from adaptations (for example, the film "Anna Karenina") and discussions of winter holidays – Svyatki, Christmas and Epiphany. To consolidate the material, the organisers have prepared a themed crossword. In the creative part of the programme, students will read poems by S. A. Esenin and other poets, as well as songs about the New Year, Russian frosts and winter landscapes.

The event will continue the series of educational meetings of the "Modern Russian" project and will become the ninth international telebridge. Previously broadcast programmes included "Introduction to Russia", "Three Cities in the Creative Fate of F. M. Dostoevsky" (with Brazil), "Let Us Join Hands, Friends!", "Russian Hospitality: Heartfelt and Tasty", "Farewell to the Russian Winter. Maslenitsa", "A. S. Pushkin. Reflections on Happiness", "Russia. Points of Attraction" (with India). Each of these video meetings opened up to foreign students the richness of the Russian language, traditions and the country’s cultural heritage.

The international educational and informational project "Modern Russian" is implemented by the TV BRICS International Media Network. It was established in 2007 to promote the Russian language, improve literacy and provide linguistic support. The project’s informational resources and advisory services are used in more than 150 countries worldwide.