"Man, text and era: The Philosophy of Unity in Russian Prose in Kazakhstan"
On 10 October 2025, within the framework of AR19679652 "Modern Russian prose of Kazakhstan: leading trends, genre studies, plot, hero" the project executor grant project of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Doctor of Philology, Professor Aslan Zhamelevich Zhaksylykov, gave a demoleadership lecture on the topic: "Man, text and era: The Philosophy of Unity in Russian Prose in Kazakhstan," which included elements of scientific discussion, the presentation of original research, and interactive engagement with students and young scholars.
Lecture objectives:
- to demonstrate the role of Kazakhstani Russian-language prose as a space for spiritual exploration and self-determination in the context of global change;
- to examine the leading trends in contemporary Russian prose in Kazakhstan through the prism of the philosophy of unity and synthesis of cultures;
- to examine literary forms as a reflection of spiritual experience, historical memory and dialogue between cultures;
- emphasise the importance of a humanistic and tolerant worldview in the development of contemporary literature.
- conduct practical work with students — analysis of contemporary cultural and literary phenomena (films, TV series, prose, digital creativity) as a reflection of the transformation of the consciousness of modern man.
The keynote lecture was devoted to analysing the spiritual and philosophical foundations of contemporary Russian-language prose in Kazakhstan. Particular attention was paid to how literature becomes a space for overcoming dualism — between East and West, tradition and modernity, reality and fantasy, faith and reason. The lecture revealed a key idea: the unity of consciousness and spiritual development of the individual as a path to the improvement of society.
The lecture covered the following topics:
1. Leading trends in contemporary Russian-language prose in Kazakhstan: (synthesis of national and universal principles; spiritual and philosophical interpretation of post-Soviet reality; reflection of religious and moral motifs in the context of contemporary identity; integration of traditional culture and new artistic forms).
2. Genre diversity: (development of phantasmagorical and philosophical prose; revival of the novel as the spiritual path of the hero; autobiographical and metaphysical elements in narrative; synthesis of realistic, mythological and symbolic planes).
3. Plots and motifs: (dreams and visions as a form of artistic cognition of the world; motifs of war and memory as a test of the human spirit; plot as a path from duality to inner unity; the image of home and possessions as a metaphor for spiritual integrity).
4. The image of the hero: (the hero-thinker experiencing a crisis of faith and identity; the character-seeker striving for inner balance; the man caught between cultures and eras; the writer as a spiritual guide exploring the boundaries of consciousness).
5. Linguistic and aesthetic specificity: (use of multi-layered, symbolic language; synthesis of Russian literary tradition with Kazakh worldview; integration of national realities, mythologems and folkloric images; philosophical depth and cinematic narrative).
A. Zhaksylykov emphasised the following aspects:
- the need to integrate old and new cultures in literature and education;
- the importance of a reading society as the foundation of a nation's spiritual architecture;
- the danger of losing spiritual bearings in the age of digitalisation;
- the value of slow, evolutionary development of literature, culture and education;
- literature as a space for synthesis, humanism and benevolence.
The lecture emphasised the importance of Russian-language literature in Kazakhstan as a spiritual bridge between cultures and eras. It becomes an arena where people learn to understand themselves and the world, seek unity in diversity, and synthesise faith, reason and art.
